AFA basketball player to assist football team

Air Force's receiver corps could get a boost this fall from the basketball program.

The Falcons lost deep threat Spencer Armstrong to graduation, and sure-handed Sean Quintana moved to tight end. But senior-to-be Saj El-Amin - a guard on the basketball team - will join the wide outs in August.

"I'd been thinking about it since I was at the prep school," El-Amin said of playing football.

El-Amin, who said he still plans to play basketball as well, played wide receiver and defensive back for Dunedin High in Clearwater, Fla. He said he decided to go out for wide receiver this fall because it probably would be the easiest position to learn in a short amount of time.

This summer El-Amin has been running routes and catching passes from quarterbacks Tim Jefferson and Ben Cochran. He also has added about 10 pounds to his 6-foot-2 frame and weighs about 205. That should help him re-adjust to hitting.

"That'll be the biggest thing," El-Amin said with a smile. "Getting that first tackle."

QB race still open
Coach Troy Calhoun said Thursday he expects to start preseason camp as he ended spring practices - with Jefferson and Asher Clark listed as co-starting quarterbacks and Connor Dietz right behind them.

Calhoun said he still is not opposed to a two-quarterback system, but that "probably in the long run it is best where one guy gets most of the snaps. I think it'd be extremely difficult to go 50-50 or 60-40."

However, Calhoun said he would like to tinker with the Wildcat formation that has come into vogue in the NFL - using a different quarterback for special situations and direct-snap plays.

Burton to Kansas
Air Academy grad Ryan Burton, son of Falcons defensive line coach Ron Burton, will play football for Kansas in the fall. He will be a preferred walk-on and play running back, his father said.