One statistic summarizes the biggest challenge facing Air Force football as it preps for Wednesday’s first practice.

28.

That’s the number of total game-snaps belonging to the Falcons’ quarterbacks. This for a team that, when it’s at its best, will sometimes roll off 20-play drives.

So, Air Force is essentially starting over at the quarterback position. Again. That hasn’t always been a bad thing. The 2023 squad faced a similar lack of experience at the position and started the season with eight consecutive wins.

Then again, the 2024 team was tasked with replacing the starter and opened the season 1-7.

The good news for the 2025 team is that, unlike a year ago, the rest of the roster isn’t facing complete overhaul. Many of those returning were instrumental in helping the Air Force close the season on a four-game winning streak, a run that is tied for the fourth-longest current streak in the nation.

Here are some positions to track during practice, which begins Wednesday but isn’t open to public and the media until Aug. 9. The season begins on Aug. 30 vs. vising Bucknell.

“I love putting a team together, and that puzzle is never the same from year to year,” coach Troy Calhoun said.

Quarterback

Sophomore Liam Szarka, a sophomore from Aurora, and junior Josh Johnson, who appeared in six games last year, are the presumed frontrunners.

Johnson showed a glimpse of his potential at New Mexico, breaking a run for 42 yards and hitting a pass for 39.

Szarka showed enough in spring practice to catch the attention of teammates.

“He’s super versatile in whatever we need him to do,” tight end Bruin Fleischmann said. “He’s that stereotypical service academy quarterback.

“He’s a runner. He’s a tough guy, so he can handle all that stuff. Pressure doesn’t get to him, which is huge at the quarterback position. And he can sling the ball. The only thing that he’s struggling with is something he’s not at fault about, he’s just young.”

Calhoun, who has utilized six starting quarterbacks in the past two years, understands it likely won’t just be one player who will be asked to play the spot.

“I never go into it thinking there’s only going to be one person,” said Calhoun, himself a former Air Force quarterback. “You probably do in the NFL, especially when the salary disparity, there’s a giant gap often. I just don’t see a large gap. I just think ultimately that’s why you have to pour reps into multiple guys, because that’s likely going to occur once we get into the season.”

Payton Zdroik’s health

If there’s one player the Falcons need to be healthy, it’s the veteran nose guard.

Air Force released a preseason depth chart that listed Zdroik as the backup to Lukia Rawls Jr., but that’s likely more of a reflection of health history than anything else.

Zdroik’s 13 sacks are tied for ninth in program history (he would vault to a tie fourth place with just three more) and the senior has made 23 tackles for loss (TFL). He has simply been as disruptive as anyone on the interior of the Falcons’ defense when he has been available. But he has also missed five games over the past two seasons and has been limited in some games where he did see action.

Calhoun said Zdroik was “further along than he was 12 months ago” when asked about his injury status at Mountain West Media Days.

It seems the plan at nose is to rotate Rawls, Zdroik and junior Jayden Oquendo, which would help limit the reps (and wear and tear) on all three.

The rest of the defensive line figures to feature veterans, with Aidan Swartz (12 games, 10 starts in 2024), Daniel Grobe (11 games and seven starts last year) among those returning.

Competition on defense

Eight starters are gone from last year’s defense, which should make for spirited competition throughout August.

Juniors Blake Fletcher and Luke Fisher were listed as starters on the depth chart at inside linebacker.

Fletcher was a starter down the stretch, making 32 tackles with six TFL over the final six games.

Dallas Daily, who made seven tackles against Navy, sophomore Jonah Bowman, senior Zack Juckel and junior Brody Bujnoch figure to factor into the mix as well.

In the secondary, safeties Kyle Chen, Levi Brown and Houston Hendrix made a combined 15 starts, so there is some experience there. That’s not the case at cornerback, where sophomores Korey Johnson and Mikhail Seiken and junior Jaris McIntosh are candidates to seize a spot. Brown is slated to move to cornerback as well and is a projected starter.

The rushing attack

The difference between the 1-7 start and the 4-0 finish last year can be traced to the emergence of the running game, particularly up the middle.

Most of those responsible are back.

At fullback, seniors Dylan Carson and Terrence Gist are back, as is junior Owen Allen. The trio combined for 1,094 yards last year and had just 2 negative yards on 255 carries.

Center Costen Cooley will anchor the line, which returns starters Alec Falk at left guard and Trevor Tate at left tackle.

Jack Burnett, a 310-pound senior at right guard who appeared in three of the final four games, and Nathan Elwood, a junior right tackle who appeared in seven games with one start, are slated to step into the open positions.

The fall will be a chance for the unit to see if it can integrate the new players into the mix and maintain the momentum it carried into the offseason.