2004 Statistics

Quarterback
Lamar Owens is the new starter. Spending the past three years as a backup, he's got a good idea of what makes Navy successful. Although he's small, Owens has the physical skills to step in and give the Mids a seamless transition. He excelled in track and at basketball (in prep), and his quickness translates to the gridiron. His speed gives him the ability to break a long run, and while he's got a more-than-adequate arm, his size will hinder his downfield vision. But on a team that threw it 15% (and that isn't about to change much), his arm should suffice. More than anything, it may be the leadership qualities that distinguish Owens here. He'll have a good year and keep the Mids competitive.

Running Back
There may not be another team in the country that relies on its fullback as much as Navy, which isn't good news, because the Mids are ill-manned to replace their star. Spring competition didn't yield any results either - Matt Hall, a pre-spring favorite, came down with a case of fumble-itis. Because of the uncertainly at fullback, Navy will rely more on its slotbacks, with Marco Nelson and Trey Hines set to step in. Nelson is a superb athlete with great leaping ability (35-inch vertical), and great hands. He's a big-play threat. Hines is the fastest player on the team (4.43-sec 40). Both have a small-but-stocky toughness. Mini-speedster Reggie Campbell is also ready for a big year.

Receiver
How much do the Mids use their receivers? Mick Yokitis is a returning starter, and he caught two (the team's leader had 16). Yokitis is a/the rock on a group that can mainly be depended on to block. The big Pittsburgh-native has soft hands and will be a main target when Navy does actually put the ball up. Jason Tomlinson actually led the team in receptions a year ago, and with his speed and athletic ability (35-inch vertical leap), he gives Owens a great target for that big play. The whole unit has size for the downfield girth needed, but we think Owens capable arm means he gets to air it out a bit more, so these guys have to be ready.

Offensive Line
So much of the early part of the season will be focused on the developments here. Just one starter returns, but the Mids have talent that fits the mold of prototypical Navy linemen: small, strong and quick. Center James Rossi is the lone holdover, and he's also the strongest player on the team (450-pound bench press, 555-pound squat). Zach Gallion is the only lineman with any real size. The left guard isn't just big; he's got the leg strength not to get pushed around. With his smallish stature, Antron Harper wouldn't start many places, but he's one of their best all-around linemen and had a great spring. Marshall Green (state weightlifting champ in prep), a part-time starter at center the last two years, moves out to tackle. As a group, the line may struggle early, but they'll be solid by season's end.

Note that Navy's formations do not utilize any traditional tight end(s), but instead run two "slot backs", either of which would take the TE's place on any depth charts.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
2004 was a great year because Navy was so good on the ground (ranked 3rd, 289.5 ypg). Also important is how they capitalized on their few throwing downs (9th in pass efficiency while second-to-last in total passing yards). This is a key factor - the passing game has to again be close to this efficient for any offensive balance to be respected and therefore established. If teams can stack eight and nine in the box… With only two starters back from that team, Navy will see a drop in numbers/production. Owens is an adequate quarterback who could explode to possibly become a shooting star on the Annapolis horizon, but without a good fullback, and with a rebuilt offensive line, Navy is going to struggle more than it has in the past few campaigns.

Defensive Line
The one returning starter - end Jeremy Chase - is a good one. He's not an exceptional pass rusher, but his speed makes him valuable against the run, and he gets the TFLs (11) needed to make foes require two hats on him. There's little experience around Chase, but nose tackle Larry Cylc had a fantastic spring, and the big man will be key against the run. Tye Adams and John Chan are battling for the other end spot. Adams has good speed (4.76 40), and too, looked strong in the spring. Chan is another of their strongest linemen, and also possesses adequate speed. Raw depth means tired legs will eventually slow the hogs down in the latter part of many tilts, so developments in the three-deep are crucial for the main three (or four) to maximize their potential(s) for 60 minutes.

Linebacker
David Mahoney is the stud of this defense. The lone returning starter at linebacker, Mahoney will be counted on to lead the entire group. He's impressed the coaching staff with his leadership, and he's always been able to make plays. He does it all for the Mids, leading them in sacks while also having great ability in pass coverage. Rob Caldwell may end up, though, being the best of the Mid's LBs. He's incredibly strong (560-pound squat), but it's his aggressiveness that'll have him making plays. Jacob Biles won't do anything spectacular, but with a good mix of speed and strength, he'll be a solid performer. Ex-QB Jason Monts is still learning the subtleties here, but will finally get his chance. Overall, this is a good group that'll get better in a hurry.

Defensive Back
This was to be the most experienced area of the defense, but also one with a few question marks. Now returning starter Hunter Reddick is no longer with the team, which creates a problem in that Reddick had descent size and was the most reliable cover man on the corner. Most of the attention will be centered on transformed safety Jeremy McGown. Even though he is now at cornerback, where he struggled a bit in spring, we see how McGown is used to position changes (quarterback, wide receiver, safety and now corner for the Mids). Extremely fast through 20 yards (2.68), he'll catch on at corner. DuJuan Price is at safety and is the team's returning interception leader, while Keenan Little is making the adjustment from corner to (starting at) safety. There's enough speed here to make this group solid, but the changes signal how such re-workings are needed for the secondary to realize its impact even more.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
The Mids are going to struggle early due to the inexperience, especially in the front seven. There are plenty of decent athletes, though, and speed throughout all units - a great place to start for any D. The LBs (and eventually the DBs, too) will be the main reason the defense will create any winning efforts. This exceptional corps (by in-house standards) can rely on Mahoney to be the (literal) centerpiece for all efforts, and his supporting cast has the versatility to react and finish (even on deceptive play-actions and draws). Navy was 44th in total defense and 26th in scoring allowed, but they won't rank as high in either category in this time around.