Stephens: Who the heck is Colorado State WR Cole Anderson?

He's the 6-foot-4 white guy you had never heard of who transferred from a school you didn't know played football.

A ghost who was awarded a walk-on spot by Jim McElwain and never thought of again, forgotten by a staff that possessed a Biletnikoff finalist, future NFL tight ends and a stable of receivers who were actually recruited to play major college football.

He was a J.A.G. for two years. Now a senior in spring camp, all anyone wants to know is: "Who the #%*! is Cole Anderson?"

Behind Rashard Higgins, for the moment, he's the best wide receiver option at CSU, and no one would have had a clue he existed if McElwain had not left to take the job at Florida. It took Mike Bobo looking at the roster with fresh eyes to realize the potential of an overlooked kid from Highlands Ranch.

"He's become a baller, making plays, hitting people. The coaches didn't really know who he was when they first came in, and now he's making a name for himself," sophomore quarterback Nick Stevens said. "(This staff) had no idea, and I'm sure the old coaches didn't inform them of who he was, and he's come out and proven himself."

Before suiting up for Colorado State University, Anderson started six games as a freshman at Valparaiso, with 16 catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns. In two scrimmages this month, he's matched his collegiate touchdown total with more yards (136) on fewer receptions (nine). We could write off those numbers as situational, but we won't.

They were with the first-team O. Facing the first-team D. Catching passes while fully covered. Against an FBS secondary that has no qualms laying out receivers who walk the line of being defenseless targets. Anderson didn't see defenses like this playing in the Pioneer League, and certainly not in high school at Valor Christian.

Anderson is the anomaly that blossoms every spring in Fort Collins.

Superstar wide receivers you can't believe don't see more playing time, but come fall, their names escape you.

CSU fans have been excited to watch Robert Ruiz, Chris "Bones" Robinson, T.J. Borcky and Jyrone Hickman have their moments at Hughes Stadium, but they never happen (Ruiz still has a shot). Whether it's poor coaching decisions or the a player regressing so far he can't hold on to a spot with the second-team offense, six months will change perceptions from "Who the #%*! is he?" to "Who the #%*! was that guy we were so hyped about?"

Bobo said if the season started tomorrow, Anderson would be among the Rams' top four wide receivers with — presumably — Higgins, Joe Hansley and Xavier Williams. CSU's no-huddle offense this season will favor a deeper receiver rotation, even if he's bumped to the sixth- or seventh-best target, but with what he's shown this spring, it's hard to fathom such a slip.

His scrimmage stats are outstanding, with the second-most receiving yards on the team, catching passes in traffic from quarterbacks who've lacked accuracy. But it's Anderson's physical nature that makes him stand out. At practice Tuesday, he bested top cornerback Tyree Simmons every time off the line, using his forearm to knock the 5-11, 185-pound defender off his feet.

"Walk-on is just a label. If you really look at him, he has size, he's physical, he's just as competitive as anyone on the team. If he keeps doing what he has been, he's going to earn a scholarship and play a lot of time for us," safety Trent Matthews said. "As a brother to him, he's earned a spot on this team. If we have the money, we should give a scholarship to him.

"If he keeps performing the way he is, the coaches can't not play him."

Can Anderson overcome the fate suffered by so many Rams before him?

The fact that Bobo actually knows his name improves those odds, changing the question from "Who the #%*! is Cole Anderson?" to "Why the #%*! is he not on scholarship?"

For insight and analysis on athletics around Northern Colorado and the Mountain West, follow sports columnist Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting. Requests through CSU to speak to Anderson were denied.