AIR FORCE attracts 2 Arkansans.
Two state championship football players from Arkansas announced their intentions Wednesday to continue their careers at the Air Force Academy.
North Little Rock center Mason Carlan and Arkadelphia quarterback Cannon Turner both signed a certificate of intent with Air Force in national signing day ceremonies at their respective high schools.
A certificate of intent, instead of a national letter of intent, is a nonbinding agreement that signifies an athlete’s commitment to follow through with the appointment process. It allows them to participate in signing day for publicity purposes, according to a news release on Air Force’s athletic department website.
Arkadelphia Coach J.R. Eldridge said Turner believed Air Force was the right fit for him.
“He said going to the Air Force Academy would challenge him in every aspect of his life and his mentality, and make him a better person,” Eldridge said.
Carlan and Turner won a combined three state championships in their high school careers. At Arkadelphia, Turner led the Badgers to two championships in a row in 2017 and 2018. Carlan started as a sophomore for North Little Rock’s 2017 Class 7A state championship team, and played for the school’s two runner-up teams in 2018 and 2019.
“It’s a good story, to have kids from Arkansas going and playing some big football and in big games,” said Carlan, who will move from center to guard in college. “Hopefully, we can have a lot of success there. We’ve both experienced championships, and that is something we’d love to bring to the Academy.”
Turner said he believes the championship experience he and Carlan have can help Air Force.
“North Little Rock, they go and play some of the best teams in the state,” Turner said. “We played in the toughest conference in the state. The Mountain West is a great conference. They almost had a Group of Five team last year with Boise State. The competition level will be great.”
Including Rogers offensive lineman R.J. Long, who pledged to the Falcons in December, three Arkansans are headed west to play college football for the same institution.
“It’s going to be cool to represent our state,” Carlan said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Air Force finished 11-2 and No. 22 in the final Associated Press poll in 2019. The Falcons defeated Washington State in the Cheez-It Bowl in Phoenix.
Turner said Air Force was his top choice, while also considering Tulane and Rice.
“The coaches welcomed me with open arms,” Turner said. “They’re a top 25 program. Football is on the right track. It was an easy decision for me.”
Carlan and Turner will report to Air Force on June 24 for basic training.
In 2019, Carlan, 6-3, 285 pounds, was part of an offensive line that included tackle Erin Smith, who signed with SMU in December. The Charging Wildcats’ offensive line cleared the way for running back Brandon Thomas, a Memphis signee who rushed for 1,225 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.
Turner was a two-time Class 4A state championship game MVP for the Badgers. He completed 61 of 108 passes for 982 yards, 8 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also rushed for 903 yards and 12 scores on 121 carries despite missing three games with a shoulder injury.
North Little Rock offensive coordinator Blake Pizan said Carlan is the standard for a Charging Wildcat player.
“He’s demonstrated what it takes to start every game since his sophomore year,” Pizan said. “He’s demonstrated what it takes to be a Wildcat by coming to the weight room and coming to work every single day. He’s got a great attitude and a leader mentality on the field and in the locker room. He’s been really good for us.”