Army football's Jeff Monken feels good headed into 13th season

Jeff Monken heads into Army football preseason camp feeling pretty good.

“I like our team,’’ he said during a Friday press conference at the American Conference football media days in St. Petersburg, Florida. “We’ve got some positions where certainly we have more experience than others. We’ve got a relatively inexperienced defense, but that’s college football, and at Army we can’t sign them to a new contract … we do have graduation. We lost some good players to graduation but really excited about the guys we have coming back.’’

Though the American did not produce a preseason poll, nor a preseason all-star team, the Black Knights have been well-represented on the preseason lists produced by national college football magazines, garnering nine selections from Athlon Magazine and 10 from Phil Steele Magazine. As for polls, Steele has Army finishing fifth, Athlon and Lindy's Magazine has Army in fourth and The Sporting News has Army seventh.

Army opens preseason practice on Aug. 5, four weeks ahead of the Sept. 5 opener with visiting Bryant. Monken heads into his 13th season at West Point, coming off a 7-6 campaign, a 4-4 mark in the American and a Fenway Bowl win over Connecticut.

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“Preseason camp is right on the horizon here – just a week and a half away – so we’re excited (for) the energy and the spirit and the excitement of a new season,’’ Monken said.

Monken sung the praises of rising senior quarterback Cale Hellums, who started in all but three of his 13 appearances – but he also said rising sophomores Bryson Luter and Ethan Washington, returning “healthy” from an ACL reconstruction, will give Hellums “a run for his money.’’

“Competition brings out the best in people, and sometimes it brings out the worst in people,’’ Monken said. “Hopefully it’ll bring out the best in all three of those guys and they’ll all improve.’’

Monken said Hellums had “a good year; he didn’t have a great year.’’ Hellums rushed for 1,223 yards and 18 touchdowns, throwing for 694 yards and four scores. Monken believed Hellums had some “great moments” and “terrific performances,’’ but noted there were plays and outcomes that Hellums would like to get back. He likened Hellums’ 2025 junior season much like Bryson Daily’s 2023 junior campaign, gaining valuable experience, lessons and confidence ahead of his 2024 final season when he was in the Heisman Trophy conversation from Army’s inaugural championship season in the American.

“Cale has enough humility to realize he’s got things to improve on and get better at, and he’s worked really hard in the offseason,’’ Monken said. “I think he’ll continue to work hard as we prepare for the first game, as we go through the season.’’

Army struggled in close contests last season, posting a 4-5 mark in games decided by one score.

“We played so many close games last year,’’ Monken said. “There’s a lot of lessons learned. … There’s probably some reflection as we look back on how do we find a way to stop the other team one more time, or finish one more drive with a score.

“This is a very talented league, and you'd better make plays when plays come your way or you might find yourself in one of those one-score games, on the wrong end of it,’’ Monken said. “There’s talented players and really good coaches in this league, and it’s a challenge every week. And I imagine we’re probably going to find ourselves in a lot of close games again this year, and we’re going to have to find a way to get over the hump and get the victory.’’

Rising senior center and captain Brady Small – who has started all 39 games in his career – said the offensive unit just needs to be more consistent.

“We pride ourselves on holding the football and staying on the field,’’ Small said, “so it’s going to take a lot from not only the offensive line – we’re the engine that fuels this offense – but it’s got to take a lot from Cale and everybody else on that offense to do their job and be the most physical team on the field.’’

Rising senior captain and long snapper Owen Walter said a critical piece to winning is establishing the right culture on the team.

“A lot of those (close games) come down to just the grit and determination of each other and the support and trust of the guy to your left and right,’’ Walter said. “A lot of that gets built during the offseason, and we can just carry it into the season for this year.’’

While most major college teams have been working out with one another, Army’s athletes spend part of their summer with basic military training.

“They’re doing Army stuff, running around the woods and shooting at bad guys and throwing hand grenades and stuff like that,’’ Monken said. “(They’re) learning leadership, learning teamwork, which is what West Point is about, developing leaders and creating warriors to serve our country.’’

The upperclassmen, though, will take summer courses and work out.

“They’ve been working really hard this summer,’’ Monken said.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army football's Jeff Monken feels good headed into 13th season