Local product Cole Palmer put in a strong scrimmage for Air Force on Saturday as he looks to move up the depth chart.
Palmer, a 2020 graduate of The Classical Academy who will be a junior during the 2023 season, switched from outside linebacker to defensive end and is in the mix along with P.J. Ramsey and Caden Blum for playing time at the spot mostly manned by Christopher Herrera this past season. Herrera graduated in December.
Palmer came across the line to make a stop and hold the offense on a third-and-short play on the first play of the scrimmage and made a tackle for loss on his next series.
“It’s the first time he’s been healthy for an extended period of time,” coach Troy Calhoun said of Palmer. “I think some guys, you watch them during spring ball, they’ve got to prove to themselves as much as anybody that they can last. That there’s some duration. But it’s been good for him. He’s been able to work for 3½ straight weeks here.
“Just his length,” Calhoun added when asked about the reasoning behind Palmer’s position switch. “We felt like he’s got enough body where he can add pounds. Inevitably, whenever we move a kid, we do it because we think it gives him a chance to get on the field the soonest.”
Palmer’s brother, fullback Cade, is currently at the prep school.
Other notes and observations from Saturday’s second and final open scrimmage of the spring season:
- Freshman Jack Curtis continued a strong spring, making a stop for a loss and batting down a pass. Curtis was one of the highest-rated recruits.
“Oh my goodness, the upside that he has and just the energy with which he plays. He was a tremendous athlete in high school not just as a football player but as a baseball player, too. We’ve just got to keep getting him stronger. He’s never really had a true offseason because he was a baseball player; and I love that, you know I love that. That just means there’s even more upside to him. He did make a couple of plays today.
Linebacker Jackson Adams (strip sack) and defensive lineman Brian Bradley (tackle for loss) were also among those posting defensive highlights Saturday.
- Tailback Kaden Frew, a product of The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., that has produced standouts Jordan Jackson and Kyle Johnson for Air Force and boasts Alabama/New England quarterback Mac Jones among its alumni, showcased his skills in the scrimmage.
The 5-foot-8 former three-star recruit who will be a sophomore in the fall showed a burst of speed to the edge, quick change of direction and scored a touchdown.
“He’s got good strength, good quickness and he can change directions,” Calhoun said. “This has been great for him to get out here and compete.”
Frew is currently playing tailback, but has seen some action at the slot receiver spot.
- The team has spent a large amount of time with the quarterback in the shotgun, something the team hasn’t used regularly since 2018.
“There’s some sightlines that change,” Calhoun said. “There’s some space and room that’s a little bit different. Just some guys are a little more comfortable. A quarterback will tell you, ‘I’m fine either way.’ But you just kind of naturally see the ball-handling skills are different for each guy. That’s a part of it, too.”
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