A look at some standout players from CSU football's second spring scrimmage

The end of spring football is coming fast.

The Colorado State football team held its second scrimmage of spring practices Saturday with the green and gold game coming in a week (April 22).

The Rams ran more than 100 plays in a live scrimmage and did situational work, such as redzone drills.

Here are a few players who caught the eye, plus some other notes.

Justus Ross-Simmons

The runaway winner Saturday was sophomore receiver Justus Ross-Simmons, who put up a full highlight reel in one day’s action.

The first drive of the scrimmage saw him make a tough, contested deep catch. It was only the beginning. He had a high-leaping touchdown catch and then a sensational Odell Beckham Jr.-style one-handed grab for a score.

“He’s been good all spring,” CSU coach Jay Norvell said. “We’re expecting him to be that guy for us. He should take a huge jump between Year 1 and Year 2.”

It was a sensational day for a potential rising star. Top wideout Tory Horton has been kept out of contact practice through the spring, giving Ross-Simmons a chance to shoulder the load of a top receiver.

“With Tory being out, somebody’s got to step up and I’m going to go out there and step up,” Ross-Simmons said.

Chase Wilson

It’s seemingly been forever since the linebacker core needed a shuffle since longtime Rams Dequan Jackson and Cam’Ron Carter held the spots for so long.

They’ve now graduated and new players are taking those spots. One of them is redshirt junior Chase Wilson, who will start in the middle.

He had an interception (one of three for the defense) and continued to show why coaches trust him to start.

“Chase has had a really good spring,” Norvell said. “He’s extremely smart, really has a great appetite for the game and he’s super intense. We need that from the heart of our defense.”

Offensive line

Instead of a single player, a group. The offensive line will be the big talking point until they prove improvement in the fall, but early signs continue to be solid.

The Rams are limited to walk-on running backs in spring but continue to run the ball well and protect the quarterback. The starting five of Saveyon Henderson (left tackle), Oliver Jervis (left guard), Jacob Gardner (center), Teivis Tuioti (right guard) and Drew Moss (right tackle) have been consistent through spring.

“We’re running the ball effectively and, to be honest, we don’t really have our backs out here right now,” Norvell said. “I love our guys that are walk-on running backs, they’re having a good spring and we’re still making yards. That tells me our offensive line is doing a good job.”

More: Meet the most important position group on the Colorado State football team

Again, it’s too early to consider it a lock that the line will be better but it’s a good start.

Other notes

A number of factors mean spring is always a chance for depth players to receive opportunities and a few of them have seemingly taken advantage.

Vann Schield: Due to injury, suspension and incoming freshmen not yet on campus, it’s walk-ons leading the running back room. Schield, out of Colorado’s Rock Canyon High School, has been the top and running the ball well. A bevy of new running backs will come in the summer and likely take most of the game carries, but Schield is taking advantage of his opportunity.

Dawson Menegatti: Another Colorado walk-on (from Pueblo West), Menegatti has made big flash plays in camp and had another Saturday with a long touchdown. His speed is an asset. Like running back, a large group of new receivers will be incoming, but Menegatti has had a strong camp.

Kicking question mark: Henry Katleman was CSU’s kick-off kicker last season and has seemingly been first up on place-kicking in camp, with Bryan Hansen also receiving a number of chances. It’s been a mixed bag of results so far. It’s a position not often thought about by fans until it goes wrong, but one to keep an eye on. The Rams will look for more consistency by fall.

Finding turnovers: CSU coaches have been relentless in demanding turnovers from the defense. In practices and scrimmages it's clear the defensive players are thinking "catch the ball" rather than "knock down the ball." The Rams had three interceptions Saturday, including a pick-six from Dominic Morris.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: A look at some standout CSU football players from 2nd spring scrimmage