5 questions as Navy football enters spring camp

Navy football opens spring camp this week with practices on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Spring break interrupts practice for two weeks with the Midshipmen returning to the field on March 18.Coach Brian Newberry has scheduled a total of 14 practices with camp concluding on April 11.

He said spring is the time to conduct some full-contact practice periods to develop the teams toughness and physicality.I think the thing weve done during the spring is have some really physical practices.

We spend a ton of time tackling, a ton of good on good work, Newberry said Monday while meeting virtually with the media.Navy returns 47 lettermen and 15 starters, losing 19 and 10 in those respective categories.

The Midshipmen bring back starters at all the offensive skill positions and must replace three offensive linemen.

Defensively, the Mids were hit harder with six starters set to graduate in May, including both inside linebackers and three of four members of the secondary.Navy returns its coaching staff with three assistants that were hired during the 2024 offseason offensive coordinator Drew Cronic, Jay Guillermo (offensive line) and David Cole (snipes) beginning their second year on staff.To have the continuity that we have with the staff right now is tremendous.

Thats always what you want as a head coach, Newberry said.Navy football players have spent the past two months doing strength and conditioning workouts.

The Midshipmen were on the practice fields in the wee hours of the morning several days each week for the infamous fourth quarter training sessions.I think weve had a tremendous offseason up to this point, Newberry said.

I dont think Ive been as excited and optimistic about spring football as I am right now.Here are five questions for Navy football going into spring drills:How will the Midshipmen rebuild an offensive line that lost three starters and three backups?Guillermo has his work cut out for him this spring as he must identify starters at left tackle, right tackle and center.

Making the task more difficult is the fact the two returning starters guards Ben Purvis and Hoke Smith will sit out spring camp while recovering from offseason surgery.Sophomore Caden Hooper, who was listed second on the final depth chart at both left and right tackle, is no longer a member of the program.

That leaves rising junior Greyson Crawford and rising sophomore Cam Nichols as the only returning second string members of the offensive line.Current sophomore Jaylin Acevedo finished the 2024 season third on the depth chart at both guard positions, while current freshman Jake Polito was No.

3 at center.Not only must Guillermo and fellow offensive line coach Tommy Laurendine find starters to replace seniors Connor McMahon, Brent Self and Javon Bouton, but they must also restock the depth chart.It will be revealing to find out which current sophomores and freshmen step up to become contributing members of the unit.

Newberry mentioned Monday that current plebe Hansen Collie has been moved from defensive tackle to offensive tackle and described the 6-foot-5 Texas native as big, long, athletic young man that I think has a bright future along the offensive line.Its a great opportunity for our young players to develop.

Some of those guys need to grow up quickly during spring football, Newberry said.How will the secondary look after losing three multi-year starters?No position group has been hit harder than the secondary, which is losing safeties Rayuan Lane II and Mbiti Williams Jr.

as well as cornerback Dashaun Peele.Lane started 43 straight games dating back to his freshman season and was a two-time All-American Athletic Conference selection.

The Gilman graduate played in the Reeses Senior Bowl and just participated in the NFL scouting combine.Peele was Navys top cover corner the past two seasons, totaling nine interceptions and 19 pass breakups.

Williams made 34 career starts, the last 24 at free safety, and finished with 167 tackles.Former Midshipmen safety Rayuan Lane III returns an interception for a touchdown in a 2024 win over Memphis.

(Terrance Williams/Freelance)Rising junior cornerback Andrew Duhart is the lone returning starter in the secondary, although rising sophomore Ira Oniha made two starts last season and saw considerable action.Current sophomore Greg Johnson II and freshman Justin Ross were third on the depth chart at field corner and boundary corner, respectively, at the end of last season.

Sophomores Giuseppe Sessi and Joshua Switzer were the backups behind Lane at bandit corner, while sophomore Matthew Seliga and junior Adam Walker II were second and third on the depth chart behind Williams.Obviously, there are some holes to fill in the secondary we lost some good players, Newberry said.

We still have a bunch of good players guys that got valuable playing experience in games.

Im excited about those young guys.Will offensive coordinator Drew Cronic expand the playbook?Cronic could only install a portion of his offensive package in Year 1 as it was important to make sure the Midshipmen could execute the basic elements of his hybrid Wing-T system.There are many other elements of the unique attack that can still be implemented and it will be interesting to see what wrinkles Cronic adds this spring.

Newberry said Monday the plan is to expand the playbook since there are so many returning skill position players.Navy has numerous proven playmakers in quarterback Blake Horvath, fullback Alex Tecza, snipes Eli Heidenreich and Brandon Chatman as well as wide receiver Nathan Kent just to name a few.Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath, right, fakes a hand off to fullback Alex Tecza during the first half of a win over the Charlotte 49ers last season.

(Terrance Williams/Freelance)You can bet Cronic has been dreaming of new and different ways to use those weapons.Im excited about the continued evolution of the offense.

How can we get better? How can we move forward? Newberry said.

There are some new things were talking about doing that we would like to incorporate.Newberry noted that a year ago no one on offense knew anything about Cronics millennial Wing-T attack, which incorporates triple-option and run-pass option concepts.

After scoring 407 points and amassing 4,827 total yards in 2024, the offense as a whole has some serious swagger.Last year at this time they didnt know what we were doing.

To have some success breeds confidence, Newberry said.

I think well make a lot more progress this spring than we did a year ago.Who will start at punter?Navy hasnt needed to worry about punter for the past four years as Riley Riethman capably handled that special teams task.Riethman is now the Navy record-holder for career punting average (44.4 yards) and was a two-time All-AAC selection (first team in 2023, second team in 2024).

He also holds the single-season record after posting a 45.7-yard punting average as a senior.Freshman Jacob Carlson was the backup punter last season and will get first shot at replacing Riethman.

Fellow plebe George Laster is the only other punter on the roster at present.Jacob Carlson has shown a ton of potential and promise.

Im excited to see how the offseason has paid off for him, Newberry said.Nathan Kirkwood was the starting placekicker in 2024 and made 5 of 9 field goal attempts along with 50 of 54 extra points.

Newberry said Monday that Kirkwood was inconsistent last season and is opening the kicking competition.Lance Gossett, who was the teams kickoff specialist last season, will get a shot.

Senior Stephen Glenn and freshman Jackson Runyon will also be in the mix.Its a great opportunity for all of those guys, Newberry said.Related ArticlesSports | Navy mens basketball beats Loyola Maryland, 81-68, to finish tied for third in Patriot LeagueSports | Navy mens lacrosse holds off furious rally to beat No.

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10 Virginia, 14-12Who will win the Vice Admiral Mack Award as Navys most improved player during spring camp?Nose guard Landon Robinson was the 2024 recipient of the Vice Admiral Mack Award, while standout end Justin Reed was recognized the year before.

Both were All-AAC selections last season.This years winner can only hope to enjoy the success those two defensive linemen did.Candidates for the most improved player award on offense include sophomore tight end Jake Norris, sophomore wide receiver Luke Hutchison and possibly a lineman such as Acevedo.On defense, end Julien Moutome, inside linebacker Job Grant and safety Switzer are among the possibilities.Have a news tip? Contact Bill Wagner at [email protected], 443-534-0102 and x.com/@BWagner_CapGaz..

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