FORT COLLINS — Tahj Bullock did what many in his position wouldn’t have.

With just one year of eligibility remaining, the former three-star recruit out of East Orange, N.J. who began his career in the ACC at Virginia Tech, went somewhere he knew he wasn’t going to be a starting quarterback, Colorado State.

“I just thought it was a real family environment here and a place that, more than anything, wants to win,” the Akron transfer recently told The Denver Gazette. “That’s what I want to do. I want to win, I want to play.

“There’s a lot of young guys on this team, but it’s a group that really wants it, more than anything. They’re building a winning culture. Especially when I hit the portal, I could see how they’re scaling up these last couple years. That’s why I wanted to join it. I wanted to be able to implement my talents wherever I can and just help the team win.”

Even though the odds of him unseating Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi as Jay Norvell’s starter under center are high, Bullock will get his chance to make an impact on the 2025 Rams.

If you’ve gotten a chance to catch a glimpse of fall camp, there have been no shortage of packages that include Bullock lined up next to Fowler-Nicolosi in the backfield or split out wide. It may take a minute to get used to seeing two orange ‘hands off’ jerseys on the field at the same time, but once you do, the potential is easy to see.

“I think he’s a playmaker,” Norvell said of Bullock. “We want to try to fill this team with as many playmakers as we can. He’s a big, physical guy (that) can do a lot of things well and we feel like we’ve had a lot of success with guys like that in the past. He’s been a great addition.”

After appearing in just one game over two seasons with the Hokies, Bullock played in 22 games for the Zips the past two. As his career has progressed, he’s been continuously used more as a runner than a thrower. He had 66 pass attempts and 62 carries in 2023 and last fall, that flipped to 29 pass attempts and 54 carries. He’s got four times as many rushing touchdowns (12) as passing touchdowns (3) in his career.

His role last year at Akron was a lot similar to what CSU is going to ask of him this season and it’s something he’s excited to continue.

“I just thought I’d do it on a bigger stage,” Bullock said. “Coming here, when I entered the portal, sitting down with (Norvell), (quarterbacks coach Chase) Holbrook, (associate head coach Matt) Mumme, they laid out a plan for me and how they wanted to utilize me and I liked it for the most part.

“I keep saying it, but it’s like taking me back to the youth (football) days. Just playing all over the place. Being all over the place is cool, (I’m) having fun with it, just putting the ball in my hands.”

There are times when Bullock wishes he could shed the orange jersey, though. He knows if he’s able to make a big impact on this Rams team, it will most likely come with his legs. Whether it’s carrying the ball into a crowd or blocking downfield for someone else, Bullock knows he needs to be ready for the hits his teammates aren’t allowed to put on him in practice.

“The work doesn’t change for me,” Bullock said. “My mentality is always just making sure I’m getting downhill with the ball in my hands outside the pocket and if I gotta lower my shoulder, I’m gonna do it to get those extra yards.”

That’s the theme for Bullock in his final year. Whether it’s with his play on the field or with his work ethic off of it, he wants to make sure his short time in Fort Collins is a memorable one.

“I just want to bring my talents to it and showcase my hard work, more than anything, especially with what I’m doing and playing all over the place,” Bullock said. “Just being able to show them that I’m here doing whatever I can for the team to help us win and that I want it. This is my last year, I don’t want to go out on losses or nothing like that. I want to go out and dominate and enjoy it.”