Football Kicks Off Spring Practice

Football Kicks Off Spring Practice

March 06, 2026 | Football

WEST POINT, N.Y. — On Friday, the Army West Point football team hits the practice fields for the first time in 2026, the first of 14 practices concluding with the spring game on Friday, April 17^th.

Coach Jeff Monken, entering his 13th year leading the Black Knights, looks forward to another spring to break in and evaluate a fresh set of players. Speaking during his media availability on Wednesday, he said, "One of the great things about this program is that our guys grow up in this program, developed under the tutelage of these coaches and within our systems, which remain the same. I am confident we will have guys that will grow into those positions."

2026 SCHEDULE

2026 OUTLOOK:

Army enters 2026 following a 7–6 campaign in 2025, highlighted by a victory in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
Army's 19–8 record (.704) since the start of 2024 is tied for the 20th-best winning percentage in the country over the past two seasons.
Army has posted a 75–40 overall record since 2017. Those 75 wins are tied for the 16^th most in the FBS over that span. The only G-5 programs with more wins than Army is Boise State, App State, and Memphis.
Since joining the American Conference in 2024, Army is 12–4 (.750) in league play — the third-best conference winning percentage among AAC members.
Since 2016, Army owns a 6–1 bowl record under head coach Jeff Monken, posting an .857 winning percentage — tied for the 10th-best nationally in bowl games during that span.
Since 2017, Army has compiled a 75–40 record (.652), the best mark among the service academies during that stretch:

ARMY — 75–40 (.652)
Air Force — 62–44 (.585)
Navy — 58–53 (.523)

Monken enters his 13th season leading the Black Knights. Army has posted a .500 or better record in nine of the last 10 seasons under his leadership.
Monken enters the season with 89 career wins (89–63), the second-most in program history, trailing only Red Blaik. He is also the second-longest tenured head coach in program history, behind only Blaik (18 seasons).
The win over Kansas State last season marked Head Coach Jeff Monken's fourth win over a Power Conference program in his Army tenure (2014-present.).
It Army's first victory over a Power Conference opponent since beating vs. Missouri in the 2021 Armed Forces Bowl.
The victory was also Army's first true road win over a Power Conference program since a 21-13 triumph at Wake Forest in 2016. It was also the Black Knights' first win over a Big 12 opponent since 2006, a 27-24 overtime victory against Baylor.
Army returns an estimated nine offensive starters who logged significant starting experience last season, including four of five starting offensive linemen: QB Cale Hellums, RB Jake Rendina, SB Samari Howard, WR Brady Anderson, TE Parker Poloskey, OT Henry Appleton, C Brady Small, OG Paolo Gennarelli and OT Teddy Williams.
Defensively, Army loses eight primary starters from 2025 but returns key contributors in DL Kody Harris-Miller, DL Jack Bousum and CB Jaydan Mayes.
On special teams, K Dawson Jones returns after converting 35-of-36 extra points and 15-of-20 field goals last season. P James Wagenseller also returns after punting 32 times for 1,380 yards (43.1 average).

SIGNATURE DRIVES:

Army led the NCAA in 2025 in drives of 15 plays or more, recording 10 such drives, including multiple 17- and 18-play possessions. They also had 5 drives exceeding 9 minutes, highlighting their ability to control the clock and sustain long possessions. This reflected Army's signature ground-and-control style and its effectiveness at managing games.

KEY RETURNERS SPOTLIGHT:

QB CALE HELLUMS became just the third Army quarterback since 1956 to rush for at least 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns in a single season, joining Bryson Daily (2024) and Trent Steelman (2012). Army is the only program in the country to have quarterbacks reach that milestone in back-to-back seasons (Daily in 2024; Hellums in 2025).
Hellums eclipsed 1,200 rushing yards (1,251), becoming just the eighth player in program history to reach the mark.
Hellums rushed for 18 touchdowns, the second-most in a single season in program history, trailing only Bryson Daily's program-record 32 in 2024.
Hellums carried the ball 304 times, ranking second nationally and second in Army single-season history, behind only Daily's 310 carries in 2024.
RB GODSPOWER NWAWUIHE became the first Army freshman since at least 1995 to rush for 100 yards and two touchdowns in a game in the Fenway Bowl.
His 171 rushing yards were the most by an Army freshman in a game since at least 1995.
His 14.3 yards per carry (171 yards on 12 attempts) ranks as the second-highest average by a freshman in any bowl game since 1995 (minimum 10 attempts), trailing only Bijan Robinson's 18.3 yards per carry in the 2020 Alamo Bowl.
C BRADY SMALL enters his senior campaign having started every game of his career, a streak of 39 consecutive games dating back to his first true freshman appearance in 2023. Former OL Connor Finucane holds the program record for career starts with 52. Small has been named to the American Conference First Team in each of the past two seasons.
WR BRADY ANDERSON enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign last season, hauling in 14 receptions for 381 yards (27.2 avg.) and two touchdowns. He joined Casey Reynolds (2024) and Edgar Poe (2015) as the only players in the Jeff Monken era to record three or more games with 60+ receiving yards in a single season. Anderson's 27.2 yards per reception (14 catches, 381 yards) ranked just shy of the program's single-season record (minimum 15 receptions) of 30.9, set by Pete Dawkins in 1958.
SB SAMARI HOWARD, a versatile blocker and receiver, recorded 11 receptions for 133 yards and a score a season ago.
Sophomore DL JACK BOUSUM recorded 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2025, becoming one of just four Army sophomores to reach both marks in the same season.
CB JAYDAN MAYES enters his senior season with six career interceptions, one shy of tying the most by a player in the Jeff Monken era (2014–present), currently shared by Elijah Riley and Marquel Broughton.
K DAWSON JONES 15 made field goals in 2025 ranked tied for third most in a season in Army season history.

NEW FACES/NEW ROLES:

Daryl Dixon steps into the role of defensive coordinator this season. It marks his 11th year on Jeff Monken's staff. Nate Woody, who served as defensive coordinator from 2020–25, accepted the defensive coordinator position at the University of Cincinnati this offseason.
Other new additions to the staff include John Holt (tight ends), Munir Prince (corners), Scot Sloan (co-defensive coordinator/safeties) and Blake Catlett (assistant special teams). Sloan rejoins after spending one season on the Army staff in 2022.
Other coaching staff departures include Mike Viti, Danny Verpaele, Seth Hestness, Allen Smith, and Peyton Yanagi.

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN:

OFFENSE
QUARTERBACKS (5): Cale Hellums, Bryson Luter, Ethan Washington, Blake Owen and Harrison Orr
RUNNING BACKS (8): Godspower Nwawuihe, Tim Kloska, Jake Rendina, Carson Smith, Demani Stewart, Ian Cline, Brennan Fisher and Nolan Johnson
SLOT BACKS (14): Zach Mundell, Aden Self, Chace Knox, Brady Mott, BJ Alleyne, Lloyd Benson III, Stratton Fuller, David Clerk, Samari Howard, Jayden Walker, Stroman Bridges, Tucker James, Jaden Pydyn and Charles Daly
TIGHT ENDS (7): Parker Poloskey, Brian Dyer, Noah Prior, Tex Brannan, James Rothstein, Josh Greer and Abram Edwards
WIDE RECEIVERS (9): Tobi Olawole, Adam Buffington, Mason Smith, Kofi Eduful, Brian Ray III, Kurt Thompson, Brady Anderson, Jakiel Kendricks, Kavon Pointer
OFFENSIVE LINE (30): Brady Small, Mack O'Halloran, James Bland, Tyler Lee, Dominic Bruce, Nick Moore, Henry Appleton, Sam Waters, Will Mack, Ben Britton, Christopher Broberg, Brandon Wraalstad, Chuck Johnson, Zach Tomosovich, Wes Shaw, Kieran Garris, Miles Hagan, Braeden Helmkamp, Gregory Meidl, Paolo Gennarelli, Lane Parks, Ben Konopka, Teddy Williams, Kyle Kloska, Tim Savchuk, Max Stober, Kyle Baltazar, Xavier Archawski, Jack Manning, Jonah Zimmerman

DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE (16): Campbell Sager, Kody Harris-Miller, Nick Buchys, Sam Zagame, William Brockmeier, Xander Walker, Jacob Cotterill, Jadon Bumbaugh, Donovan Poe, Sean Donovan, Grayson Baker, Javon Smith, Matt Gemma, Dillon Stowers, Cael Newton, and Jack Bousum
INSIDE LINEBACKERS (13): Jaquavious Moss, Baylor Newsom, Max Phenicie, Elijah Easley, Kai Woolfolk, Elijah Walton, Khaled Waliagha, Jake Lindsey, Nick McGlynn, Noah Nixon, Bryson Banks, Jackson Weingart, and Jacob Mainord
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5): Victor Afolabi, Isaiah Birl, Christian Yousefzadeh, Jacob Hinton, and Xavier Ryan
NICKELBACKS (5): CJ Martin, Cole Searight, Zane Tallman, Caden Brungard, and Daniel Ogordi
CORNBACKERS (7): Harrison Mass, Nathan Adejokun, Jaydan Mayes, Julian Porter, Robert Houston, Jaxon Hammond, and Devan Moss
SAFETIES (9): Stephen Nnadozie, JD Sparks, Jaylen Jones, David Thom-Rogers, Caleb Williams, Larry Pickett Jr., JT Poynton, Brian Barton, and Christopher Williams

SPECIAL TEAMS
PUNTER (3): James Wagenseller, Andrew Astone, and Matthew Faulk
KICKER (5): Bryson Hosea, Joey Scardina, Dawson Jones, Luca Guerra, and Jake Hulstein
LONG SNAPPER (4): JB Cook, Owen Walter, Drew Prieto, and Ryan Snipes

HOME SLATE:

Army will play six home games in 2026 at Michie Stadium

9/5/26 — Bryant
9/12/26 — USF
10/10/26 — Tulane
10/17/26 — Florida Atlantic
11/7/26 — Air Force
11/21/26 — East Carolina

Army maintains a home record at Michie Stadium of 45-11 (.804%) since 2017. Army's .804% home win percentage is the 19th best in the country over that time.