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Army Football: Jeff Monken has turned Black Knights around

By Patrick Mayhorn

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 09: Emmanuel Ukhueligbe #95 of the Army Black Knights and the rest of his teammates run out on the field before the game against the Navy Midshipmen on December 9, 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 09: Emmanuel Ukhueligbe #95 of the Army Black Knights and the rest of his teammates run out on the field before the game against the Navy Midshipmen on December 9, 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Offense

Almost everything looks great on this returning depth chart. There’s talent all over the field, speed in the backfield, and an unconstitutional amount of fullbacks. The depth is awesome, and this team seems to have everything that an option team needs.

Unfortunately, they may not have the most important piece. The one thing you never want to have to replace is the quarterback, and Ahmad Bradshaw, after three years of exemplary option quarterback play, is finally gone.

For the first time since his arrival, Monken will need to make a real quarterback battle decision. The safe money is on Kelvin Hopkins. He was the backup last year, and seems like a perfect fit for the system. He knows the offense, and as long as nothing weird happens, he should be just fine.

That may be all Army needs to dominate. Kell Walker, Darnell Wolfork, Jordan Asberry, Calen Holt and Andy Davidson should do the rest. There’s an unbelievable amount of talent in this backfield, and no matter who’s getting the ball, you know it’ll be an efficient, great player.

The receivers are in a pretty similar place. Can Harrison and Kjetil Cline are both excellent blockers on the outside, which is all Army really needs. They refuse to pass, and as long as the receivers can hold it down outside, this offense will be just fine.

The only other question on this offense is up front. Center Bryce Holland is the only returning starter. Luckily, Army is extremely good at developing line talent. Four of the expected starters are upperclassmen, and while there’s not a ton of experience, I trust Army’s ability to find good linemen.

Is this really a plug-and-play system?

The option is one of the most unusual parts of college football. Teams that master it are extremely tough to beat, and always frustrating to play. There’s a reason it’s so rare though. It’s extremely hard to master, and very few coaches know how to teach it.

Luckily, Monken is more than up to the challenge. He’s proven that he can coach up inexperienced teams, and I can’t see that changing this year. They might struggle at first, but I think if anyone can create a low mistake, high-efficiency attack, it’s Monken.

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