The Army Black Knights come into the 2026 campaign with an experienced group on offense and a fair number of questions on defense. If the Black Knights’ offense can figure it out, move the ball successfully, consistently dominate time-of-possession, and close out games, then this team could be in for a special season. But that’s a lot of “ifs”, and they come at a time of substantial turbulence for the team’s coaching staff.
Can Army Football put together a successful 2026 season, beat Navy, and perhaps challenge for another American Conference Championship?
Let’s get into it.
Follow our updated coaching staff roster with camp kicking off in August ✅ #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/WtRpAb1hIq
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) July 31, 2026
Finding Consistency
Last season started ugly. The Black Knights threw two interceptions and fumbled twice en route to a humiliating opening week loss to FCS Tarleton State at home at Michie Stadium. They squandered a 14-point third quarter lead, giving the game away on multiple levels. They couldn’t finish on offense, couldn’t pound away with the triple-option, and couldn’t even make consistent first downs.
Unfortunately, these problems reappeared multiple times over the course of the season. We again saw multiple turnovers against North Texas, East Carolina, and Tulsa, and we again saw a failure to make critical first downs late in games against Tulane, Tulsa, UTSA, and Navy. The Black Knights ultimately hit enough passes to salvage their season and a bowl berth against Air Force and UTSA, but even in those games — when the offense mostly looked really good — they damn-near lost otherwise winnable contests through inconsistent offensive play late in games.
Friends, this team gave up third or fourth quarter leads against every good or even decent team they played — Tarleton State, K-State, Tulane, Air Force, Tulsa (!), UTSA, and Navy. Honestly, the only game we got all season that actually looked like Army Football from start to finish came at home against Temple. That was a tough contest against a tough opponent, but the Black Knights won by being the tougher team and by consistently playing their brand of football. The rest of the season, though, remained an absolute roller coaster ride.
To succeed this year, the Black Knights will need to find a completely new level of discipline. That’s not going to be easy. They have a returning Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach in Cody Worley, a returning Offensive Line Coach in Cheston Blackshear, a returning Running Backs Coach in Chandler Burks, and a returning Slot Backs Coach in Dane Romero. However, they’ve lost longtime Assistant Head Coach Mike Viti (O-Line, Fullbacks) to Miami, and Viti won’t be easy to replace. Moreover, John Holt (O-Line), Ryan Starace (Tight Ends), and Cedrick Cunningham (Running Backs) are all new to the staff, though Cunningham is an Army grad and Army Football alum from earlier in Coach Monken’s tenure.
Still, that’s a decent number of new faces in the building, leading a group that absolutely MUST focus better on the details to succeed in the coming season.
Midline Option
Absent something truly unexpected, QB Cale Hellums should start for the Black Knights. That’s quite a change. After spending almost all of camp as last year’s presumed #3, Hellums took the helm against K-State and led the team to victory. But he then struggled against North Texas and got benched. As a result, the Black Knights didn’t get a consistent starter under center until their fifth game, a win at UAB. Hellums still finished with a whopping 1223 yards rushing and 18 rushing touchdowns on 4.0 yards/carry. He also went 47/87 passing for 694 yards (54%) with 4 touchdowns against 3 interceptions and just 4 sacks.
The problem, though, is that Hellums carried way too much of the load himself. His 1223 yards rushing were more than the next three players combined — SB Noah Short, RB Hayden Reed, and QB Dewayne Coleman — and indeed, Hellums personally accounted for almost 40% of the team’s total rushing yardage. This not only made the offense predictable in the later stages of games, it also impacted Hellums’s ability to throw accurately as injuries piled up late in the season. Either he called his own number too often, or the coaches did. That hurt the team.
Most of this perhaps comes down to the difficulty of replacing RB Kanye Udoh after he left via the Transfer Portal in 2024. It looked like the Black Knights had finally found their guy in RB Briggs Bartosh after the Air Force game, but then Bartosh got hurt, and rising yearling RB Godspower Nwawuihe didn’t emerge as a playmaker until the bowl game. This left the team looking for answers while Hellums mostly just carried the rock.
Nwawuihe put up 171 yards on just 12 carries at the Fenway Bowl, and if he can continue to provide that kind of explosiveness during the coming season, it will go a hell of a long way towards returning Army’s offense to something like balance in the running game.
It helps that Army will return a big, experienced offensive line, led by preseason All-American and Firstie Captain C Brady Small. He’ll be joined incumbent starters firstie RG Paolo Gennarelli (Second Team All-Conference), firstie RT Teddy Williams, and firstie LT Henry Appleton.
The team needs to find a Left Guard, but that’s a talented group. If those guys can stay healthy, any or all of them have a realistic shot at earning all-conference honors after the season. Army also returns road-grading firstie FB Jake Rendina, who should provide quite an interesting and potentially valuable change-of-pace from Nwawuihe’s speed and elusiveness in the backfield.
Congrats Brady!
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) August 4, 2026
Center Brady Small added to @outlandtrophy Preseason Watch List, awarded annually to the best interior lineman in college football.#GoArmy pic.twitter.com/e2ttKP9vP4
Option Pitch
The team lost SB Noah Short to graduation, and he was their most explosive player. Other teams often schemed specifically against Short, opening up the offense in other areas. The one team that refused to scheme that way last year was UTSA, and Short almost beat them single-handedly. His loss could affect the team quite a bit.
The team returns firstie SB Samari Howard in what should be a career season. Howard is an excellent receiver, having caught 11 balls for 133 yards and a touchdown in 2025 in addition to his 13 carries. Cow SB Lloyd Benson III will probably take the other slot back starting job. Benson has excellent speed and elusiveness, but we’ve mostly seen him returning kicks and punts over the past two years. Firstie SB David Clerk might also see some time. He took 2 carries for 15 yards last season and ought to see the field some this year.
Army has talent at the slot, but to date, these specific guys have been better receivers than ball carriers. That can change, but these slots will have to be the ones to change it.
Ready to get started! #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/a3RDhyPLLv
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) August 4, 2026
Play Action Pass
Cow WR Brady Anderson returns after his breakout 2025 campaign. Last year, Anderson caught 14 balls for 381 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving the Black Knights a much-needed deep threat. It’s unclear who else will see time at receiver, but firstie Tobi Olawole also returns after catching 3 balls for 21 yards in 2025.
God willing, Army will use one or both of their very good pass-catching tight ends this season. Firstie TE Parker Poloskey caught 4 balls for 54 yards and a touchdown in 2025, including one absolute circus catch on fourth down to save the game at UTSA. Cow TE Tex Brannan wasn’t credited with a catch because of the play, but he caught a two-point conversion right in front of us against Tulsa last year. Both guys are obviously excellent blockers, but they both also catch whatever gets thrown to them, too.
Final Thoughts
If the Black Knights can avoid turnovers and play consistent, winning football in the fourth quarter this season, they can beat any and every team on their schedule. But that is a tough ask. Until they show they can do it, they’ll continue to have their doubters, both within the conference and in the national media.
Friends, this team has a lot of experience alongside a lot of guys who know how to win. Let’s see what they can do.
A look back at @American_Conf Kickoff from last week. Season is almost here!#GoArmy pic.twitter.com/M9Dkj6Wc8w
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) August 1, 2026
Go Army! Beat Bryant!!!
