Colorado State 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the Colorado State Rams 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 Colorado State Rams roster and what to expect in the Pac-12 this season. Can Jim Mora turn a 2-10 team around in year one? Does a roster built on 35 transfers gel fast enough to matter? And how much better can this offense really get after finishing 124th in scoring?
Is Hauss Hejny the answer at quarterback once he is back from that broken foot, or does K’saan Farrar win the job? Can Tommy Maher carry a passing game that loses most of its production? Will Jack Moran, Kenyon Agurs and Jace Bellah hold up a defense that ranked 127th against the run? What does a Saturday at Canvas Stadium look like now that the Rams are hosting BYU, Boise State and the Border War with Wyoming? Does a jump to the Pac-12 with this schedule sink Mora before the reset even starts? And where’s the betting value on the Colorado State Rams win total, Pac-12 odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Jim Mora Takes Over In Fort Collins
Colorado State has a new head coach. Jim Mora replaces Jay Norvell after a 2-10 season. That season ran the previous staff out of Fort Collins. Mora arrives with a clean 0-0 record. Because of that, his hot seat sits at just 1 out of 10, about as low as this feature gets. The early goodwill also runs deep. Fans are already on board. Signs in the Canvas Stadium stands read “Ready For Mora Wins.” That kind of buy-in also says something, coming from a fan base fresh off consecutive losing seasons. Mora also kept some structure in place. So Tyson Summers, the 2025 interim head coach, stays on as defensive coordinator.
A 2025 Season To Forget
First, the numbers were rough across the board in 2025. The Rams finished 124th nationally in scoring offense and 117th in total offense. The defense was also no better. It checked in 124th overall and 127th against the run. Close games did not go their way either. Colorado State went just 1-2 in one-score finishes. That stretch included a 17-16 loss to UTSA and a 20-17 defeat to New Mexico, the kind of results a good team usually turns its way. So a 2-10 record told most of the story. It also explains why Fort Collins wanted a total reset instead of a patch job.
A Roster Rebuilt Through The Portal
Mora did not wait around to remake this team. Colorado State brought in 64 commits this cycle, split between 29 recruits and 35 transfers. Many of them trace back to UConn, Mora’s old program. New offensive coordinator Pryce Tracy also comes over from UConn. Because of that, the offensive language in that building should sound familiar. Quarterback remains the biggest question. Hauss Hejny, a transfer from Oklahoma State by way of TCU, is working back from a broken foot suffered in Week 1 last season. Then K’saan Farrar joins from UConn to push him for the job. Meanwhile, receiver Tommy Maher headlines the returning starters. Still, only 38 percent of the offense is back.
Who Holds Up The Defense
The defense returns more production than the offense does, at 54 percent. First, three starters anchor it. Jack Moran comes back on the defensive line, Kenyon Agurs at linebacker and Jace Bellah in the secondary. That trio gives Mora a few pieces he did not have to import. Mora made his name coaching defensive backs, and fixing this side of the ball is squarely his job. New faces also help fill the gaps left by last year’s 127th-ranked run defense. EDGE Stephon Wright, DL Robby Harrison and LB Oumar Dimande headline the incoming class. Together, they give Tyson Summers more speed off the edge than this roster has had in years.
The Move Up To The Pac-12
The schedule gets tougher in 2026. Colorado State joins the rebuilt Pac-12 after years in the Mountain West. That jump alone raises the competition every week. Canvas Stadium hosts BYU, Boise State, Oregon State and the annual Border War against Wyoming. So the home slate is no gimme. The road tour then sends the Rams to Washington State, Fresno State and Utah State. Those three trips will test a roster still learning to play together. That is a steep climb for a team coming off two wins. Because the schedule does not offer much of a break, Mora’s first Pac-12 season doubles as a crash course.
Where’s The Betting Value
The betting market is not sold on a fast turnaround. The Rams sit at 3.5 wins for 2026. Next, their odds to win the Pac-12 check in at +4000. A College Football Playoff berth is a longshot at +50000. Those numbers reflect a roster still finding its footing under a new staff. The talent influx from the portal is real. But so is the jump in competition. Because so much of this roster is brand new to Fort Collins, chemistry becomes the swing factor on whether this number clears. SGPN grades the state of the program at 4 out of 10 and on the rise.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
02:22 Meet The Crew And Colorado State’s Sleeping Giant
07:13 2025 Season Recap: A Disaster Under Norvell
08:37 New Coach: Jim Mora Takes Over
11:07 Pac-12 And Mountain West Coaching Landscape
16:13 New OC Pryce Tracy’s Loaded Resume
20:09 Offense Outlook: Returners And Key Transfers
27:01 Defense: Mora’s DB Roots And Tyson Summers Retained
30:16 NIL Spotlight: Old Aggie Beer And Fort Collins Bars
34:03 Canvas Stadium: A New Home For A Sleeping Giant
37:06 CSU Football Legends
39:51 2026 Schedule Breakdown And Game Picks
48:56 Win Total And Best Bets
50:31 Wishlist And Sign-Off
