Long, Nazworth excited to contribute

Matt Long and Brandon Nazworth have waited two long years to work their way up the Air Force depth chart to be in position to see regular playing time. The 2024 graduates of Vista del Lago have put in the time and the work and this year both should see the playing time they've earned, and boy are they excited about it. Long is listed as a starter at one receiver spot on the team's depth chart, while Nazworth is the starter left tackle. It's been a long road for both of them. "Freshman year was rough and tedious just getting used to the military lifestyle," Long said. "Coming from a high school experience that was easy and laid back, adjusting to the Air Force was no joke and took some time getting used to. Spending most of my time on the scout team was also humbling, coming from being one of the most skilled players in high school. "Then sophomore year came and I started to get used to the lifestyle at the academy while also getting a chance to play on the field. Having my schedule and routine set in 2025 helped me immensely, making me more comfortable on the field and allowing me to climb the depth chart and rotate in all 12 games, mainly as a blocking back. "Now, this year, I feel the most confident I've ever been going into a season. Academics come easier now, the military lifestyle is second nature, and I've been in the offense for three years now, which brings a lot of confidence." Nazworth has had to put in a lot of time and effort to get to where he's at as well. "The past two years have really given me a small taste of college football," Nazworth said. "Freshman year I didn't get any playing time and it was purely developmental trying to get better. My sophomore year I got to experience traveling and a few snaps for the first time. I got to be thrown into the fire and experience the speed of college football for the first time and it really gave me inspiration. I have been able to use that to work hard this offseason and now I'm ready to step into a role and try to contribute for my team." Through all the hard work, Long and Nazworth have gained an appreciation of how far they've come and what it's taken to get there. They're very much looking forward to this season, which begins Sept. 5 with a home game against Duquesne. "I'm super excited for this season," Nazworth said. "We have all battled hard this offseason and with this new experience I'm excited to really go out there and work with my teammates to display our hard work on the field." Long feels the same way. "I feel an immense amount of gratitude to be a part of such a great team and great group of guys," Long said. "Being around guys that not only love football, but are driven to be better men has been a huge blessing in my life. God has provided so much for me, and now being able to receive those blessings, I am eager to showcase what I can do. I'm confident in my offseason work — I put in the utmost effort day in and day out to get into the shape I'm in now to perform on the field. I'm honestly just excited and blessed by God to have this opportunity." The fact that both Long and Nazworth both graduated from Vista the same year and are both juniors at the Air Force Academy essentially ready to make their marks on the football team is exciting. "It's surreal to be at this point and see mine and Brandon's hard work pay off, both of us climbing the depth chart and getting the opportunity to make plays this season," Long said. "It's been really cool to grow up and play alongside Naz, and now to be at the point where we can both make plays at such a high level is awesome." Nazworth added, "It really feels surreal to have been able to be with Matt on this journey. From the time we were kids playing junior ball to now. We've both had a dream and have worked for it. Seeing each other develop and achieve these goals makes me super excited to continue working with a long time friend to a shared goal." Air Force posted a 5-7 record in 2024 and dropped to 4-8 last season. Long and Nazworth are excited to improve on those records this year. "I feel like we spent a lot of time this offseason growing together into a fluid offense," Nazworth said. "Defensively, we have had some coaching changes and I can tell the defense is ready to take it to the field. We have worked hard this offseason with the singular goal of getting better. I think we have a wonderful opportunity this year with retaining some experienced players, as well as allowing some of our younger guys to shine and really bring the competition this year." Added Long, "I have never seen a team and group of guys work so hard or carry the kind of hunger this team has coming into the season. After two years where we came up short, we knew we had to come together and that something needed to change. There's been a huge culture shift, and it's been awesome to see and be a part of. I'm excited and eager to see what we can do this year on the field, because I know we're going to win a lot of football games."