FORT COLLINS — After a 1,000-yard season that featured All-Mountain West first team honors, Tory Horton is focused this spring on continuing a different distinction he earned last fall — being the big brother of the Colorado State wide receivers room.

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Limited due to injury, the Rams are just being cautious with Horton, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have an on-field effect.

“Tory does a great job,” CSU wide receivers coach Chad Savage told The Denver Gazette. “He leads by example in everything he does, whether it’s in the classroom, in the film room, on the field, in the weight room, it’s a big brother, little brother relationship and he really paves the path for those guys to be successful.”

Horton was the only starting wideout from Week 1 that didn’t leave the program during the season, which forced freshmen Justus Ross-Simmons and Louis Brown into much bigger roles. The number of snaps that those two, as well as Mekhi Fox, played as freshmen could wind up being a blessing in disguise for the Rams as they all continue to make progress this spring.

“They’re learning the playbook, you see them out there moving more fluidly, more confident,” Horton told The Denver Gazette. “Just them growing and being in the system, it makes it easier on them to just go out there and put their abilities to work.”

With Horton limited this spring, that’s only increased the importance of Brown and Ross-Simmons, who are suddenly key, go-to targets for quarterback Clay Millen.

“Now, even though they’re still freshmen academically, they’re sophomores in my mind so they can’t have those growing pains that we had last fall,” Savage said. “They’ve just gotta keep taking strides and getting 1% better every single day, that’s our mindset in our room, and they’ve gotta learn from their mistakes on the field.”

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Another player taking advantage of increased snaps is freshman Silas Evans, a Denver native and George Washington High School graduate, who Savage said is already making plays and could force his way into a role in just his first season with the Rams.

“We were fortunate to get Silas and with him, it’s big because he enrolled early,” Savage said. “Now he’s going to get 15 spring practices. He had eight weeks of winter training and really, he’s almost going to be like a sophomore come next fall. He fits the profile we’re looking for and now it’s just a matter of getting the reps and taking advantage of them.”

No matter how big of a jump the young receivers can take in 2023, the Rams know the offense will need another standout season from Horton if they want to make the jump from a three-win team to a bowl-eligible team — something Horton himself is fully expecting.

“We want to win games, we want to go to a bowl, we want to go to the championship,” Horton said. “My goal on my side of the ball is to make plays when my name is called. I don’t ever preach on trying to get 1,000 yards or trying to lead the nation or conference in yards or touchdowns.”

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