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Continuing with our Looking Forward series, we move one level back from the defensive line to the linebackers.
In the base configuration, Army Black Knights' Defensive Coordinator Nate Woody has two inside linebackers (ILBs) designated the MIKE and the WILL, and two outside linebackers (OLBs) the DOG and the APACHE.
NOTABLE: As we pointed out yesterday in the following article, Army Inside LB Coach Cortney Braswell heading to the Cincinnati Bearcats ... we are confident that Coach Monken will effectively and efficiently backfill Braswell’s role for the Black Knights.
Departing Linebackers
• The biggest loss in this unit will be at the Dog OLB where All-American Andre Carter (587 snaps) and his senior backup Fabrice Voyne (166 snaps) accounted for about 97% of the defensive plays at that position.
• Departing senior Peyton Hampton started 5 games and played 246 of the 771 snaps at MIKE LB.
Returning Linebackers
We can expect to see some players moving from other positions to linebacker during the spring, but the picture is relatively clear at 3 of the 4 linebacker spots.
WILL ILB
The two ILB positions are somewhat interchangeable although the WILL is usually a bit smaller and more mobile than the MIKE.
Senior Leo Lowin was converted from a safety to a linebacker in 2021 but started all 12 games at WILL in 2022, playing 628 of the 771 defensive snaps. Lowin led the team with 100 Total Tackles, including 5.0 TFLs and 3.0 Sacks. He also had 2 Interceptions, 1 Pass Breakup, 1 Forced Fumble and 1 Fumble Recovery. We expect Lowin to play a leadership role on the defense this season. Junior Brett Gerena is the most likely backup to Lowin at WILL. Gerena appeared in 11 games with 66 snaps and registered 9 Total Tackles including 1.0 Sacks. Rising Junior Adam Cash will move from safety to Will, and senior Hamilton Baker is back from injury to compete for snaps as well.
MIKE ILB
The MIKE linebacker position was in a state of flux after the departure of Arik Smith. Four different players started at the position in 2022, including three players who are returning to compete for the starting job.
Up and coming Junior Kalvyn Crummie started the first two games at MIKE linebacker in 2022 and appeared in 11 games with 230 snaps all season. He also started2 midseason games against Air Force and Troy. Crummie registered 28 Total Tackles including 1.0 Sacks in 2022. Senior Camden O’Gara is likely to be Crummie’s main competitor for the starting job this season. O’Gara appeared in 8 games with 2 starts, including the start at MIKE against Navy, and a start at WILL against Troy. He played 199 snaps and registered 31 Total Tackles including 4.0 TFLs and 1 Sack in 2022. O’Gara will miss spring practice due to an off-season injury leaving some room for younger players to get some reps. We expected Spencer Jones to compete for the starting job last season after he returned from an injury that kept him off the field most in his sophomore season. Jones has 5 career starts at ILB in his three seasons at West Point, but he played only 122 snaps in 6 games last season with 1 start at MIKE against UMASS. If Jones returns to his early form, he could give O’Gara and Crummie some competition for snaps at MIKE this season, but he actually has more career snaps and starts at the WILL LB spot. Sophomores Andon Thomas and Kalib Fortner showed signs in practice as freshmen and both have a lot of potential to compete for snaps this spring.
Apache OLB
The Apache is a hybrid DB/LB in the Woody defense.
Rising Senior Jimmy Ciarlo moved into the starting spot at Apache last season with 12 starts and 718 snaps. Ciarlo got off to a weak start but came on strong toward the end of the season. Ciarlo finished third on the team in Total Tackles with 55, including 3.5 TFLs. He also received credit for 2 Pass Breakups and a Fumble Recovery.
Look for Woody to move a couple of players to compete for snaps at Apache this spring. Junior LB Josiah Banks and Junior DB Chance Keith will be moved to Apache to vie for the number 2 spot behind Ciarlo. Banks appeared in 5 games with 25 defensive snaps and 3.0 Tackles last season while Keith played 10 games on special teams with 1 Tackle.
DOG OLB
The DOG LB is primarily an edge rusher in the Woody defense, but may also drop back in coverage as the situation dictates.
Rising Senior Jackson Powell is our early favorite to move into the starting DOG spot but he will have some stiff competition. Powell played in 7 games with 54 defensive snaps in 2022. He recorded 6 Total Tackles with 0.5 TFLs in 2022. Powell will have to step up his game to hold off Junior Tyler Rafferty, as well as two rising Sophomores Eric Ford and Clev Lubin who have all shown promise according to our sources. Rafferty played in 2 games with 13 defensive snaps last season, while Ford played 1 game with 5 snaps.
We also know that defensive ends Trey Sofia and Nate Smith could see some reps at Dog as well.
Our Assessment of the Unit’s Status
With starters returning in 3 of the 4 linebacker positions, this unit should be considerably ahead of where they were a this time last year. Lowin was a key contributor all season, while Ciarlo improved substantially as the season progressed. The MIKe position was a problem at the start of the season, and Woody never settled on a regular starter, but expectations are that that the position will improve next season vs the run as the competitors all return from last year with considerably more experience.
As noted previously, replacing Carter is the biggest challenge at linebacker this spring.
Next Up: Defensive Backs
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