CSU defeated Northern Colorado, 38-17, in a Saturday performance at Canvas Stadium that will draw mixed reviews in its own right. But the biggest story moving forward could be the availability of star wide receiver Tory Horton for the showdown next weekend with rival Colorado in FoCo.

The all-conference pass catcher left Saturday night’s game in the third quarter and did not return. Horton hauled in his second catch of the game, made a nifty move to shake off a defender along the sideline, but almost immediately pulled up because of an injury. He took a couple of steps with a limp before going down in pain on the CSU sideline.

Horton went into the injury tent and then to the locker room.

CSU coach Jay Norvell didn’t have an update on Horton’s status after the game. Norvell said he hopes the injury isn’t serious, but it is too early to tell.

“We are a work in progress as a football team,” Norvell said. “I was pretty irritated for most of this game because I just want our guys to play up to their potential. We do it at times. We scratch the surface at times, but I was not happy for most of this game. But I’m very proud of some of the efforts we had.”

There were a couple of iffy moments, but beyond the Horton injury scare the Rams (1-1) were never in serious duress while rebounding from a 52-0 loss in Week 1 at Texas. Caleb Goodie hauled in a 40-yard touchdown from Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi two plays after Horton was injured to give CSU a 31-14 lead.

Fowler-Nicolosi finished 17 of 26 for 180 yards. Keegan Holles and Justin Marshall combined for 156 yards on the ground. Ten different receivers caught passes from Fowler-Nicolosi.

“I feel like other people got to step up, so that’s pretty good,” Goodie said. “I’ve just got to be ready when it’s my moment.”

Quarterback Peter Costelli threw for 187 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (0-2), who are still in the early stages of a long-term rebuilding project with second-year coach Ed Lamb. Costelli was also injured in this game on a rushing play late in the fourth quarter.

After a quiet first weekend in Austin, Horton found the end zone on his first play at home. Horton fielded a punt and raced through the middle of the UNC coverage team for a 78-yard touchdown just 1:42 into this one.

Colorado State’s first offensive series began with big plays but sputtered at the goal line. If there’s one specific area to work on before the rival Buffaloes arrive at Canvas Stadium next weekend, it might be short-yardage situations.

Three plays from the 2-yard line resulted in zero yards and a field goal on the first drive. CSU had no trouble on its second goal-line opportunity — Fowler-Nicolosi jogged in from 2 yards out on a keeper. But it also took three tries after first-and-goal from the UNC 1-yard line late in the half before Holles scored.

Save for a couple of short-yardage hiccups and one lost fumble, the Rams were proficient on offense in the opening half. Beyond the big play to Goodie, it was more of a struggle to string together drives in the second half.

“We’re just getting started as a team,” Norvell said. “We have a lot of improvement to make. We have to get better in a lot of areas. I think we’ll gain confidence from this game, but we’re going to see a lot better opponents as we move forward and we need to improve.”

Northern Colorado had some bright moments on offense as well. Costelli connected on a pair of tough passes in traffic to lead the Bears on a scoring drive after the Rams’ turnover. Costelli found tight end Fisher Clements in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown despite great coverage late in the first quarter, which cut Colorado State’s lead to 10-7.

UNC was also moving the ball again midway through the second quarter, but tight end Cash Cheeks dropped a 4th-and-2 pass. The Bears had another promising drive in the third quarter end on what looked like a catchable ball as well.

Colorado State appeared to be in control at the half, but Northern Colorado cut the lead to 24-14 on its first drive of the third quarter. Costelli hit Brayden Monroe in stride for a 50-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass.

“I feel like we showed a lot of good things out there, but there are obviously some things we need to improve,” CSU linebacker Buom Jock said. “It’s a big game next week.”

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Ed Lamb has chosen the path he believes will help Northern Colorado claw its way toward the top of the Big Sky Conference, and it runs right through the heart of the Centennial State.

“We have decided to take the long-term developmental approach and recruit Colorado high school kids,” Lamb said ahead of his team’s Saturday clash with Colorado State at Canvas Stadium. “We think that the long-term highest aspiration of this program is to build a regional cohesiveness with Colorado kids. And we feel like Colorado’s under-recruited right now.”

Lamb, in his second season as the head coach of the Bears, is well aware of the mountain ahead to climb. Before spending seven seasons as an assistant coach at BYU, he built a Big Sky champion at Southern Utah and helped the Thunderbirds reach the FCS playoffs twice.

His conference title came in 2015. One year later, Northern Colorado went 6-5 for a second straight campaign, and those seasons represent the apex of the Bears’ time in one of the two power conferences at the FCS level.

Northern Colorado has won 13 games in the six years since, and not more than twice in conference play in any season.

“I think it’s been largely similar (to Southern Utah)” Lamb said of his first year-plus in charge. “It’s two programs that aspired to compete at the highest level they can. They’ve stretched and they’ve reached, and it’s something that resonates with me.

“It’s a challenge that excites me. Anybody paying attention can figure it out that UNC is budgetarily challenged. We’ve got to stretch every dollar. We’ve got to grow our university and grow our student population. There are potentially better days ahead on the football field and for the university. It’s the type of environment that I really thrive in, and one where there’s just a lot of upside and potential.”

Lamb’s team came to FoCo without a victory in his first 12 games as coach. UNC went 0-11 in 2023, but it was a season defined by what-ifs and almosts.

The Bears led Weber State 21-7 midway through the fourth quarter before losing by a touchdown. They lost to Sacramento State, Cal Poly and Portland State by one score. UNC had the ball in Idaho territory down a touchdown late in the fourth quarter before a pick-six halted a potential rally.

Idaho was the No. 4 national seed in the FCS playoffs. Weber State was a preseason top-10 team. The Bears were close in nearly half their games, but it wasn’t enough.

Lamb wasn’t kidding about his local-focused strategy. Northern Colorado signed 24 Colorado high school players in the 2024 recruiting class. His predecessor, Ed McCaffrey, went heavy on using the transfer portal. The Bears won six games in two years.

It’s only one data point in 2024, but UNC was considerably more competitive in Week 1 against Incarnate Word than it was in 2023. Two areas where Lamb expects to see improvement — offensive line and secondary — were bright spots.

It’s likely to be a long road for the Bears, but Lamb feels he can orchestrate a similar success story that he crafted in southwest Utah. It’s been nearly a decade since UNC was anything but a bottom-feeder in the Big Sky, but Lamb has higher aspirations despite the challenges in front of him.

The individual challenges won’t get much bigger than the one Saturday in Fort Collins.

“A large portion of our guys that were recruited, at least to some degree, by Colorado State, evaluated and probably didn’t get the answer they were hoping for,” Lamb said. “There’s that opportunity to prove themselves. I think anytime we get a chance to compete against somebody that’s supposed to beat us, that’s what great stories are written about.

“Nobody’s going to make a movie if CSU beats UNC this Saturday. But movies are made when the UNCs of the world beat a team like CSU.”

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Buoyed by a couple of game-turning defensive plays late in the first half and a strong rushing attack, Dakota Ridge collected the first victory of head coach Jeremiah Behrendsen’s tenure — a 37-20 win against Class 3A power Green Mountain.

The Dakota Ridge football community arrived with heavy hearts. Lindsey Duran, the wife of defensive coordinator Tierre Duran, died earlier in the week.

Lindsey’s favorite color was purple, so the entire Eagles coaching staff and most of the Dakota Ridge fans wore it in her memory. And it was Tierre’s defense that led the way.

“I’ve been coaching with ‘Coach T’ for over 20 years,” Behrendsen, a longtime assistant at Dakota Ridge, said. “I’ve known his wife the whole time. I was at their wedding. This was really hard. It was hard for the kids. It was hard for the coaches, because one of our brothers was hurting.

“The kids really stepped up. The community was outstanding. Tierre has felt love from everybody. … I’m just so happy for him that we were able to pick up a win.”

The Eagles (1-1) were dominant over the final three quarters, forcing four turnovers and shutting down what started as a very promising night for Green Mountain (1-1), the third-ranked team in 3A. Junior running back Landon Kalsbeck sparked the offense with a hat trick of touchdowns, and the offensive line imposed its will as the game progressed for the Eagles, ranked No. 8 in 4A.

It was all Dakota Ridge in the second quarter. Kalsbeck capped off a one-man show kind of drive with a 3-yard run to cut Green Mountain’s lead to 14-13 and start a run of 31 consecutive points. Kalsbeck also had runs of 31 and 13 yards during the march. 

The Dakota Ridge defense went to work late in the quarter. Sophomore defensive tackle Dominick Webb intercepted a late-developing tunnel screen and went 30 yards untouched for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:28 left in the half. 

Green Mountain senior quarterback Simon Lunsford fumbled while attempting a pass less than a minute later. Dakota Ridge junior defensive lineman Marcus Weston scooped it up and rumbled to the Green Mountain 12-yard line. Junior kicker Colby Stewart nailed a 30-yard field goal to push the Eagles’ advantage to 23-14 at the break.

After Green Mountain scored on its first two drives of the game, the Rams did not run a play in Dakota Ridge territory in the second or third quarters.

“They got a couple early, but then our defense just made some great adjustments,” Behrendsen said. “‘Coach T’ is awesome. I trust him with everything. We’ve got a plethora of guys who work so well together, and we knew it was going to really click at some point.”

Kalsbeck capped a pair of third-quarter drives with short touchdown runs to put the game out of reach. A Dimitri Spano interception set up the second one — Kalsbeck carried the ball on all five plays after the turnover. 

Kalsbeck finished with 109 yards on 17 carries, added an 11-yard reception from junior quarterback Kellen Behrendsen, and had an impact on defense as well.

Dakota Ridge opened the scoring with a 1-yard run by senior running back Sam Callas after an efficient first drive. 

Green Mountain answered right back. Lunsford rolled to his left and connected with senior Demetreus Padilla in the front corner of the end zone for a 9-yard strike. 

The Rams grabbed their first lead of the contest shortly after senior linebacker Dominic Hidrogo snared the first of his two interceptions to set up Green Mountain with great field position. Lunsford made an incredible play on fourth-and-10, wriggling out of a near-sack and finding senior Dax Gomez in a crowd for 27 yards.

Three plays later, senior Max Babel scored a sweep from 6 yards out. A two-point conversion gave the Rams a 14-6 lead with 2:31 left in the opening quarter. 

Green Mountain nearly had another interception on the next drive, but it fell through the hands of a Rams defensive back. It was all Dakota Ridge after that.

Afterward, there was a game ball for Behrendsen to commemorate his first win … but also a special one for ‘Coach T.’

“It meant so much,” Webb said of how well the defense played. “‘Coach T’ builds people up. He never tears you down. He’s always positive, never negative.

“This was meant for him.”

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Foster began the post-John Matocha era at Colorado School of Mines with an efficient performance, throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns to help the Orediggers cruise to a 41-13 win Thursday night against West Texas A&M in front of 4,224 at Marv Kay Stadium.

“I’ve been waiting so long for this game, that it was had to stay clear-minded, but I think I did a pretty good job preparing myself and it was a blast,” Foster said. “Going forward, just being able to play ball now with this one under my belt will be nice.”

The redshirt senior from Olathe, Kan., has been Matocha’s backup for three seasons, but aside from a couple of wonky plays in the first half it looked like much of the same for the Orediggers after back-to-back trips to the D-II national championship game.

Foster’s second play was a botched snap that left Mines with a third-and-21, but his 34-yard pass to Flynn Schiele was the first of several escapes. The Orediggers faced third-and-10-plus five times in the first half. They prolonged the drive four times, including a 27-yard touchdown pass from Foster to Max McLeod on third-and-17.

“I knew (Foster) was going to be ready mentally and physically. I thought he did a great job,” Mines coach Pete Sterbick said. “We got ourselves in some tough spots, but he made some great throws. I think he’ll also keep getting better as we go.”

Landon Walker burst through the middle for a 47-yard touchdown run to put Mines ahead just 3:07 in. Now the clear-cut No. 1 back after a timeshare a year ago, Walker finished with a game-high 154 yards on 15 carries.

The Foster-to-McLeod connection made it 14-0 fewer than nine minutes in. West Texas A&M found some fleeting success with a pair of passes over the top of the Mines defense to make it 14-7 late in the first quarter, but it was almost all Orediggers after that.

The Orediggers have done a lot of winning in the foothills of the Front Range over the past two decades, but Matocha helped lift the program to another level, winning 50 games as a starter and throwing for an NCAA-record 162 touchdowns.

The first game without him wasn’t perfect, particularly at the start. Beyond the botched snap, Mines had a pair of back-to-back false starts. Three Foster passes were dropped, including two in the opening quarter because the intended target lost the ball in the sun before it set behind Lookout Mountain.

“Even if we played perfect, there would still be stuff to work on,” Foster said. “A lot of mistakes, a lot of penalties that shouldn’t be happening. We’ll fix it.”

Mines also had a pair of scary moments in the final two minutes of the first half. McLeod, a returning All-America and arguably the best pass catcher in America in Division II, was leveled on a play over the middle with 1:47 left. It was called targeting on West Texas A&M’s JT Cavender, and McLeod was down on the field for several minutes, but was able to leave the field on his own power.

One of the Orediggers’ best defensive players was injured moments later. Linebacker Jaden Healy, the team’s leading tackler in 2023, hobbled off the field and immediately grabbed his knee while writhing in pain on the sidelines. Healy was able to return briefly in the third quarter, but McLeod did not play in the second half.

“I don’t know yet,” Sterbick said of McLeod, before saying Healy’s absence in the second half was a precaution. “He’s probably feeling better than we all thought he would, given what transpired, but just not sure if we’ll have him next week or what the process will be.”

The Buffaloes nearly made it a two-score game just before the half, but a Hail Mary completion was wiped out by an offensive pass interference call in the Orediggers’ end zone. Mines got a stop to start the second half, and Walker punctuated an easy touchdown drive with his second score of the night to extend the lead to 34-7.

The Mines offense bogged down at times after that, but All-America punter Blake Doud had a pair of punts downed at the Buffaloes’ 1-yard line, including one that traveled 80 yards.

“That’s why he’s an All-American,” Sterbick said. “Doesn’t surprise me at all. Blake’s incredible. He’s a weapon.”

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This could be a year that tests how strong the football machine really is in the foothills of the Front Range. The Orediggers, fresh off back-to-back appearances in the national title game, must replace several vital players, including all-everything quarterback John Matocha.

Mines also returns enough star power that, along with a host of players who have been waiting their turn as backups, could still make second-year coach Pete Sterbick’s club a threat to return to McKinney, Texas, for a third straight title game and finally complete the program’s ultimate goal.

“I feel like we’ve recruited well. We’ve got to go prove that,” Sterbick said. “I think there’s a mix this year of veteran leadership and experience with some youth. But then some of the spots that we lost guys, we’ve got some guys that have just been waiting in the wings that are third- and fourth-year guys, fifth-year guys even, that are just ready to really get their shot.”

Matocha’s time in Golden may never be matched. He won 50 games and threw more touchdown passes (162) than anyone has at any level of college football. He won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best player in the country in 2022 and was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s player of the year three times.

Evan Foster is a redshirt senior who has appeared in 24 games and completed 63 of 83 passes in his career, all as Matocha’s backup. Two of the other three guys competing for the job, Valor Christian’s Sean McNair and Jake Sype, are both in their fourth year with the program. Redshirt freshman Joseph Capra from Denver South has also had a standout camp.

As they are at nearly every position, the Orediggers are flush with both experience and youth but also intriguing options.

“How do we replace John? Next man up,” senior wide receiver Max McLeod said. “It’s what we always do around here. John was a phenomenal player, obviously. But it’s the culture here. That’s how we win games. We have talent everywhere.”

Whoever takes the first snap Sept. 5 against West Texas A&M will have a wealth of skill-position talent to ease the transition. McLeod, one of three returning All-Americans, leads what could be the best receiving corps in the nation.

He had 115 catches for 1,656 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. Flynn Schiele and Mountain Vista’s Nick Stone are also back. The trio combined for more than 3,000 receiving yards.

Mines has to replace leading rusher Noah Roper, but Landon Walker had 760 yards and 12 touchdowns in what was essentially a first-team timeshare. Legacy’s Braelon Tate and Konnor Mickelsen showed flashes of potential stardom in small doses last year, but they’ll need to fend off redshirt freshman Max Barnes to be next in line for carries after Walker.

All-America lineman Levi Johnson is gone, but left tackle Nic Van de Graaf could be next up. He’s started 39 games for the Orediggers. There’s plenty of veteran experience in this group. Cole Johnson, who has played as a tight end and along the line, is expected to slot in full-time at guard.

“I think they’re pretty tough. They’re not going to be afraid to do the dirty work,” Sterbick said of his offensive line. “I think they’re as ready as any group to prove they can just keep up rolling. As far as we can go, they’re going to take us there, but we feel really good about them.”

From the days when Bob Stitt was calling the plays to the past few years with Matocha, Mines has had a well-earned reputation for offensive excellence. The defense has been pretty darn good, too.

The Orediggers allowed 13.0 points per game a year ago, but are also replacing the RMAC player of the year on this side of the ball, linebacker Nolan Reeve. Valor Christian’s Jackson Zimmermann is another returning All-American at cornerback, while Mines does bring back three of its top four tacklers in linebackers Jaden Healy, Adrian Moreno and Hayden Gregg.

Mines had five defensive linemen last season who were 23 or 24 years old, but the team will be much younger up front in 2024. There are three veterans back who were part of the rotation, but there are also five redshirt freshmen who saw a little action last year, including two in the championship game.

“One thing we like to take pride in is we have depth,” Zimmermann said. “We make a lot of subs on defense, so we make sure we’re 100%. We always talk about the first man’s 80% is not as good as the second man’s 100%.”

The Orediggers are 61-9 in the past five seasons, including a 14-0 start last year before a 38-7 loss to Harding in the title game. Mines has won plenty in the regular season, reaching double-digit victories in the past seven years.

Advancing to the championship game two years running is a new level of success. It’s still not enough, particularly for the veterans who have come so close. There is plenty to replace, but also plenty of belief in the sustainability of the machine.

“Going back-to-back and doing the exact same thing sucks,” McLeod said. “I hate hearing, ‘Congrats for second. It was a great season.’ That is something that really bugs me. One positive from it is just more experience in that final game, more experience playing into December. We can look back and see what needs to be done to take that next step.”

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As a result, this is the deepest collection of prospects the organization has had in a long time. It’s still not one of the best pipelines in the NHL, but there are two guys who could be impact players at the top and a whole new collection of intriguing talent behind them.

Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland traded his first-round choice at The Sphere in Las Vegas, collecting more picks in the process. The Avs selected nine players at the 2024 NHL Draft, the first time they’ve added that many players in one class since 2007.

The two first-round selections from a year ago look even better now, and they lead the group. There’s significantly more goaltending depth in the system after the Avs tabbed three netminders in this class.

Here’s a look at the club’s top prospects as the 2024-25 season looms on the horizon:

1. Calum Ritchie, F

Age: 19

Acquired: First round, 2023 draft

2023-24: 28 goals, 80 points in 50 games for Oshawa (OHL)

Ritchie had a nice year leading into the draft but missed the start of last season with a shoulder injury. When he returned, Ritchie became one of the most dominant players in the league, adding eight goals and 30 points in 22 games during a deep playoff run.

He could have a chance to earn at least an early-season trial with the Avs during training camp. A guy with his size and skill level could make sense as a temporary placeholder for any of the top forwards who miss the start of the season. If not, he’ll likely tear up the OHL again this year and be a key player for Canada at the World Junior Championship.

Not to put too much pressure on one teenager, but given what the kids are up to in Dallas, the Avs could really benefit from Ritchie developing into a strong complementary player over the next few years, at a minimum.

2. Mikhail Gulyayev, D

Age: 19

Acquired: First round, 2023 draft

2023-24: Four goals, 12 points in 64 games for Omsk (KHL)

His father is an assistant coach for Omsk’s junior league team, but the younger Gulyayev is done with that league. Gulyayev had the most points in the KHL this year of any U-21 defenseman, but more importantly, he played nearly 16 minutes a game for a playoff team.

Gulyayev is small (listed at 5-foot-10). The vast majority of diminutive defensemen who make it in the NHL are excellent skaters, both in speed and agility. He can dance, and he can move. It might be a while before he arrives in Colorado, but Gulyayev could be one of the best players in the world not in the NHL by the time he’s ready to come over.

3. Ilya Nabokov, G

Age: 21

Acquired: 2024 draft, second round

2023-24: 23-13-13, .930 save percentage in 43 games for Magnitogorsk (KHL)

The Avs may be very thankful no one took a late-round flier on Nabokov in either the 2022 or 2023 NHL drafts. Lots of great NHL goalies were late-round picks. Nabokov wasn’t and then had a huge year in the KHL for the league champs.

It’s usually not ideal to be taking someone who is already 21 years old that high, but goaltender development is different. Nabokov isn’t a big goalie, but he’s not that small, either. He does probably have the most upside in a system suddenly flush with goaltending prospects.

4. Nikolai Kovalenko, F

Age: Will be 25 on Oct. 17

Acquired: 2018 draft, sixth round

2023-24: 11 goals, 35 points in 42 games for Nizhny Novgorod (KHL); one goal, three points in four games for Colorado (AHL)

Unless something goes wrong, Kovalenko should be an NHL regular this season. He didn’t get a lot of work in games after arriving from Russia, in large part because of a knee injury he sustained in the final minutes of his KHL season. Yes, he’s older, but he might also become a fun, chaotic player at the NHL level. There should be plenty of opportunity for him to claim a regular lineup spot at the start, and we’ll see if he can be more than an energy/forechecker type of guy.

5. Justus Annunen, G

Age: 24

Acquired: 2018 draft, third round

2023-24: 14-5-1, .908 save percentage in 23 games for Colorado (AHL); 8-4-1, .928 save percentage for the Avs

Annunen still only has 18 games of NHL experience on his resume. Fourteen of them came last season, and they were collectively quite good. He should have an unmarked path to being Colorado’s backup goalie this year. It will be interesting (again) to monitor Alexandar Georgiev’s workload, but if Annunen can be even close to as sturdy as he was last year with a little more playing time, it should be a solid tandem.

6. Sean Behrens, D

Age: 21

Acquired: 2021 draft, second round

2023-24: Four goals, 31 points in 44 games for University of Denver (NCAA)

Behrens can really play defense. He did a pretty good Devon Toews impersonation at times for DU last year against some high-end NHL prospects. If he were 6-foot-1 and/or skated like Toews (or Gulyayev, for that matter), he’d be at the top of this list. He might get a chance to show more offensive tools with the Colorado Eagles this year because he won’t have Zeev Buium next to him, which would also help him be a future NHL regular.

7. Tory Pitner, D

Age: 18

Acquired: 2024 draft, sixth round

2023-24: Eight goals, 24 points in 50 games for Youngstown (USHL)

Here’s a guy who is not this high on most prospect lists. He went much later in the draft than Behrens, but he might just be a similar player for DU. Pitner is an excellent defensive player with lots of work to do to show he can help out offensively enough to play at the NHL level.

8. Oskar Olausson, F

Age: 22 on Nov. 10

Acquired: 2021 draft, first round

2023-24: 11 goals, 20 points in 39 games for Colorado (AHL); one game for the Avs

Olausson moves well and the shot looks like it came from a first-round talent when he has the time and space to lean into one. He’s still young enough for it to click, but it’s also getting late for the “he’s still young” rationale. Olausson has 23 goals in 109 career AHL games. It could be a make-or-break year for him with the organization.

9. Jean-Luc Foudy, F

Age: 22

Acquired: 2020 draft, third round

2023-24: Four goals, 14 points in 26 games for Colorado (AHL); one goal in four games for the Avs

Foudy has NHL-level skating ability. He has struggled to stay healthy during some key development years. There could be a chance for him to earn a spot with the Avs in camp, but there’s more competition for them after some offseason depth additions.

10. , F

Age: 18

Acquired: 2024 draft, third round

2023-24: 57 goals, 111 points in 54 games for Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Prep school)

Lots of future NHL players have roamed the halls at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, but the biggest names were there when they were a bit younger. Zellers did have a dominant prep season, and he played well at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup at the beginning of the year. How he transitions to college hockey at North Dakota will be something to monitor.

11. Jake Fisher, F

Age: 19

Acquired: 2024 draft, fourth round

2023-24: 23 goals, 47 points in 51 games for Fargo (USHL)

Fisher had a nice draft season playing for the eventual USHL champions. Now he’s moving to DU to play for the defending NCAA champs. He was a re-entry in the 2024 draft, so he’s a year older than guys like Zellers, Christian Humphreys and Max Curran, but there’s also an intriguing all-around skill set here as well.

12. Christian Humphreys, F

Age: 18

Acquired: 2024 draft, seventh round

2023-24: 30 goals, 82 points in 75 games for USA Hockey (NTDP)

Humphreys is a slick offensive player. He can make some highlight-reel plays, particularly as a passer. He also definitely needs to get bigger. He didn’t look like a seventh-round pick at Avs rookie camp. Draft experts were kind of all over the place with Humphreys, and he might be a bit of a wild card.

HM: Luka Cloutier, Ivan Yunin, Max Curran

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Houston Texans

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 15-1, Over/under wins: 9.5

Strengths: C.J. Stroud had one of the best rookie seasons by a QB in league history, and has changed the trajectory of the franchise. His pass-catching options improved with the addition of Stefon Diggs. The Texans have a pair of emerging young stars on defense with pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.

Weaknesses: It’s still a relatively young team in key spots, and the schedule looks much tougher after going from last place in the division to first. There was a lot of turnover on defense, but it could be a better group overall.

Indianapolis Colts

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 55-1, Over/under wins: 8.5

Strengths: While Stroud became an instant star, quarterback Anthony Richardson showed flashes of similar play but couldn’t stay healthy as a rookie. If he does this year, the offense could take a big leap forward with running back Jonathan Taylor and receiver Michael Pittman making plays along with Richardson.

Weaknesses: Only four teams allowed more points per game last season than the Colts, and there weren’t exactly wholesale changes on defense. Richardson didn’t have a lot of starts at Florida and missed most of last year, so his development into a quality NFL starter might need more time.

Jacksonville Jaguars

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 45-1, Over/under wins: 8.5

Strengths: Trevor Lawrence has the potential to be an elite NFL QB. The defensive line could be one of the best in the league. The receiving corps might be a little better even after losing Calvin Ridley if rookie Brian Thomas can be a solid contributor behind Christian Kirk and newcomer Gabe Davis.

Weaknesses: If Jaguars fans look to Houston and feel like the Texans have leapfrogged them, that is probably fair. The defense looks good on paper, but it wasn’t on the field in 2023. The offensive line added center Mitch Morse from Buffalo but still could be a question mark.

Tennessee Titans

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 150-1, Over/under wins: 6.5

Strengths: The names look good on paper at wide receiver. Tennessee added Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to play with DeAndre Hopkins. The offensive line could be much improved with ex-Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry and first-round pick J.C. Latham joining the group.

Weaknesses: This division has four intriguing young quarterbacks, but Will Levis looks like a distant fourth right now. There were a few high-priced additions on the defense as well, but it doesn’t feel like enough to push the Titans into the upper half of this conference.

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Kansas City Chiefs

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 6-1, Over/under wins: 11.5

Strengths: The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and 31 other teams do not. Tight end Travis Kelce and the defense are pretty good, too.

Weaknesses: The wideouts were pretty bad last year, but Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy should help. Kansas City has won the past two Super Bowls and the narrative is this team is better than last year. Not exactly great news for the rest of the division.

Los Angeles Chargers

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 40-1, Over/under wins: 8.5

Strengths: Quarterback Justin Herbert is going to have a chance to prove that those who have gushed about his arm talent were right. Jim Harbaugh will easily be the best head coach he’s had, either with Oregon or the Chargers. His offensive line, with bookend first-round tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, could be good now and great later.

Weaknesses: This team wasn’t very good last year, and lost a lot of key contributors. Harbaugh will have his work cut out, with holes to fill on both sides of the ball. He worked magic before in San Francisco, but this could be an even greater challenge.

Denver Broncos

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 250-1, Over/under wins: 5.5

Strengths: Cornerback Pat Surtain II is great. The offensive line, even without center Lloyd Cushenberry, might still be pretty good. Bo Nix offers hope for a way out of the quarterback purgatory the franchise has been stuck in ever since Peyton Manning called it a career.

Weaknesses: You might have heard that the last QB didn’t work out, and is chewing up a rather large chunk of the salary cap to not play in Denver for the next two seasons. The defense is short on difference-makers beyond Surtain, and the offense needs to find some — fast.

Las Vegas Raiders

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 100-1, Over/under wins: 6.5

Strengths: Wide receiver Davante Adams is still great, despite substandard quarterback play. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was the biggest non-QB free-agent addition of the offseason. The Raiders might have some momentum after upgrading to “not terrible” after a midseason coaching change with Antonio Pierce now on the headset.

Weaknesses: The quarterback situation looks very likely to remain substandard with journeyman Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell battling it out. The defense, beyond a line led by Wilkins and Maxx Crosby, could be as well. It looks like a very top-heavy roster.

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Baltimore Ravens

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 10-1, Over/under wins: 10.5

Strengths: The reigning league MVP and one of the best defenses in the league is a pretty nice place to start. Baltimore’s collection of pass catchers is probably a little underrated as a group, and the Ravens added Derrick Henry at running back.

Weaknesses: There are key departures all over the defense, including on the coaching staff. The offensive line might be a little weaker. And Lamar Jackson will still have to listen to the “hasn’t done it in the playoffs” critics until he changes that story.

Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 15-1, Over/under wins: 10.5

Strengths: A healthy Joe Burrow and a happy Ja’Marr Chase, who was a training camp holdout because of a contract dispute, should make the Bengals great on offense. The secondary was overhauled in the offseason after a disappointing year.

Weaknesses: Was it all just two Burrow injuries and ensuing poor vibes last year, or is this team just not as good as it was a couple of years ago? The offensive line is still a question mark, and Tee Higgins needs to bounce back after a rough year, or the skill guys after Chase aren’t going to scare anyone.

Pittsburgh Steelers

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 50-1, Over/under wins: 8.5

Strengths: Matt Canada is no longer calling the offensive plays. The defense has been rebuilt around three core future Hall of Famers (T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Heyward) and could be quite stingy again. Kenny Pickett wasn’t the long-term answer at quarterback, and the Steelers are more likely to find their next franchise guy in the future without Pickett around.

Weaknesses: Riding with Russell Wilson will probably lead them right back to the middle of the league where they’ve been stuck for a few seasons, but he’s a seat-warmer at this point. The receiver corps looks thin, but trading for a disgruntled wide receiver would give Pittsburgh a formidable 1-2 punch with George Pickens.

Cleveland Browns

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 35-1, Over/under wins: 8.5

Strengths: An AFC North team with an outstanding defense, great offensive line and Joe Flacco at quarterback made the playoffs last year, but it was the Browns this time. If Nick Chubb returns well from a major injury, the offense around the quarterback could be even better.

Weaknesses: The trade for DeShaun Watson and subsequent contract looks like one of the worst sets of decisions, on and off the field, in NFL history. There is still time for Watson to be a good football player again. The Browns and the Jets look like similar teams with a high ceiling if the QB play improves.

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Buffalo Bills

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 15-1, Over/under wins: 10.5

Strengths: It’s a quarterback-centric league and the Bills have one of the very best in Josh Allen. Dalton Kincaid could be a star in the making at tight end, and they could be very good along both lines of scrimmage. If Allen is healthy, it’s still a Super Bowl-or-bust year.

Weaknesses: Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are gone at wideout, though Diggs had a down year last fall. Old friend of the Broncos, Von Miller, had zero sacks in 2023, but the defense really needs Matt Milano to come back strong after a serious leg injury. It’s almost an entirely new secondary with some huge names gone, though, like the wideouts, it remains to be seen if the Bills chose the right time to move on and reload.

Miami Dolphins

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 24-1, Over/under wins: 9.5

Strengths: Led by Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and newcomer Odell Beckham Jr., the Dolphins have one of the best collection of pass-catchers in the league. Tua Tagovailoa might not be a no-doubt elite QB, but he’s proven to be productive in this offense. The additions of Jordan Poyer at safety and former Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver at coordinator could improve the defense.

Weaknesses: The Dolphins lost a key player on both lines of scrimmage, and must come back from an epic collapse at the end of last season. Miami needs linebackers Jalen Phillips and ex-Broncos first-rounder Bradley Chubb to rebound from major injuries.

New York Jets

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 18-1, Over/under wins: 9.5

Strengths: The Jets could have one of the best rosters in the league, outside of the quarterback. Garrett Wilson could be a star on offense, the defensive backfield is great and that side of the ball as a whole should be fearsome.

Weaknesses: About the quarterback … what are they going to get from 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers coming off an Achilles injury? And the defense will look less fearsome if the club and Hassan Reddick don’t find common ground that doesn’t involve trading away an important offseason addition before he’s even played a snap.

New England Patriots

FanDuel says: Win Super Bowl: 250-1, Over/under wins: 4.5

Strengths: It was a miserable 2023 season, but it netted the third overall pick and Drake Maye, who could be a franchise QB for years to come. Matthew Judon is a great pass rusher … whose name has appeared in trade speculation. The secondary could be strong, with 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez, a former CU Buff, offering an even higher ceiling for the group.

Weaknesses: The Patriots were really bad last year and didn’t add a lot of immediate help. The skill guys on offense aren’t going to offer nearly the array of weapons that then-rookie C.J. Stroud had last year in Houston. New England’s defense was plucky, but one of the sport’s great minds on that side of the ball, Bill Belichick, is no longer running the team.

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