"I really enjoyed my mission. It was a great opportunity to give something back to the Lord," said Jacobson.

During the past two years, Jacobson — rated one of the top receivers in Texas in 2006 — got up at 6 a.m. each day and tried to exercise as much as he could. Recently, he tried to do sit-ups and push-ups, but he couldn't lift weights. He did get in some basketball games with his mission president, former BYU professor Lee Daniels.

"He was an older guy, about 50 or so. I guess he isn't that old, but it was fun," said Jacobson.

In his first year in Japan, Jacobson did join some missionaries playing American football against a Japanese club team. They won.

But that's the extent of his exercise.

"I'm about the same weight as I was before I left," said Jacobson. "Obviously, I've lost some of the muscle I had before."

But is he ready for Omer?

"I'm as ready as I can be," said Jacobson.

When Jacobson, a key star on the 2006 Texas 5A championship team, returns to BYU's football program after his two-year mission, he should be the fastest athlete on the team.

If not back already, others expected back from that 2006 BYU recruiting class include receiver Wren Brown, running back Mike Hague, defensive back Robbie Buckner, linebacker Brandon Ogletree, and linemen Jordan Richardson, Romney Fuga and Ryan Freeman.

Of the Class of 2008, Bronco Mendenhall has invested playing time in four linebackers, all of whom are expected to leave for church service in the next few months. They include Iona Pritchard, Michael Alisa and Spencer Hadley. Others from that class who will, or already have, mission plans include tight end Austin Holt, receiver Jake Murphy, kicker Justin Sorensen and linemen Solomone Kafu and Michael Yeck.

The mission dance continues.

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com