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Navy football position report: End Justin Reed leads a rebuilt, but experienced, defensive line

August 14, 2024 by The Baltimore Sun

On paper, Navy must completely rebuild its defensive line. The Midshipmen lost all three starters with tackle Clay Cromwell and nose guard Donald “Biscuit” Berniard graduating and end Jacob Busic transferring to UCLA.

In reality, it is not a total rebuild as Justin Reed replaced the injured Busic as the starting end four games into the 2023 season, while Kendall Whiteside and Landon Robinson gained plenty of experience as the backups at tackle and nose guard, respectively.

Reed is a proven commodity. He started nine games last season and led all defensive linemen with 49 tackles while tying for third in tackles for loss (7½) and second in sacks (4½).

Robinson also had an impressive production rate considering he mostly played on third down or in obvious passing situations. He ranked among the team leaders with 4½ tackles for loss and four sacks. Whiteside only appeared in four games and received a minimal amount of defensive repetitions.

Jerrick Hall, in his sixth season as Navy defensive line coach, acknowledged that Berniard and Cromwell leave big shoes to fill.

“Those two guys were really good for us for a long time and you can’t really replace them,” Hall said. “We have guys that have been coming up through the program and have worked their way into being really good football players. We have two guys in Landon Robinson and Kendall Whiteside that are ready to step up and fill those shoes and produce the way those guys did.”

Navy ranked 33rd out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision schools in rushing defense last season, allowing an average of 128.8 yards. It all starts with the three down linemen and defensive coordinator P.J. Volker is confident Hall will mold Robinson and Whiteside into productive players.

“We need those guys to be great players. They need to be the best versions of themselves,” Volker said. “I think Coach Hall is doing an amazing job with both of those two guys. You’re seeing tremendous progress and growth from both of them.”

Reed was selected by the coaching staff to serve as position captain and has brought tremendous leadership, Hall said. The North Carolina native enjoyed a superb offseason, adding weight and strength in order to become more sturdy against the run game.

Reed saw action in a reserve role as a plebe and has played in 36 career games with 11 starts. The 6-foot-3, 270-pounder was an opportunistic playmaker in 2023, tying for the team lead with three fumble recoveries.

Navy vs. North Texas football

North Texas quarterback Chandler Rogers (4) is sacked by Navy defensive end Justin Reed (94) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, in Annapolis. (Terrance Williams for the Capital)

Terrance Williams/Capital Gazette

North Texas quarterback Chandler Rogers is sacked by Navy defensive end Justin Reed during a game on Oct. 7 in Annapolis. (Terrance Williams for the Capital)

“Justin has picked right up where he left off last season. He’s the leader in the room… when he speaks everybody listens,” Hall said. “Justin has gained more knowledge of how teams plan to attack him, which allows him to play faster. I’m excited to see his growth from a year ago.”

Robinson gained some notoriety by being named one of the freakiest athletes in college football by Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic. He was recognized based on eye-popping strength and conditioning numbers and fit Feldman’s mission of finding players whose “athleticism blew the minds of folks inside their own college football program.”

Robinson has recorded impressive maximum lifts in the squat (600 pounds), bench press (450) and clean-and-jerk (315). He boasts a 33-inch vertical leap and can consistently surpass 20 MPH when running sprints.

“Landon is a key piece to the success of our defense as the man in the middle. He has all the attributes to be what we call a Navy nose guard, which is such an important position for this defense,” Hall said. “Landon brings a combination of speed, power and quickness. He is also very intelligent and football savvy.”

Robinson focused heavily on conditioning during the offseason in anticipation of getting a much higher number of game repetitions.

“Obviously, the spotlight is on me a little more, but I think I’m ready for that. It’s a little more reps, a little bit more intensity, in practice and I’m getting used to the pace of it,” he said. “I think they expect me to be more of an every down player, so I need to get in really good shape and be ready to be that guy when the season comes around.”

Berniard was undersized for a nose guard, but more than made up for it with flawless technique, great leverage and a high motor. He taught Robinson the importance of studying film to identify the opposing team’s tendencies.

“Biscuit wasn’t a very big guy, but he knew a lot about the game, a lot about the schemes,” Robinson said. “I need to increase my knowledge of the game as far as understanding all the schemes teams run and recognizing what the offense is going to do before it happens.”

Whiteside is the biggest question mark just because of overall lack of experience. He has the size (6-2, 280) to man the tackle position and has displayed above-average quickness and mobility. Hall admitted Whiteside still has a long way to go, but said he is “tracking very well.”

“Kendall really came on strong as Clay’s backup toward the end of the season. He worked really hard in practice to develop, so I wanted to give him a shot. He went out there and performed nicely… was able to be sturdy and maintain leverage,” Hall said. “Kendall has made big improvements over the last year and gets better every day. He takes to coaching and wants to be good.”

Hall was promoted to defensive running game coordinator this past offseason in recognition of the value he brings to the program. Volker and head coach Brian Newberry have praised Hall’s proven ability to develop defensive linemen as that position has become plug and play.

“This is the first time in my career that I’ve been able to coach in the same scheme for this long. It’s enabled us to evolve the defensive front and be creative as far as putting our guys in situations to succeed,” Hall said. “Being in this system going on six years, I know the type of players that we need to have a chance to win on Saturdays. As we recruit defensive linemen, I have a model for what I want.”

Hall feels good about the depth along the defensive line and is bullish on the potential of Narayan, Willis and LaFond. Narayan played in eight games a year ago and totaled four tackles, while LaFond got into seven and notched a tackle for loss and quarterback hurry. Willis did not see any varsity action.

Navy nose guard Landon Robinson. (Navy Athletics/Courtesy photo)
Landon Robinson is expected to move into a starting nose guard role for Navy football this season. (Navy Athletics/Courtesy photo)

Navy defensive line

Position coach: Jerrick Hall, sixth year

Starters lost: DT Clay Cromwell, NG Donald Berniard Jr. and DE Jacob Busic

Current starters: DT Kendall Whiteside (6-2, 280, junior), NG Landon Robinson (6-0, 285, junior) and DE Justin Reed (6-3, 270, senior)

Top backups: DT Tyler Narayan (6-1, 262, junior), NG Griffen Willis (6-1, 273, sophomore) and DE Chreign LaFond (6-5, 262, junior)

Filed Under: University of Maryland

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