There’s a photo in the hallway outside Navy’s football offices. It’s from 2015, showing fullback Chris Swain running the ball with six Memphis players chasing him. When Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo looks at that picture, he realizes something that has changed.
“Memphis doesn’t look like that anymore,” he said recently. “They’re bigger and stronger.”
College football has seen an incredible amount of upheaval and change over the past few years. But at Navy, Niumatalolo still believes in his fundamentals.
The transfer portal and name, image and likeness deals, the two biggest stories in the sport, aren’t applicable at Navy. Other schools have loaded up on transfers to fill holes on their team. That can’t happen at Navy due to the service requirements. Meanwhile, NIL deals are actually illegal for academy members. COVID-19 issues also hit the academy especially hard, as it’s a place where finding football time outside of academy work is already limited.
From 2008 to 2019, Niumatalolo led Navy to 10 bowl games in 12 years. The Midshipmen were one of the most consistent teams in the country, and they won 11 games ad finished ranked in the top 20 in 2015 and 2019. But times have changed. In the pandemic-altered 2020 season, the Midshipmen fell to 3-7. They weren’t much better last year, with a 4-8 record. Three of Navy’s four worst seasons under Niumatalolo have come in the past four years, and many outside the program wonder if Navy’s time has passed.
This year, so far, has finally been a normal Navy football offseason. Is that enough in today’s game? The head coach wonders the same thing.
“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Niumatalolo said. “To this point, I feel I’ve been able to build our team like we normally do. Now, if we get crushed again this year, it doesn’t bode well. If we’re 4-8 and get crushed, it doesn’t bode well. The transfer portal is there and the teams will still be tough, but the way I’ve always built our team is by building a team.”
Coaches feel this should be Navy’s most athletic team in years. There are a lot of starters to replace on both offense and defense, but unexpected reps for young players last season could pay off this fall. At Navy, it always comes down to quarterback play, and coaches like the one they have in 2022.
The Midshipmen started 1-6 last year but won three of their final five games, capped by a win against Army. That rivalry game always changes the view of a season and the outlook for the next year. Navy’s offense scored 35 and 38 points in its final two games against non-option teams.
A difficult Navy season ended on a high note with an upset of Army. (Danny Wild / USA Today)
Will the momentum carry into the 2022 season? Can Navy get back to what it was for so long? We’re going to find out.
“This will be the year that I’ll have a really clear indication if this doesn’t look good,” he said. “We would have done everything. Nothing about not getting a chance to lift. No, we’re doing everything from January until kickoff. It’s the way I’ve prepared my team 12 other times prior to the last two years. …
“I like what we’ve done to this point. We have to keep going. We’re still going to be in barnburners, but hopefully the 24-17 games, the 17-10s, we’re on top. The close games, we have to find a way to win. I met with the team at the end of spring and I couldn’t be more excited coming out of it. What does it mean? I don’t know.”
Offense
The Navy offense is the same as it’s ever been. The triple-option look has been a staple for decades. Quarterbacks coach Ivin Jasper doesn’t have the offensive coordinator title, the result of a temporary firing by athletic director Chet Gladchuk last season that was reversed into a demotion, but he’s still heavily involved. It comes down to the players and the coaches’ ability to use them. For the past two years, that hasn’t clicked.
In 2019, the Midshipmen finished 12th nationally in scoring and fourth in yards per rush behind the electric Malcolm Perry. It plummeted to 121st in scoring in 2020 (16.6 points per game) and 117th last year (20.1). The rushing offense dropped to 100th in 2020 and 88th last year.
“The biggest thing the last two years has been quarterback play,” Niumatalolo said. “Like any offense, it goes there. We’re such a quarterback-run-oriented team, more than the other service academies. It’s the nature of the way we do things. It’s why Keenan (Reynolds) is the all-time rushing leader for touchdowns and Malcolm is the only quarterback to rush for 2,000 yards. We’ve had to adjust.”
Much like the rest of the team, Niumatalolo believes the Army win could be a turning point for junior Tai Lavatai, his returning starting quarterback. Lavatai took over in the third game of the season and started the remaining 10 games. He had 371 rushing yards and averaged just 2.18 yards per rush, but he got better as the year went on. Five of his 12 total touchdowns were in the final three games, including the team’s only two touchdowns against Army.
“We’ve been here 14 years, beaten them 10 times, and when a returning quarterback has won that game, it boosts his confidence,” Niumatalolo said. “I saw that this spring. The Army game catapulted us. … What I saw in spring gave me hope because Tai played very well. The Army game allowed him to slow things down and process.”
“He played flawlessly,” Jasper said of the Army game.
Tai Lavatai returns after starting 10 games at quarterback in 2021. (Matt Cashore / USA Today)
Lavatai will have to carry the load because of the loss of experience around him. In the backfield, Navy’s top four slotbacks/fullbacks have graduated. The leading returning running back is junior Kai Puailoa-Rojas, who had just 77 yards last season. Atop the post-spring depth chart are junior Vincent Terrell II at one slotback spot, sophomore Maquel Haywood at another slotback spot and sophomore Anton Hall Jr. at fullback. Terrell was primarily a special teams player a year ago and entered spring third on the depth chart before rising. Haywood had 22 rushing yards and a kick return touchdown last year, while Hall had 11 rushing yards.
“This spring, Vincent Terrell was the most improved guy,” Niumatalolo said. “He had a ton of long runs and catches. We feel we’re way more athletic at the position. Kai Rojas is also coming back and we feel good there. We’re not as big as we’ve been in the past, but I feel we’ve got guys where, if they can get an opening, they can take it to the house.”
Jasper added, “They’re faster, we can do more things with these guys.”
On the outside, top receiver Mychal Cooper has graduated. No returning player had more than seven catches, which is not a surprise in this offense, but Cooper and graduate slotback Chance Warren had 22 of the team’s 48 catches last year. Junior Jayden Umbarger and senior Mark Walker are atop the depth chart coming out of spring, though Umbarger was hampered by an injury.
“We have guys on the edge that we feel good about,” Niumatalolo said. “Jayden ran the ball a lot for us and was a good reverse runner, made some big plays.”
The offensive line used numerous combinations last year. Eleven players started at least one game. Of those 11, five are back, and four are atop the depth chart coming out of spring. The projected starting group includes senior left tackle Jamie Romo, junior left guard Joshua Pena (nine starts last year), sophomore center David Hixon, junior right guard Lirion Murtezi and senior Kip Frankland (12 starts last year). Frankland and Murtezi missed spring practice, but coaches felt that helped the team develop depth with more reps.
Overall, there are a lot of questions on offense, due to the number of starters that have to be replaced. But the positions with the most experience are the most important for this team: quarterback and offensive line. Navy doesn’t need to get back to a top-15 scoring offense like it had in 2019 to show improvement. It just needs to get out from near the bottom of the country.
“I’m encouraged by what I saw this spring going against our defense,” Niumatalolo said. “With option offenses, Army and Air Force have struggled to move the ball on us, so it’s a great gauge. I saw enough good stuff out of the offense, especially with Tai, that I feel good going into the season.”
Key stat to know: Navy ranked second nationally with an average of 3.32 yards per rush before contact in 2019, according to PFF. That dropped to 49th in 2020 and 60th in 2021. The Midshipmen also ranked 128th in yards per rush after contact in 2020 and 2021.
Midshipmen returning production
| Category | Percent returning | Top returner |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 97 | Lavatai, 449 |
| Rushing yards | 30 | Lavatai, 371 |
| Receiving yards | 34 | Puailoa-Rojas, 84 |
| OL starts | 46 | Frankland, 12 |
| Tackles | 52 | Marshall, 54 |
| Tackles for loss | 60 | Cromwell, 7 |
| Sacks | 71 | Cromwell, 2.5 |
| Interceptions | 57 | Four with 1 |
Defense
A year ago, Navy coaches felt they had realized the mistakes of 2020. The pandemic had kept the team from any spring practices or summer workouts, and Niumatalolo wanted no tackling in preseason camp. It was a mess of a season, no doubt. They felt that could be fixed in 2021, with 10 defensive starters returning from the 2020 regular-season finale.
But the numbers in 2021 didn’t get much better. The Midshipmen finished 82nd in points allowed per game, down from 72nd. The rush defense improved from 98th in yards per carry to 66th. The pass defense numbers got worse. Now five of the top seven tacklers are gone, including the heart and soul of the defense, three-time All-AAC linebacker Diego Fagot. The offensive struggles impact the defense, as well, because a well-running option offense drains the clock and keeps the defense off the field.
Coaches pointed to a slew of injuries that thrust freshmen and sophomores into unexpected roles. They hope that, like the offense, the momentum from the end of the season carries over. Navy held Temple to 14 points and 182 yards and Army to 13 points 232 yards in the final two games.
“They weren’t ready to play and we had to get them ready,” defensive coordinator Brian Newberry said. “The good thing is they gained a lot of good experience and a ton of meaningful reps. So that puts them ahead of the curve a little bit this year.”
The defensive line is the most experienced group. Returning starters include junior defensive end Jacob Busic (6.5 tackles for loss) and sophomore nose guard Donald Berniard Jr. (23 tackles). Junior Clay Cromwell will move into the starting defensive tackle spot after splitting reps a year ago. Cromwell’s seven TFLs and 2.5 sacks lead all returning Midshipmen. Senior Nicholas Straw also returns as a starter at the hybrid raider position after recording 33 tackles and six TFLs. The backups at all three pure defensive line spots are sophomores, a sign of the youth elsewhere.
“The depth is maybe not as great there, but it’s a solid group coming back,” Newberry said.
DE Jacob Busic (95) finished last season with 5.5 tackles for loss. (Danny Wild / USA Today)
Despite losing Fagot, Newberry believes the linebackers will be the strength of the defense. Junior Will Harbour (mike) and sophomore Colin Ramos (will) are the starters coming out of spring. Harbour was the starter at the beginning of 2021 but battled injuries. Ramos was thrust into playing time as a freshman.
There’s also sophomore Tyler Fletcher, who started four games last year and whose 47 tackles are second-most among returning starters. Newberry pointed to sophomore Jianni Woodson-Brooks as a rising player.
“A lot of young guys who played last year or played on special teams had great springs,” Newberry said. “We’re super fired up about some young guys at linebacker.”
The defensive backfield must replace both cornerbacks from a group that finished 118th in yards per pass allowed, though this has often been a group that struggles given the nature of service academies. Junior Matthew Peters and sophomore Mbiti Williams Jr. are the new starters coming out of spring. Williams played mostly on special teams last season, while Peters, a former quarterback, has never played in a varsity game at the academy.
The safeties will have experience, as sophomore Rayuan Lane III (37 tackles last year) and junior Eavan Gibbons both started the final six games last season. Senior striker John Marshall also heads into his third year as a starter at the hybrid position, and his 54 tackles are the most among returning players.
“Their understanding of the defense has progressed a ton,” Newberry said. “Need to find some backups there, but we’re working through it.”
Navy’s defense must create negative plays. It’s the basis of success for service academy defenses. In Newberry’s first season in 2019, the Midshipmen finished 54th in tackles for loss per game and 23rd in total takeaways. It was a massive improvement from the year before. But over the past two years, Navy is in the bottom 40 nationally in both. It’s not surprising that Navy’s third-down defense has dropped from 20th in 2019 to 75th last year. For this defense to improve in 2022, it has to start there.
“The thing we haven’t been the last couple years is disruptive, which we have to be around here,” Newberry said. “We have to do a better job of creating negative plays in the early downs to get people in third-and-longs. It was a thing we did a great job of in 2019. I feel good about where we’re at. Get some takeaways, be disruptive, and when it’s third-and-long, get off the field.”
Key stat to know: Navy ranked 12th in pass rush pressure rate in 2019 (34.1 percent), according to PFF. It fell to last nationally in 2020 and 119th in 2021.
Special teams
Special teams were both good and bad last year, depending on the group. The kickers were a strength. Place-kicker Bijan Nichols earned second-team All-AAC honors after making 15 of 19 field goals, including all 14 of 15 from inside of 50 yards and all 11 inside 40 yards. He returns as a senior. Sophomore punter Riley Riethman returns as a starter as well. Six of his 44 punts went at least 50 yards, with an average of 42.7 yards per punt. The coverage was largely good, too, ranking 25th in opponent punt return average.
But the special teams also had backbreaking plays go against them. There was a bad punt snap against Air Force, a punt blocked by Marshall, a punt return touchdown by Houston and a kickoff return touchdown by SMU.
“Those are things we’d never done before,” Niumatalolo said. “They all happened in one season. We had to rectify things in special teams.”
Sophomore slotback Maquel Haywood will again be the starting kick returner. He took one back for a touchdown a year ago. Backup slotback Amin Hassan is expected to be the starting punt returner.
Opposing scouting report
One AAC assistant coach noted that Navy’s option attack is a bit different than Army’s and Air Force’s in that the Midshipmen don’t spread out as much. It’s an offense built on toughness and strength inside. The coach saw Lavatai get better at quarterback as the year went on, correctly reading plays on his own instead of relying on sideline communication.
“I thought he did a really good job,” the coach said. “You saw him really progress to the end of the season where he’s running the offense, making checks, taking advantage of what you’re doing defensively and putting them in the right play. … Early in the season, you saw him struggle against Marshall. But by the end of the season, he would get them in the right play.”
The coach also thinks the success of Malcolm Perry set the standard impossibly high. The Midshipmen don’t need to get back to winning 11 games, but getting to a bowl game is what the goal should be.
“Those option guys will tell you he was a once-in-a-lifetime academy quarterback, so comparing to that team isn’t fair,” the coach said. “The Navy teams that win seven or eight games (is more expected). Our league is good. It’s not an easy league. Last year, I didn’t think their fullbacks were as good. I think some of the rules, the new cut block rule, is hindering them a little bit. Now it’s nothing outside the box.”
How the Midshipmen recruited from 2019 to 2022
Service academy recruiting is unique, as players are coming primarily to serve in the military. There is a slight chance at a professional career — Fagot was recently granted permission from the Department of Defense to pursue it, and he signed with the Ravens. But that’s rare.
Academies typically sign more than 50 players in a recruiting class, and that isn’t finalized until the summer. Navy’s recruiting class usually “ranks” outside the top 120 nationally, but that isn’t the point. Despite recent struggles, Niumatalolo feels recruiting has continued to play out the way it normally does for his program.
“Our recruiting has been interesting to me in that it hasn’t dropped off,” he said. “I don’t know if kids saw during the pandemic or whatever, but maybe they see the opportunities at the service academy. We feel we got some guys we wanted and we have a chance to build a team the way we normally do.”
In the transfer portal
The new transfer rules don’t impact the service academies much at all, and it’s largely only a negative. Players can transfer out like any other school, but it’s difficult for players to transfer in due to the service requirements. According to 247Sports’ database, Navy has not had a player transfer in or out in this cycle. It has happened in the past with a few notable players departing, but it won’t play much of a role in the program. That’s a rarity in college football now.
“Now people can build their teams through the portal and do well. We can’t,” Niumatalolo said. “We have to build a team. We have to build together.”
Niumatalolo has seen it within the AAC, conference rivals who are able to improve their program quickly in other ways
“That’s probably the one detriment to us,” Niumatalolo said. “The league’s gotten better. I’m always in communication with our athletic director and our administration to make sure we’re competitive. We’re never going to be able to go in the transfer portal. We can’t use NIL. Those are the discussions I have to have as head coach.”
Ken Niumatalolo is 105-75 in 14 seasons as Navy’s head coach. (Petre Thomas / USA Today)
Impact of coaching changes
Perhaps the most notable coaching change happened two games into the 2021 season, when Gladchuk fired Jasper, the offensive coordinator. Niumatalolo was able to convince his boss to let the longtime assistant Jasper stay on staff as quarterbacks coach. He still doesn’t have the coordinator title, but Niumatalolo said the offense is run the way it always has been.
“Ivin has always been the coordinator and there’s been a lot of collaboration,” Niumatalolo said. “We both learned from Paul Johnson.”
There are two new assistants in offensive assistant Chuck Petersen and safeties coach Ryan Crawford. Petersen is a former longtime Air Force assistant under the legendary Fisher DeBerry in the 1990s and 2000s and was recently a Texas high school coach.
“Some of his ideas, his perspective, we’re all option people, but he looks at things slightly differently and it’s been a huge addition,” Niumatalolo said.
The addition of Crawford and movement of Joe Coniglio to strikers/raiders coach allows Newberry to be a walk-around coordinator and spread special teams duties in a different way.
Schedule
| Date | Team | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3 | Home | |
| Sept. 10 | Home | |
| Sept. 24 | Away | |
| Oct. 1 | Away | |
| Oct. 8 | Home | |
| Oct. 14 | Away | |
| Oct. 22 | Home | |
| Oct. 29 | Home | |
| Nov. 5 | Away | |
| Nov. 12 | Baltimore | |
| Nov. 19 | Away | |
| Dec. 10 | Philadelphia |
Final assessment
This is the kind of season that could have a big-picture impact on the future outlook of Navy football. Can the Midshipmen compete in a transfer/NIL world? Can they keep up in a conference? Niumatalolo has the same questions.
There are no COVID-19 issues holding the team back anymore. The roster has question marks, and the schedule is tough, but this program has typically bounced back when it’s been counted out before.
Editor’s note: This is part of a series previewing Power 5 and top Group of 5 teams for the 2022 college football season.
(Top photo: Rob Carr / Getty Images)
