2019 Recruiting Breakdown: Air Force

Welcome to the eleventh post in our twelve-part recruiting breakdown series. Today looks at the #11 team in our rankings, Air Force.

The Falcons never have a problem get the quantity when it comes to recruiting, but many years the quality is usually what is up for debate. With 95 recruits coming, it’s needless to say they meet all their positional needs. However, in this class, they were able to add a level of talent through a number of players that is on par with many of their conference peers. To see which recruits have helped raise the bar, read below.

The Skinny:

• 95 recruits signed (16 recruits highlighted in this post)
• 7 offensive, 9 defensive
• 13 players listed at 3-stars by one of the major recruiting sites.
• Breakdown by state: Texas 3, Arizona 3, California 3, Florida 2, Wisconsin 1, Nevada 1, Washington 1, Oregon 1, Ohio 1
• 102nd in the 247 Composite Rankings

The Players:

Note: I could not cover all 95 signed recruits in this breakdown. I picked 16 based on rating, position, and familiarity. I realize this leaves many promising young players off the list and I’m sorry to the ones who couldn’t be included.

QB Zachary Larrier

• Zachary Larrier looks like a great fit for the Falcons triple option. He is a natural runner who does an incredible job making defenders miss at the line of scrimmage and then blowing past everyone for big gains. Larrier ran a similar offense in high school and appears ready to lead the charge in college. He appears confident in knowing when pitch and when to keep it himself. Zachary looks poised to be leading the offense at AFA for years to come.

RB JD Kolb

• JD Kolb is underrated but a running back who could be a productive back in the Falcons run-heavy offense. He looks great as the back to take the pitch and looks great at cutting to the outside and finding space. Kolb may not run much between the tackles but has great speed and excels at making people miss. He likely won’t see the field as a true freshman, but JD will get his share of carries before his career is over.

WR Xavier Guillory

• Xavier Guillory is the type of wide receiver that could play well at Air Force. He possess big play capability and can put up big numbers without demanding the ball a lot. Guillory tracks the ball well in the air and finds a way get underneath the ball in stride. While he likely won’t find a role on next season’s team, it’s easy to see Xavier being the go-to wide receiver when Air Force throws everyone for a loop and passes to a wide open man running downfield.

WR Deavyn Woullard

• Deavyn Woullard is a two-way athlete Air Force seems to like going after, and is slated to play wide receiver for the Falcons. As a safety, he is a big-time ballhawk, getting himself in great position to track the ball and secure the interception. As a receiver, Woullard is another player who is fast and gets down field in a hurry. He is able to get behind the secondary and if he’s able to make the catch, defenders aren’t catching him. Deavyn may be hard-pressed to see the field his first year but looks like he will fit right in the offense down the line.

TE Caden Blum

• Caden Blum is another nice athlete that the Falcons were able to secure in this class. He is a complete tight end, able to contribute in both the run and pass game. As a blocker, Blum gets out ahead of runners, stays low, gets in great position and aggressively makes the hit on a defender. As a receiver, he can stretch the field down the seam or run short quick routes and he has a big catch radius. Caden is the type of player who should be be a great fit for what AFA likes to do on offense.

TE Kyle Patterson

• Let’s get this out of the way, Kyle Patterson at one time held an offer from ALABAMA, and is now a member of the Air Force Academy. He’s a potential game-changer at the tight end position, as he can stretch the field and become a dynamic receiving threat. Patterson can run short and long routes with little issue and is extremely athletic, making defenders miss with regularity. Kyle should play immediately for the Falcons.

OL Nathan Peterson

• Nathan Peterson is a great offensive lineman recruit coming to AFA in this class. He has the size and ability of a natural tackle, He is explosive off the snap and displays his strength on his tape driving players back in his blocks. Peterson is also solid in pass protection, moving backwards with ease and staying balanced while defenders are running at him. Nathan could see time on the field as soon as next season and figures to be a stalwart on the offensive line.

DE Desmond Dorceus

• Desmond Dorceus is the first half of the twin-tandem coming in to the Falcons. He will slide great into a defensive end spot and can play standing up or with a hand in the dirt. Dorceus excels at rushing the passer and has the speed and strength to get off blockers with ease and get to the quarterback in a hurry. He can outrun ball-carries and is a good bet to play right away.

DE Demetrius Dorceus

• Demetrius Dorceus is the other twins the Falcons were able to land and has the potential to be a difference maker. Take everything above for Desmond and increase it. Dorceus simply dominated his high school competition and was able to out run and out muscle opponents. He stays low in his crouch and explodes off the ball, which allows him to maximize his athleticism. Demetrius can shut down the run game on his tape. He figures to not only play right away but be an impact player as early as next year.

DT Joe Quillin

• Joe Quillin was an all-state selection on both offense and defense, but will be on the defensive side of the ball in college. Aggressive and athletic, he is able to get off his blocks and into the backfield with regularity. Quillin is effective at stopping up the run game and is a sound tackler in good position. He is mobile and has a good frame, but can likely add a bit of weight in college to make him stronger. Overall, Joe is technically sound and will end up at a multi-year contributor for the Falcons.

LB Clay Randall

• Clay Randall is quite an athlete, who will actually be playing baseball as well as football at the academy. He played on both sides of the ball in high school and should be a linebacker going forward. Randall moves smoothly on the field, getting in good position and laying physical hits on players who come his way. He looks at his best in the box stopping the run and plugging gaps on the line. Clay should get plenty of time on the field in the coming years, even if it doesn’t happen next year.

LB Nasir Rashid

• Nasir Rashid is a long rangy linebacker who signed with the Falcons. He has good game speed and uses it to fly into the backfield to blitz and meet the running back at before positive yards can be gained. Rashid is at his best playing at or around the line of scrimmage and being heavily involved in stopping the run game. Nasir looks like he will be a solid player during his time at Air Force and it’s only a matter of when he will see the field in college.

CB Tre’shon Devones

• Tre’shon Devones looks like a great cornerback recruit. He’s quite the ballhawk on his highlight tape and looks like he has the capability to play both man and zone on coverage. Devones is at his best in man coverage, not giving the receivers much space at all and gaining the inside step to make a play on the ball consistently. Tre’shon looks like he could compete for playing time right away and definitely should get a major role before too long in his career.

DB Nathan Polk

• Nathan Polk is one of the highest rated recruits to ever come the Air Force Academy. He comes out of powerhouse Saguaro and looks great in the backfield. Polk is a physical defender who has no trouble stepping into the box to get involved in the run game. He picks up receivers in coverage and plays tight press coverage which allows him to get his hands on the ball when a pass is thrown. Nathan is a good bet to play next season and should become the next great defensive back for the Falcons.

DB Trey Taylor

• Trey Taylor is another solid athlete coming into this class. He is a very physical defensive back, making clean but hard hits on receivers. Taylor also is skilled in coverage, able to cover large parts of the field and put himself in position to make a play on the ball. His tape shows he is a core special teams play and that could be the way he finds his way onto the field start his career. Trey can certainly make an impact for the Air Force defense before all is said on done.

DB Kaymen St. Junious

• Kaymen St Junious is yet another defensive back coming in to the academy. He is versatile and can play all over the secondary, but he may fit best at cornerback. St. Junious is a high IQ type of player on the field, as he can diagnose plays quickly and gets himself in good position to be around the ball and make a play. He is a big help in the run game and figures to be a solid player for the team.

Quick Hits:

Headliner(s):

Mike: Peterson, Patterson, Polk, Demetrius Dorceus

Talented enough to play right away:

Mike: Peterson, Patterson, Polk, Demetrius Dorceus, Guillory

Sleeper Recruit:

Mike: Cade Blum

Best unit:

Mike: Defensive Line, Tight End

Summary:

Air Force completed a very good class, especially compared to past Falcon classes. They injected quality at key positions and a number of them should be able to step in right away and become three or four year contributors. It will be quite interesting to see what this group does at Air Force and if they can carry the Falcons similar to how a previous group did three years ago.

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