Old Dominion Football: New era kicks off for Monarchs in 2021
By Shane Lunnen
A mostly unproven defense with a few bright spots
It isn’t all bad news for the Monarch defense as there are some experienced veterans returning. But overall a lot of the younger guys will be thrown into the fire right away.
Where it will hurt the most is along the defensive front. This position has been decimated by the transfer portal. The biggest losses are top pass rushers Juwan Ross and Keion White, who ended up at East Tennessee State and Georgia Tech respectively. Marcus Haynes is back to work one of the end spots after recording 3.5 sacks two years ago. On the interior line, there is not a lot of size or experience.
A bright spot will be in the linebacking corps with the return of Jordan Young, who finished both the 2018 and 2019 seasons second on the team in tackles. There are not a lot of proven commodities besides Young but keep an eye out for Steven Williams. The former quarterback and former wide receiver may earn a starting linebacker spot this fall.
The strength of the defense will be the Monarch secondary, particularly at the safety position. Nickelback Geronda Hall registered 69 tackles and two interceptions in 2019. Hall will be joined by experienced safeties Harrell Blackmon, Joe Joe Headen, and R’Tarriun Johnson. All three will get plenty of time in the rotation.
The cornerbacks are very green. Freshmen Jalen McCain, LaMareon James, and Ali Ali will all need to make contributions quickly.