College Football News Preview 2020: Army Black Knights

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Army Black Knights season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Army Black Knights season with what you need to know.


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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Schedule Analysis
– Army Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 5-8 overall
Head Coach: Jeff Monken, 7th year, 40-36
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 114
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 89
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 77

Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Army Black Knights Offense 3 Things To Know

– For this whole thing to work, the running game has to go beyond being very, very good. Army was third in the nation in rushing, and it wasn’t good enough.

By any reasonable standard, rushing for 3,863 yards and 45 touchdowns in a year is special, but that’s all Army does. The entire formula is based around controlling the tempo and games, and not hitting 4,000 yards on the ground for the first time in four years matters.

Leading rusher and quarterback Kelvin Hopkins is gone, as are running backs Kell Walker and Connor Slompka. But it’s Army – there are more options.


CFN in 60 Video: Army Black Knights Preview
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It all starts at quarterback with 5-9, 185-pound junior Jabari Laws the likely replacement for Hopkins. Laws finished fourth on the team with 484 yards and four scores, and 6-1, 185-pound senior Christian Anderson ran for 429 yards and four touchdowns. There are eight options to choose from with some of the other quarterbacks being used in other ways.

Who’s going to take over for the 240-pound Slomka at fullback? 5-11, 230-pound Sandon McCoy was third on the team with 576 yards and led the way with ten rushing scores. He’s the main man now to pound it up the gut, and 235-pound junior Cade Bernard is back.  On the outside, senior Artice Hobbs is the leading returning tailback, and the gaps will fill in around him.

The offensive line has a ton of turnover, but that’s normal – the Black Knight offense has a way of building up the talent up front so they’re ready as upperclassmen. 300-pound Peyton Reeder is a good-sized blocker at one guard spot, and 290-pound senior JB Hunter is a solid veteran at center.

6-2, 208-pound Camden Harrison caught 25 passes for 433 yards and three score, making him the program’s top receiver for a season since 2013. 6-3, 235-pound Michael Roberts is also back after catching five passes as more of a short-range target.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Army Black Knights Defense 3 Things To Know