Blog Article
Army Football 2025: Rising From Historic Heights
Army football stands at a crucial crossroads entering the 2025 season.
Coming off the most successful campaign in program history—a record-shattering 12-2 mark that included an American Athletic Conference championship in their debut season—the Black Knights face the ultimate question that haunts all great teams: Can they do it again?
The challenge is immense, with significant roster turnover and a schedule designed to test even the most battle-hardened squads. But within this challenge lies an opportunity—a chance for Coach Jeff Monken‘s program to prove its 2024 masterpiece was no fluke, but rather the foundation of a new Army football standard.
The 2024 Season Was Unlike Any Other in Army History
The Army’s 2024 campaign dramatically rewrote the program’s record books.
The Black Knights dominated their new conference with ruthless efficiency, posting a perfect 8-0 mark in AAC play before dismantling Tulane 35-14 in the championship game. Their 12 victories set a new high-water mark for wins in a single season, while their peak AP ranking (#16) represented their highest standing since 1962.
Individual accolades poured in as quarterback Bryson Daily finished 6th in Heisman Trophy voting while claiming AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Coach Monken earned conference Coach of the Year recognition, and perhaps most impressively, Army’s offensive line claimed the prestigious Joe Moore Award as the nation’s finest unit.
The numbers behind this historic run tell the story of complete dominance:
- Averaged 31.07 points while surrendering just 15.50 points per game
- Rushed for a staggering 4,339 yards (300.5 per game) with 48 touchdowns
- Controlled games through time of possession, holding the ball for 34:39 per contest
- Secured an Independence Bowl victory, improving their bowl record to 8-3
This wasn’t just Army’s best season—it was the gold standard by which all future Black Knight teams will be measured.
The 2025 Roster Features Major Turnover at Key Positions
The biggest challenge facing Army in 2025 is replacing the architects of their offensive juggernaut.
Quarterback Bryson Daily, the Heisman finalist who orchestrated the triple-option with surgical precision, has graduated. Running back Kanye Udoh transferred to Arizona State after a breakout season. And perhaps most critically, three starters from the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line have departed, along with their position coach Matt Drinkall, who left to become head coach at Central Michigan.
These departures create significant question marks for an offense that dominated opponents through physical control and tactical precision:
- Who steps into Daily’s role as both field general and offensive catalyst?
- Can the rebuilt offensive line maintain the dominance that fueled their rushing attack?
- Will new position coaches successfully implement system continuity amid personnel changes?
- Can Army overcome projections placing them 93rd nationally in offensive SP+ with 24.3 points per game?
The defensive side offers more stability, with a unit projected to rank 35th nationally with a 23.2 SP+ rating, providing a foundation while the offense finds its footing.
Returning Players Provide Hope Amid Transition
Despite the significant departures, Army returns a solid core of talented players ready to step into expanded roles.
Center Brady Small, already named to ESPN’s way-too-early All-America second team for 2025, anchors the offensive front alongside senior Paolo Gennarelli—both holdovers from the award-winning 2024 line. Junior quarterback Cale Hellums enters camp as a potential starter after apprenticing behind Daily, while slot receiver Noah Short returns as a proven threat with big-play capabilities.
The returning talent offers several reasons for optimism:
- Small and Gennarelli provide continuity and leadership along the offensive line
- Noah Short gives the offense an established playmaker to build around
- Jake Rendina adds experienced depth to the running back rotation
- The defense returns significant talent from a unit that surrendered just 15.5 points per game
- Three years into AAC membership, players now understand conference competition levels
These returners will be tasked with both maintaining performance standards and helping newcomers integrate into Army’s demanding system.
The 2025 Schedule Presents Unique Challenges
Army’s path through the 2025 season features opportunities and obstacles, particularly away from West Point.
The schedule includes five home games at Michie Stadium, beginning with the August 29th opener against Tarleton State. However, for the first time in recent memory, both service academy rivalry games will occur on the road—at Air Force (November 1) and Navy (December 13)—adding significant difficulty to Army’s most emotionally charged matchups.
Other notable scheduling quirks that could impact Army’s season:
- No consecutive home games throughout the entire schedule
- A championship game rematch at Tulane on October 18
- Three strategically placed bye weeks (September 13, October 25, November 15)
- Early projections give Army a 99.5% chance of bowling and 27.7% chance of repeating as conference champions
- Substantial travel with key games in Colorado Springs, New Orleans, and Baltimore
How Army navigates this road-heavy slate could determine whether it remains an AAC contender or falls back into the conference’s middle tier.
Coaching Changes Will Reshape Both Sides of the Ball
The coaching staff underwent significant reshuffling following their championship season.
Offensive line coach Matt Drinkall’s departure creates the most significant void after he engineered the Joe Moore Award-winning front. Cheston Blackshear transitions from tight ends to co-lead the offensive line alongside Mike Viti, while Chandler Burks shifts from tight ends to running backs coach.
The defensive side welcomes Allen Smith, who arrives to coach the defensive line after Nate Fuqua’s brief tenure, while Matt Panker earns a promotion to defensive quality control coach.
These coaching adjustments create several strategic implications:
- Blackshear and Viti must maintain cohesion amid offensive line rebuilding
- Defensive coordinator Nate Woody provides continuity for a unit that remains the team’s strength
- Replacing Drinkall’s expertise represents perhaps the staff’s biggest challenge
- Head coach Jeff Monken’s proven ability to develop staff suggests minimal disruption
How quickly these coaching adjustments solidify will determine whether Army can maintain the tactical edge that fueled their 2024 success.
Five Keys Will Define Army’s 2025 Season
Army’s ability to build on their historic 2024 campaign hinges on several critical factors.
The quarterback position stands as the most obvious focal point, with junior Cale Hellums among several candidates competing to replace Bryson Daily. Whichever candidate wins the job inherits the keys to an offense built around precise decision-making and tactical discipline.
Beyond quarterback play, Army’s 2025 success depends on:
- Rebuilt offensive line cohesion, mainly by replacing three starters from the award-winning 2024 unit
- Maintaining defensive dominance that limited opponents to just 15.5 points per game
- Developing road game resilience with critical matchups at Air Force, Navy, and Tulane
- Minimizing offensive regression through system continuity amid personnel changes
- Balancing the mental challenges unique to service academy athletes (military training, academic rigor)
Army’s defense—projected 35th nationally with a 23.2 SP+ rating—remains the program’s foundation while the offense reloads.
The Bottom Line: Measured Expectations for 2025
Army football stands ready to prove 2024 was no fluke.
While matching last season’s historic achievements represents a formidable challenge, the Black Knights enter 2025 with legitimate aspirations to remain among the AAC’s elite programs. The combination of experienced returners, proven coaching staff, and a culture of discipline positions them for continued success despite significant transitions.
Returning to the conference championship game requires overcoming substantial personnel losses and navigating a demanding schedule. However, Coach Monken’s program has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability throughout his tenure, suggesting Army remains a formidable opponent for everyone on their 2025 schedule.
As the Black Knights prepare to defend their conference crown, expectations remain high in West Point—not simply to compete but to continue building on the foundation of excellence established during their record-breaking 2024 campaign.
The only question that matters now is whether this new generation of Army players can write their own chapter in the program’s storied history.
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