People always question why Air Force can have such great success compared to Army and Navy. The reason is simple: Fisher DeBerry's system at Air Force is just better.

None of the players on any of my Top 100 lists have ever gone to Air Force -- or any of the other service academies. Air Force gets kids that are MAC Conference-type players and sleepers. They will never go after a Big Ten, SEC or Big 12 type player because they will never get him. DeBerry and his hard-working staff have been doing it for a number of years. They know how to find players and refine them into real gems. Air Force still gets good athletes, but not the elite guys.

The academies do have one advantage in the search for players: they can recruit every day of the year. Most of the academies do use recruiting services and will call me, but the the advantage of all-year recruiting is outweighed by the post-college service commitment. That's why they won't get a Top 100 kid.

But whatever the service academy players lack in pure athletic ability, they make up for with attitude, perseverance and work ethic. These are some of the attributes a lot of the super player don't have. Sometimes, that's why you see such rapid development of players at a school like Air Force. If a guy turns out to be an NFL-type player, it's because he grows and matures physically at the school, not because he was heavily recruited.

DeBerry's option offense is away to disrupt a powerhouse school because it is something they haven't seen all year. The system takes a lot of disciplined players to run it to perfection, and that is what Air Force has. The type of offense plays right into the military-type kids strengths.

To get into Air Force, you have to be a very good student, to get into most of the major schools all you have to be is a good football player. The Air Force kids pick up things quicker because they are better students. Air Force requires kids that are successful in the classroom.

Take someone like Air Force QB Chance Harridge, he's an outstanding leader -- which is something the academies are loaded with. Everybody there is a leader. He's got running back size, not quarterback size, and that's how they use him. He's also got good speed and great ball-handling skills.

Todd Berry is building at Army and doing an impressive job recruiting. They are out their all over the place. It will take them a couple of years, but I think they are on the right track. They could be up there where Air Force is now. Navy is also improving their recruiting. But with a new staff, they have a ways to go.