Air Force football has work to do during spring practices

Technically, Air Force’s spring football practices are done before spring. March 16 is the final session.

Whatever the proper term is for the Falcons’ offseason practices, they begin today. And coming off a second straight bowl win, with many key pieces back, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Air Force this season. There are also some key issues that need to be resolved over the next few weeks:

Find a fullback

Before the season opener Sept. 3, sorting out who will start at fullback is Air Force’s biggest task for a couple of reasons. That position is vital to the triple-option offense, and the Falcons are depleted there after losing Jared Tew, Nathan Walker and Ryan Southworth.

Mike DeWitt, who was out most of last season with a knee injury, is the top returning fullback, although coach Troy Calhoun declined to say who the top fullback would be at the start of spring ball. There’s also a chance that a freshman could emerge in August.

“That might be one of those spots where a young guy might be able to come in and get some snaps,” Calhoun said.

Replace Reggie

The best player Air Force has to replace is cornerback Reggie Rembert, who appeared on some All-American teams at the end of last year. The difference between replacing Rembert and the fullbacks is there is some experienced depth returning at cornerback, with Chris Miller, Josh Hall and P.J. Adeji-Paul (who is probably going to move from safety to cornerback) as the top three options.  

Position changes

Calhoun said two players will definitely switch positions. Wale Lawal will move from outside linebacker to defensive end and Kyle Shaw will move from defensive tackle to offensive tackle. Adeji-Paul is likely moving from safety back to his natural position of cornerback.

Nobody hurt, nobody left

Calhoun said he didn’t think anyone would miss the start of spring practice because of injury. Linebacker Ken Lamendola, who was granted a ninth semester, could be limited a bit. Also, Calhoun said no key players left the program since the end of last season.

Managing expectations

The players are understandably excited about the prospects for this season, but the coaches know there is a lot of work to do. Calhoun said his main hope during these practices, aside from developing quality depth, is for leaders to develop across Air Force’s roster.

“I want to see every single position room, you walk in there and clearly there are some older guys who are on-the-field football beacons,” Calhoun said.