I was asked to answer some questions for BGI, the Notre Dame site. I think this is going in the print magazine instead of online, so I'll paste my responses here so we can chat about them.
What are the top storylines heading into the 2017 season?
The biggest storyline, to me, is figuring out where Navy fits in a fast-improving AAC West division. It was easily the best division outside of the Power 5 leagues last season, and should be even better in 2017 with Tulsa and SMU ready to make significant strides. If year two of the Willie Fritz era at Tulane means progress in running his offense, then Tulane could make some noise as well. Houston and Memphis are no secret. It’s a real gauntlet of a schedule.
The other major storyline, obviously, is Zach Abey taking over for Will Worth at quarterback. That will always be the case whenever there’s a new starter in this offense.
What is the position of greatest strength heading into the season?
It’s difficult to single out any one position, but if I had to choose, I would say the offensive line. There’s a good deal of returning experience with that group, and the ones that aren’t as experienced were some of Navy’s most highly-rated recruits. The return of Robert Lindsay should help. Lindsay was expected to start last year, but was lost for the season with a back injury. He’ll be healthy for the fall. Evan Martin was probably Navy’s best lineman last season, and he’s back as well.
What is the position of greatest concern heading into the season?
The easy answer here would be quarterback, but I’m not sure it’s the right answer. I think the biggest concerns are at linebacker. It’s not that Navy lacks talent at the position; Micah Thomas and D.J. Palmore are as good as Navy has had. The question is more about how the unit will respond when they are asked to do more than what they are used to. The talk of the offseason in Annapolis has been about defensive coordinator Dale Pehrson’s plans to be more aggressive in 2017. That usually means more blitzing, which has never been a strength for Navy. If the calls are more aggressive but the linebackers can’t get to the quarterback, there are going to be a lot of big plays going the wrong way.
The middle linebackers also need to do a better job in coverage, especially considering the offenses in the American. In Navy’s scheme, the middle linebackers have traditionally been gap-fillers tasked with stopping the run. Against the spread offenses they see almost every week now, though, they need to be able to stay with running backs and tight ends in coverage. Navy struggled mightily doing so last year, especially after team captain Daniel Gonzales was lost for the year in the Air Force game. The Mids give up a lot of passing yards over the middle, which is deadly against teams like Tulsa and USF.
Will Worth was quite a pleasant surprise last season. Can Zach Abey replace Worth the way that Worth replaced Keenan Reynolds? What areas must Abey improve to truly carry the offense?
Worth was a surprise to most, but not the coaches. He was named the team’s most improved player in spring practice, and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper stated more than once that he would have been comfortable with Worth running the show. The difference between Worth and Reynolds was primarily style. Reynolds was a patient runner who would wait for the opportunity to make a cut, then go. Worth was more of a power runner, and Navy’s offense was more of a power game with him at the helm.
Abey’s style is very similar to Worth’s; more of a strong runner than slashing one. Physical ability isn’t a concern. The question for him is the same as any new quarterback: can he get the offense in the right play? Can he make his reads? Abey had an up-and-down spring, although with a perfectionist like Jasper, that would be his evaluation with most young quarterbacks.
Abey has had a bit of a trial to start his career. His first significant playing time came in the first conference championship game in school history. His first start came in the Army-Navy Game, and his second in a bowl game. That’s enormous pressure. To his credit, he improved with each appearance and actually played very well against Louisiana Tech. With that experience, plus a full spring and fall camp preparing as the starter, he should be ready to go.
How did the new starters along the OL perform during the spring?
Not very well, which is sort of an awkward thing to say after I just talked about how good I think they will be. There’s a reason for that, though. Most of the spring was spent shuffling players around, trying to find the combination of players at each position and trying to develop some depth. Lindsey also didn’t play in any scrimmages out of an abundance of caution as he recovers from his injury. It takes some time for an offensive line in this offense to be on the same page with each other, so it isn’t unusual for them to struggle in the spring.
Navy’s defense had a major drop off in 2016 from a numbers standpoint. Do you expect a bounceback this season?
With the move to a more aggressive defense, I’m not sure what to expect. The group should be better, though. There were a lot of injuries in the secondary last year, and the unit’s best returning player was dismissed from the team before the start of the season. The young guys being forced to step up last year should pay dividends this year, although the loss of Alohi Gilman certainly hurts.
It seems Navy gets production each year from unexpected players. Who are some of the unknown players that could see a breakout this season?
Malcolm Perry was moved from backup quarterback to slotback, and has risen to the top of the depth chart almost immediately. The coaches felt that he had too much ability to sit on the sideline while he learned the offense, and wanted to get him onto the field. He always made something happen in the few appearances he had, including a 30-yard touchdown run on his only carry in the Armed Forces Bowl. He’s too fast to fail.
Each summer, Navy’s SID sends out a “Meet the Mid” questionnaire to the team and publishes the responses. One of the questions is what player will surprise people the most in the upcoming season. Tyler Sayles, a senior defensive end, is a name that has come up more than once. Sayles played at about 255 last year, but is up to 270 and listed at the top of the depth chart. He saw limited action in 2016, but still managed to record two sacks. Navy will be counting on him getting after the passer a lot more than that this season.
Navy has won the AAC West in each of the last two seasons. What has to happen for them to make it a three-peat?
The defense simply has to be better. The Mids set a school record for points scored in a season last year, which went a long way in offsetting the defense’s struggles. That kind of scoring production would be difficult to match even if Will Worth was coming back. With a younger quarterback taking over, there are bound to be some growing pains. The Mids can’t count on scoring 40 points every week, but they shouldn’t have to if the defense does its job.
What are the top storylines heading into the 2017 season?
The biggest storyline, to me, is figuring out where Navy fits in a fast-improving AAC West division. It was easily the best division outside of the Power 5 leagues last season, and should be even better in 2017 with Tulsa and SMU ready to make significant strides. If year two of the Willie Fritz era at Tulane means progress in running his offense, then Tulane could make some noise as well. Houston and Memphis are no secret. It’s a real gauntlet of a schedule.
The other major storyline, obviously, is Zach Abey taking over for Will Worth at quarterback. That will always be the case whenever there’s a new starter in this offense.
What is the position of greatest strength heading into the season?
It’s difficult to single out any one position, but if I had to choose, I would say the offensive line. There’s a good deal of returning experience with that group, and the ones that aren’t as experienced were some of Navy’s most highly-rated recruits. The return of Robert Lindsay should help. Lindsay was expected to start last year, but was lost for the season with a back injury. He’ll be healthy for the fall. Evan Martin was probably Navy’s best lineman last season, and he’s back as well.
What is the position of greatest concern heading into the season?
The easy answer here would be quarterback, but I’m not sure it’s the right answer. I think the biggest concerns are at linebacker. It’s not that Navy lacks talent at the position; Micah Thomas and D.J. Palmore are as good as Navy has had. The question is more about how the unit will respond when they are asked to do more than what they are used to. The talk of the offseason in Annapolis has been about defensive coordinator Dale Pehrson’s plans to be more aggressive in 2017. That usually means more blitzing, which has never been a strength for Navy. If the calls are more aggressive but the linebackers can’t get to the quarterback, there are going to be a lot of big plays going the wrong way.
The middle linebackers also need to do a better job in coverage, especially considering the offenses in the American. In Navy’s scheme, the middle linebackers have traditionally been gap-fillers tasked with stopping the run. Against the spread offenses they see almost every week now, though, they need to be able to stay with running backs and tight ends in coverage. Navy struggled mightily doing so last year, especially after team captain Daniel Gonzales was lost for the year in the Air Force game. The Mids give up a lot of passing yards over the middle, which is deadly against teams like Tulsa and USF.
Will Worth was quite a pleasant surprise last season. Can Zach Abey replace Worth the way that Worth replaced Keenan Reynolds? What areas must Abey improve to truly carry the offense?
Worth was a surprise to most, but not the coaches. He was named the team’s most improved player in spring practice, and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper stated more than once that he would have been comfortable with Worth running the show. The difference between Worth and Reynolds was primarily style. Reynolds was a patient runner who would wait for the opportunity to make a cut, then go. Worth was more of a power runner, and Navy’s offense was more of a power game with him at the helm.
Abey’s style is very similar to Worth’s; more of a strong runner than slashing one. Physical ability isn’t a concern. The question for him is the same as any new quarterback: can he get the offense in the right play? Can he make his reads? Abey had an up-and-down spring, although with a perfectionist like Jasper, that would be his evaluation with most young quarterbacks.
Abey has had a bit of a trial to start his career. His first significant playing time came in the first conference championship game in school history. His first start came in the Army-Navy Game, and his second in a bowl game. That’s enormous pressure. To his credit, he improved with each appearance and actually played very well against Louisiana Tech. With that experience, plus a full spring and fall camp preparing as the starter, he should be ready to go.
How did the new starters along the OL perform during the spring?
Not very well, which is sort of an awkward thing to say after I just talked about how good I think they will be. There’s a reason for that, though. Most of the spring was spent shuffling players around, trying to find the combination of players at each position and trying to develop some depth. Lindsey also didn’t play in any scrimmages out of an abundance of caution as he recovers from his injury. It takes some time for an offensive line in this offense to be on the same page with each other, so it isn’t unusual for them to struggle in the spring.
Navy’s defense had a major drop off in 2016 from a numbers standpoint. Do you expect a bounceback this season?
With the move to a more aggressive defense, I’m not sure what to expect. The group should be better, though. There were a lot of injuries in the secondary last year, and the unit’s best returning player was dismissed from the team before the start of the season. The young guys being forced to step up last year should pay dividends this year, although the loss of Alohi Gilman certainly hurts.
It seems Navy gets production each year from unexpected players. Who are some of the unknown players that could see a breakout this season?
Malcolm Perry was moved from backup quarterback to slotback, and has risen to the top of the depth chart almost immediately. The coaches felt that he had too much ability to sit on the sideline while he learned the offense, and wanted to get him onto the field. He always made something happen in the few appearances he had, including a 30-yard touchdown run on his only carry in the Armed Forces Bowl. He’s too fast to fail.
Each summer, Navy’s SID sends out a “Meet the Mid” questionnaire to the team and publishes the responses. One of the questions is what player will surprise people the most in the upcoming season. Tyler Sayles, a senior defensive end, is a name that has come up more than once. Sayles played at about 255 last year, but is up to 270 and listed at the top of the depth chart. He saw limited action in 2016, but still managed to record two sacks. Navy will be counting on him getting after the passer a lot more than that this season.
Navy has won the AAC West in each of the last two seasons. What has to happen for them to make it a three-peat?
The defense simply has to be better. The Mids set a school record for points scored in a season last year, which went a long way in offsetting the defense’s struggles. That kind of scoring production would be difficult to match even if Will Worth was coming back. With a younger quarterback taking over, there are bound to be some growing pains. The Mids can’t count on scoring 40 points every week, but they shouldn’t have to if the defense does its job.
