Four straight winning seasons and four straight bowl appearances have started to pay off for Air Force in recruiting.

The Falcons aimed high in recruiting, battling some BCS teams and other high profile teams outside of the power conferences for recruits, and they won a couple of those battles. That doesn't happen often for a service academy, but Air Force's recent success helped.

"We've had a little more exposure," coach Troy Calhoun said. "Playing in bowl games has been helpful, and playing in the Mountain West and the success of the league has been beneficial."

Although the Falcons bring in a bigger class than most -- they don't have normal scholarship limits, and some players will go to the prep school -- the numbers have gone way down since the days of Fisher DeBerry coaching the team. Calhoun prefers to bring in smaller classes, so he knows the players he brings in are committed to the academy.

As a result of that approach and the Falcons' success in previous years recruiting, the team has become quite picky about the players it brings into the school.

"We're only going to pinpoint guys we think can be significant contributors for at least two years," Calhoun said. "Guys we absolutely felt like they could at least be two-year starters."

Air Force recruits nationally, and it got plenty of players from their normal hotspots of Texas, Georgia and California. But the Falcons also brought in a nice group from Colorado, which hasn't always been the case. Air Force had just two in-state players on the two-deep on offense or defense last season.

TOP OF THE CLASS

QB Jaleel Awini (Rangeview High, Aurora, Colo.) -- Of all the quarterbacks Air Force is bringing in, Awini might have the most college potential. He was Colorado's Gatorade Player of the Year, and he is a dual-threat option in the mold of current starter Tim Jefferson. He will go to the prep school, but he could see the field as soon as 2012.

OL Ari Uzo-Okereke (San Juan Hills High, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) -- Uzo-Okereke is an unusual recruit for the Falcons. Usually Air Force linemen weigh about 250 pounds. Uzo-Okereke weighs about 290. Uzo-Okereke chose Air Force over Boise State, another coup for the Falcons. He should have an impact at guard down the road.

FB Tyrone Sauls (Christian High, El Cajon, Calif.) -- Sauls said Oregon was interested in him, as were other schools that coveted the running back/linebacker, but he chose Air Force, mostly because of the academic reputation and that the academy offers mechanical engineering as a major. Sauls has been told he will start his career at fullback, and he will come directly into the academy (and not go to the prep school). The Falcons need a fullback, so he could make an impact in 2011.

DE Tanner Rice (Coppell, Texas, High) -- Rice was named the all-area defensive player of the year by the Dallas Morning News. He is a disruptive player who tends to get in the backfield often. He could end up playing very soon for an Air Force team that needs to build depth on the defensive line.

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