Navy defensive coordinator P.J. Volker said the depth at cornerback is the best it’s been during his six years with the program.
Robert “RB” Green, in his sixth season coaching the Navy cornerbacks, wholeheartedly agrees. He credits the coaching staff for recruiting at a high level and landing some extremely talented prospects the last few years.
Four sophomores emerged from spring camp with spots on the depth chart.
“We’ve never had six deep of players we can trust to put on the field. I think we have that right now,” Green said. “We do have lots of depth and the talent continues to get better. The future looks very bright for that position group.”
Navy returns both starting cornerbacks — senior Dashaun Peele and junior Andrew Duhart. None of the other four corners on the depth chart have played a defensive snap, so there will be a lot of on-the-job learning.
Peele is the unquestioned leader of the group and holds the title of position captain. He has appeared in 16 games with nine starts during his career and is coming off a breakout campaign. Peele was an honorable mention All-American Athletic Conference selection after tying for the team lead with four interceptions and ranking second with five pass breakups.
“Deshaun is the quiet leader of the group,” Green said. “Deshaun is one of the most well-liked players on the team and brings a high level of leadership. When he speaks, all those guys listen.”
Navy recruited Peele as a wide receiver. Green, who personally recruited Peele, encouraged the youngster to switch to defense during the spring of his plebe year.
Peele did so and burst onto the scene as a sophomore, making his collegiate debut in the season opener against Delaware and ultimately seizing a starting job by the time Navy played Notre Dame in November. However, he suffered a season-ending injury in the game.
After undergoing surgery and rehabilitation, Peele admits it took time to regain the swagger he developed as a sophomore when he notched seven tackles against Cincinnati and totaled a sack, two pass breakups and the game-clinching interception in the end zone versus Temple.
Cincinnati wide receiver Jadon Thompson, center, is tackled by Navy cornerback Dashaun Peele (20) on Nov. 5, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
After starting the 2023 season opener, Peele lost the job at field corner to Elias Larry for three games. He regained the starting spot for the Oct. 14 road game at Charlotte and performed at a high level the rest of the way.
“I had to get back to the way I was playing as a sophomore — just letting loose and playing freely, playing with confidence. I think that happened as the season went along,” said Peele, whose four interceptions came in the final seven games of the season.
Green believes Peele is poised to take his game to another level and become a dominant performer as a senior. That has been evident in practice with Peele being very aggressive in pass coverage and getting his hands on a lot of passes.
“I think having lots of success on the field last season brings a level of confidence,” Green said. “I think his mind is settled and he can play freely because he knows what to do and where to be.”
Peele likes to play press coverage and takes pride in not giving receivers any breathing room. He strives to arrive at the same time as the ball, using contact to break up passes.
“I would say that I’m a physical corner. I like to put hands on receivers and not let them run freely,” Peele said. “Having played wide receiver before, I think I have a good sense of what they want to do as far as running routes.”
Duhart was thrust into the starting lineup at boundary corner as a sophomore and had his ups and downs. He finished with 35 tackles (two for loss), two pass breakups, an interception and a sack.
Green envisions Duhart taking a big step forward because he has a much better understanding of the defense and his role within it. Duhart has dialed down on the “intricacies” of the cornerback position and is playing with a higher level of effort and focus in preseason camp, Green said.
“Andrew was the baby of the bunch last year and took some bumps and bruises, but he definitely showed some promise,” Green said. “This offseason, he took to the books and really learned the defense on another level. He is poised to have a breakout season and will show everyone his development and improvement.”
Peele agrees with that assessment and said Duhart has adopted the “next play” mentality all cornerbacks must maintain.
“I think Andrew has grown a lot. I don’t see him holding his head down or getting frustrated any more. He just moves on to the next play,” Peele said.
Four sophomores round out the depth chart with Ira Oniha and Greg Johnson II currently listed as the backups, while Amel Hetherington and Bryce Allen are No. 3.
Oniha, out of Paint Branch High in Silver Spring, did not see any varsity action as a plebe. Green recruited Oniha after he spent a year at Fork Union Military Academy and called him the “prototype” for what the position should look like in terms of size (6-1, 183) and athleticism.
Johnson is a converted safety who saw action five games as a member of special teams last season.
“Greg is a ferocious tackler who brings a level of toughness to the position that I like,” Green said.
Green plans to use Oniha and Johnson to spell the starters, saying there is no need for Peele and Duhart to play the entire game. Oniha and Johnson will also be used in nickel and dime packages.
“We’ve been really impressed with Greg Johnson and Ira Oniha. They’ve both been making plays in the passing game,” Volker said. “We’re putting them out there in challenging positions to see how they compete and they’re stepping up.”
Volker also mentioned sophomore Arnel Heathington (North Point High) along with freshmen Justin Ross, Phillip Hamilton and Xavier Le Jeune as other young cornerbacks that have impressed. Peele, for one, has full confidence in the large group of sophomores and freshmen.
“We have some talented young guys coming up and it honestly keeps me on my toes. God forbid, if I were to go down tomorrow I feel like we have two guys who could come in and play at a high level,” said Peele, speaking specifically of Johnson and Oniha. “Both of them have come a long way; I personally trust them to go into the game and make plays. They’ve been doing it in practice.”
Navy cornerbacks
Position coach: Robert Green, sixth year
Returning starters: Dashaun Peele (Senior, 5-11, 197) and Andrew Duhart (Junior, 5-10, 185).
Top backups: Ira Oniha (Sophomore, 6-1, 183) and Greg Johnson II (Sophomore, 5-10, 180)
Letterman lost: Elias Larry (transferred to Colorado State) and Willie Collins (graduated)