Air Force football looking for a new fullback

Players like Wesley Cobb and Mike DeWitt are mostly unknowns to Air Force football fans, but that should change soon enough.

Cobb and DeWitt are the favorites to start at fullback for Air Force. The Falcons’ top two tailbacks combined for 231 yards, 1,069 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Those two, Jared Tew and Nathan Walker (along with third fullback Ryan Southworth) are out of eligibility, but the position won’t be any less important in the triple-option offense.

As spring football began this week, the next generation of fullbacks knew the pressure they will be under.

“Jared Tew and Nathan Walker and Southworth, they were all real good players,” DeWitt said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to fill those shoes.”

Cobb had five carries for 13 yards last year. DeWitt suffered a knee injury in training camp and didn’t get a carry all season. Cobb and DeWitt will both be juniors in the fall.

During spring practices, the Falcons are also taking a look at converted tailbacks Anthony LaCoste and Brent Michaels at fullback. Falcons coach Troy Calhoun has hinted that Air Force will consider using a freshman at that position. But for now, DeWitt and Cobb are at the front of the line.

Cobb, who started his Air Force career as a tailback but switched to fullback before last season, seemed to have a slight early edge. He is not a typical Falcons fullback because of his size. He said he weighed 195 pounds, and while he would love to bulk up to 215 by training camp, he knew his 5-foot-8 frame would probably only allow him to get up to 205.

“I’m a little undersized but I bring a degree of tenacity,” Cobb said.

DeWitt is bigger, at 6-1 and 215 pounds, and shouldn’t have any physical limitations by camp in August. He is still practicing with a knee brace, but said that he should ditch the brace after spring ball.

The Falcons are very early in the evaluation process for fullbacks, but it’s perhaps the biggest priority in these practices.

“The fullback position is so important,” running backs coach Des Kitchings said. “We want to create some depth and evaluate some guys at that spot.”