Black Knights get surge from spring
made some decent progress.
“I hope we got some of our young guys a little better and prepared them for the fall, to get in games and play,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of things we’ve got to work on.”
One of the most pressing tasks ahead is retooling an offensive line that included standout Brett Toth, a 6-foot-5, 303-pound right tackle, and was integral to the team’s running success. Bryce Holland, who will play a fifth year after missing his sophomore season with an injury, is the lone returning starter.
“We’re going to miss guys like that [Toth],” Monken said. “It’ll be interesting to see how the guys that are going to step in and take their place develop.”
Monken also has to replace Bradshaw, who averaged 7.2 yards per carry in setting a school record with 1,746 yards rushing. Army has five quarterbacks on the roster heading to summer camp in early August. The staff isn’t ruling anything out, even using a rotation.
Speedy slotback Kell Walker took snaps at QB all spring and played the position in the spring game along with sophomore Kelvin Hopkins Jr., freshmen Cam Thomas and Christian Anderson and junior Luke Langdon. None has played a full game at the position.
“I think there’s a way to do that [share the position],” Monken said. “I think it’s important that a guy establishes himself as a quarterback and is the leader of the team as the quarterback, but we’ll see.
“To win is what’s important. If that’s what it takes, then we’re certainly open to doing that.”
The team also elected three new captains — Holland, junior FB Darnell Woolfolk and LB Cole Christiansen, who was second on the team in tackles (84) as a sophomore.
“He [Christiansen] is such a tremendous leader,” Monken said.