Tag: Jordan Jackson

Air Force Football 2022: Predicting the Falcons Win Total

Air Force Football 2022: Predicting the Falcons Win Total How many Win’s are on the 2022 Schedule? Contact/Follow @PSeanU1 & @MWCwire We are officially within striking distance of the start of the 2022 college football season! While Air Force isn’t …

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Air Force Football 2022: Predicting the Falcons Win Total

How many Win’s are on the 2022 Schedule?

Contact/Follow @PSeanU1 & @MWCwire

We are officially within striking distance of the start of the 2022 college football season! While Air Force isn’t participating in the Week 0 festivities, a quarter of future Falcon opponents are on Saturday’s slate. If you want to do some early studying of the competition; Wyoming, Utah State, UNLV and Nevada will all be in action this weekend.

In addition those teams in action this weekend, there are a number of very difficult matchups awaiting Air Force on the schedule. Interestingly enough, Air Force is one of only six teams favored in every game this season. If you missed it, we took a closer look at this phenomena here.

It’s safe to say that word is out; Air Force is good. In fact, the Falcons could be down right special this season. But even a very good team would have to be accompanied by a lot of fortune to navigate such a schedule unblemished. As we mentioned, the reality of an undefeated season is not out of the realm of possibility, but let’s pump the breaks on those expectations for a moment and take a closer look at who awaits Troy Calhoun’s current crop of cadets.

How’s the Schedule Shape Up?

The grind of an entire college football season is filled with twists and turns. There are always going to be surprise teams, like the Utah State Aggies of last year. Just as there are the conference stalwarts like San Diego State and Boise State. All three of which are on this years Air Force schedule, and all three are going to require masterful performances to win.

Then there are the regular out of conference matchups with Army and Navy which, by the way, are routinely the most physical and emotionally invested games on the calendar. Army in particular has been nothing short of a regularly appointed fist fight. Unfortunately for Air Force, it’s a fight they’ve struggled in of late. We don’t need to recount the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy drought, which has been ongoing since 2016 as evidence of the challenge this round robin poses.

We could go on with hyperbole laden rhetoric about nearly every game on the schedule, but you get the gist of it, this is a difficult slate.

The Floor (8-4), Ceiling (11-1) and Somewhere in Between (9-3)

Outside of games against Northern Iowa, UNLV and New Mexico, there aren’t any other games on this schedule that would be completely shocking if Air Force were to lose. Sitting here today, the Falcons will be favored and should win their matchups with Wyoming, Colorado, Navy, Nevada and Colorado State. But again, those teams will likely be formidable opponents. Of this eight team collective, Air Force should win at least seven.

As suggested earlier, the mettle of Air Force is really going to be tested against Army, Utah State, Boise State and San Diego State. While it’s been literally over a decade since the Falcons have beaten the Aztecs, it feels like it’s been just as long since they’ve bested Army. This 2022 Air Force team should split these four, winning two.

If your doing the math as we truck along here, were talking about an Air Force team that should be expected to win nine games. The regression from that expectation to what this team’s absolute floor for the season is marginal. There is nothing short of a disaster that should keep this roster and staff from winning eight games at minimum.

Now the ceiling. I know they are favored in every game here in the pre-season. The reality is, they COULD beat any team on this schedule. But a more realistic ceiling is going to have them sitting at 11-1. That stretch of opponents between Army, Utah State, Boise State and San Diego State is daunting.

When you are talking about an 11 win ceiling, or an eight win floor, you are talking about a good football team. In this year’s Air Force football team, your talking about a group that could win the Mountain West Conference and legitimately push for that New Years Six Bowl invite if the cards fall just right.

I fully expect this team to deliver another very good season. With the teams on the calendar, the 9-3 regular season record that I believe will result is an accomplishment. That record still leaves both Division and thus Conference Title aspirations alive. But this team could be really special, let’s see if they can be circa 1998 Air Force special.

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Air Force Football: 2022 Favorites?

Air Force Football: 2022 Favorites? Can the Falcons really run the table this season? Contact/Follow @PSeanU1 & @MWCwire Kickoff to the 2022 College Football season continues to appear less and less distant in the horizon. For the Air Force Falcons, …

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Air Force Football: 2022 Favorites?

Can the Falcons really run the table this season?

Contact/Follow @PSeanU1 & @MWCwire

Kickoff to the 2022 College Football season continues to appear less and less distant in the horizon. For the Air Force Falcons, there has been quite a bit activity after a lull in the action following spring camp, which concluded nearly five months ago.

If you haven’t been following, a number of Falcons have been named to various prestigious pre-season awards and All-Conference nominee watch lists. This coincided nicely with the recent completion of the Mountain West’s Media Days. Prior to either of those announcements was the release of the Air Force football schedule for the 2022 season.

Pulse check time. We are getting close to football season. If you are a fan of the United States Air Force Academy, those ‘BpM’ should officially be elevated, because this could be a special season in Colorado Springs.

Don’t believe me? What about a credible college football insider like Brett McMurphy with Action Network HQ? The Falcons look so poised to dominate, McMurphy guarantees that Air Force will win every game on the schedule.

Ok, enough with the hyperbole, maybe there was no promise of an undefeated season decreed, but the Falcons were in some pretty good company for an interesting take. In the coming season, Air Force will be one of six teams to be favored in every game this year. Even for the USAFA optimist, this a pretty lofty task, running the table on the given schedule.

I would submit to you, there is not a game on the schedule the Falcon’s could not win (See the Utah State Aggies matchup vs. Alabama), but that doesn’t indicate they should. The college football season is a grind for every team, but that is especially true for the Military Academies who have a lot more to deal with than the rest of the college landscape. If your not familiar with some of the limitations that only Cadets face, well beyond the obvious of combat training, do yourself a favor and explore the topic. It’s as interesting as it is humbling. Or humbling at least to give this lowly Penn State alumnus a healthy appreciation.

What Stands Out?

There are definitely more formidable matchups on this years schedule, than games of lesser resistance. While being favored against teams like Boise State, Colorado (Boulder) and Utah State may all seem a little surprising; The Falcons have had some level of success recently against them. With a very experienced team, coming off of a double digit win campaign, it’s not irrational to compel Air Force as favored.

There are a few games that seem a bit more of a stretch to favor the Falcons if you really dig into the details. There is no team with a bigger gripe for being an underdog on this schedule than San Diego State. The Aztecs are currently riding a nine game win streak against against Air Force, dating back to 2010, with their most recent victory coming last year.

 

To put their recent dominance into context; Prior to this recent win streak spanning a decade, San Diego State had won just nine of their first 28 against the Falcons. This has been a true turning of the page in this Conference matchup. If the Falcons want to put an end to this losing streak, they are going have to do so under trying circumstances. They will face the Aztecs in their final regular season game of the year.

Air Force regularly is digging deep into their depth chart by seasons end. The grueling season has mercy on no-one, but that is especially true for the undersized, over exerted and absent rested Military Academy Teams.

Speaking of Military Teams, let’s talk about Army. Specifically, why being favored over West Point’s Football team is questionable. In 2022, like most years, Air Force will have a roster appearing more experienced, talented and deeper than Jeff Monken’s crew from New York. Somehow, that formula hasn’t yielded wins four of the last five seasons.

So while it’s not surprising that Air Force is favored in a neutral site game against Army, based on their respective 2022 team’s heading into the season. Having a more talented and complete roster, top to bottom (which Air Force currently has) does not secure anything against their bitter rivals.

Conclusion

The whole notion that Air Force is favored in most games, much less the entirety of their schedule is quite a dichotomy. The Falcons won’t play a team which by present day recruiting metrics, they are “better” than. Even so, to be favored in some games may still be reasonable. But for the entirety of a schedule, one with as many talented opponents as 2022 fashions? That is a testament to what Troy Calhoun, his staff and players have been able to accomplish.

Air Force may not go undefeated this year. But there isn’t a team on their schedule that the Falcons aren’t capable of hanging an L on. And I promise you, not one of those teams will be looking past the Falcons either.

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Air Force Football: Micah Davis Enters the Transfer Portal

Another Air Force Player Heads to the Transfer Portal The PAC-12 Wasn’t the Only Ones to Have a Rough Start to the Weekend Contact/Follow @PSeanU1 & @MWCwire As most of America headed into a holiday weekend ahead of various Independence Day …

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Another Air Force Player Heads to the Transfer Portal

The PAC-12 Wasn’t the Only Ones to Have a Rough Start to the Weekend

Contact/Follow @PSeanU1 & @MWCwire

As most of America headed into a holiday weekend ahead of various Independence Day festivities and celebrations; The United States Air Force football team of all collectives approach the holiday with a little less enthusiasm. Possibly the only people more disappointed than the Pac-12 to enter the weekend, were the Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Thiessen and company.

Unfortunately for the Air Force football contingent, Friday marked the day that their offensive weapon, Micah Davis officially entered the NCAA’s transfer portal. Now, Falcons entering the portal is nothing uncommon. In fact, during their semesters prior to becoming Juniors, turnover is quite high at the Academy, and in particular in that first year demographic.

Davis’ departure though may seem a little surprising to some, not just because of the success he saw on the field for the Falcons, but because of how close to fall camps we currently are. With all of that being moot at this point, the reality is, Air Force just lost one of the Mountain West’s biggest playmakers.

Micah Davis was another of the rare freshman to see the field, starting back in 2020. Davis looked like a star in the making as 2021 began to unfold, right up until he suffered an injury that cut his season short. Still, the do-it-all slot receiver averaged 10 yards a touch between catches and carries, collective six total touchdowns in the eight games he played.

In case your wondering, buried in those cumulative statistics was a 22 yards per catch average for Davis. When you consider the Falcons also featured Brandon Lewis, who tormented defenses particularly after Davis was out of the lineup, two things become apparent; Air Force had talent and depth from the slot.

The market for Micah Davis will be strong, and noone should be surprised. This is a guy that showed playmaking ability in a variety of ways, you just need to get him the ball. That means that Air Force will lean on a few more players to produce those yards on the edge, which Davis was so good at. As well as being a chunk-play producer in the passing game.

The person that you most reasonably expect to consume a lot of those expectations is Dane Kinamon. Not so different than Davis and Lewis, Kinamon actually started as a freshman, and has shown value as a runner, receiver and maybe more importantly as a blocker. He didn’t have the big- play numbers that Davis presented, averaging 6.5 yards per touch (14 yards per catch and 4.5 yards per carry), but Dane Kinamon actually found the endzone more, scoring seven touchdowns.

A few other names to consider when taking a committee type approach to replacing all that production would be Conner Carey, Ben Jefferson, Jet Harris and Zach Larrier to name a few.

Micah Davis was an electric player with the ball in his hands, and his playmaking abilities will be a great asset to a very fortunate offense, wherever he lands. But Air Force has shown an ability to live the next man up mentality, backing it up with results. Let’s see who may be the big play threat for the Falcons in 2022.

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What pre-draft scouting reports said about Saints’ Jordan Jackson

What pre-draft scouting reports said about Saints’ Jordan Jackson

The New Orleans Saints rounded out their 2022 NFL draft class with Jordan Jackson, an agile defensive lineman out of the Air Force Academy they selected in the sixth round. He’s kind of similar to David Onyemata coming out of college (though Onyemata went to the University of Manitoba in Canada) as a player with great size and athleticism who played well against their level of competition, but needs quality coaching and a clearly-defined role to find success in the NFL. Fortunately, the Saints can offer him just that. Here’s what was said of Jackson in pre-draft scouting reports:

One big thing to love about each of the Saints’ draft picks in 2022

There is a lot to like about the New Orleans Saints’ 2022 draft class, from Chris Olave’s routes to D’Marco Jackson’s nose for the football:

The New Orleans Saints went into the 2022 NFL draft with seven selections and condensed it down to just five picks, carefully maneuvering to get their guys — players who bring high-end athleticism, leadership qualities, and strong resumes of success at the college level. But let’s not generalize them. Each of these rookies brings something special to the table, and the Saints are hoping those traits translate to the NFL. Their odds of getting back to the postseason hinge on it. With that in mind, let’s explore what sets each of these first-year players apart from their peers:

Who is Jordan Jackson, the Saints’ 6th round draft pick?

Who is Jordan Jackson, the Saints’ 6th round draft pick?

Interesting: the New Orleans Saints spent their final (for now, barring a late-round trade) pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Jordan Jackson, a defensive tackle coming out of the Air Force Academy. Like former Saints tight end Garrett Griffin, another Air Force product, Jackson has been granted deferred commitment for service and can play for the Saints this year, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.

Jackson, 24, missed the 2020 season with a shoulder injury but returned in 2021 to rack up 12.5 tackles for loss (7.5 sacks) while starting all 13 games and being named a team captain. He started 37 of the 49 games he played in college, totaling 15.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss, and posted an impressive Relative Athletic Score of 9.13 at 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds. Hopefully he can add a lot of juice to the Saints’ interior line rotation with David Onyemata and backups like Shy Tuttle, Kentavius Street, and Jaleel Johnson.

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2022 NFL Draft Profile: Air Force DL Jordan Jackson

The Falcons defensive end has the rare opportunity to go from the Academy to the NFL. Will NFL teams see enough in him to provide a chance?

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2022 NFL Draft Profile: Air Force DL Jordan Jackson

The Falcons defensive end has the rare opportunity to go from the Academy to the NFL. Will NFL teams see enough in him to provide a chance?

Contact/Follow @PSeanU1 & @MWCwire

A rare caliber of cadet athlete.

The career of one of the most distinguished defensive lineman to come through the Air Force Academy concluded in December, after the Falcons Bowl victory. Jordan Jackson arrived at the Academy in 2017, and has been disrupting opposing offenses ever since.

The rare case at Air Force, Jackson saw the field as a freshman (a year removed from Prep School). Not only was he a starter from his sophomore season on, but he was a distinguished as an All Mountain West Conference Team selection each of those seasons (2019 as an honorable mention).

It should come as no surprise that despite being a defensive tackle sitting in the trenches, Jackson is high on multiple career leader charts. He ranks 8th all-time in Air Force history with 176 yards on tackles for loss (27 career TFL’s) and 3rd all-time with 136 of those lost yards coming off of his 15 sacks.

Jordan Jackson participated in a well represented pro day at the Academy earlier this year, and most notably, Jackson was invited to participate in the NFL combine. The commencement of a college career of excellence in athletics and academics has landed at the doorstep of the NFL. Now the question is, will he hear his name called in this year’s NFL draft?

Measurables (taken from Mockdraftable and Dane Brugler)

40-yard time – 4.95 seconds
10-yard split time – 1.76 seconds
Vertical jump – 30 1/2″
Broad jump – 9′ and 4″ (or 112″)
Shuttle time – 4.40 seconds
3-cone drill time – 7.20 seconds
Bench press – 18 reps

Highlights

Strengths

One of the things that stands out if you look at Jordan Jackson’s career is his ability to be disruptive in critical moments. Go back through games decided by one score, and observe who is most affecting the opposing offenses final drive.

Statistics are the first thing to garner attention, but chaos that Jackson created in the trenches can’t be ignored. As a defensive tackle anchored in a three-man front, you aren’t typically going to post gaudy sack numbers. But the way you stand out is by blowing up the interior line, and eating up multiple blockers.

There have been a lot of benefactors to the attention that Jackson demands from the opposition, as you need look no further than the accompanying positions named to the All-Conference Team in the given years Jackson has played. His ability to draw multiple blockers helped players like Mosese Fifita, Demonte Meeks and Vince Sanford be menaces in their own right, just to name a few.

One of the greatest abilities one can attribute to a player is their ability to raise the level of play of their teammates. Jackson has showed time and again, he makes the players around him better.

Weaknesses

Unless you are an avid follower of Air Force football, one of the things that will be lost in an evaluation of Jordan Jackson is his versatility. With depletion at nose guard, there were many times that Jackson found himself lining up at the nose position to fill a need. Combine that, along with the scheme that the Falcons deploy on defense, and even the most outstanding defensive tackles aren’t commonly going to fill the stat sheets.

If you read a lot of the NFL analysts, there are remarks around a lack of productivity consistently, much of which can be attribute to positioning. However, this is the highest level of competition, and the most granular details will be scrutinized, and flaws exposed. In that, some lack of use of technique is pointed to at times, which in the Mountain West, a superior athlete can at times compensate with ability. Such is usually not the case in the NFL.

NFL Comparison

George Silvanic

Draft Prediction

Most draft prognosticators evaluate Jackson as a high-priority free agent, or late round draft pick at best. The same evaluations are also quick to acknowledge there is so much to work with in Jackson, that the things which may be seen as “limiting” are also addressable. Ultimately, Jordan Jackson may follow a similar path to George Silvanic from the prior year; go undrafted and catch on as a free agent post draft. Practice squad or draftee, Jordan Jackson is an NFL talent. 

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