Army 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the Army Black Knights 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) are joined by Sebastian Fearon (@TheDegenDoc) to break down the 2026 Army roster and what to expect in the American this season. Can Jeff Monken keep an 89-63 tenure rolling with just a 2-out-of-10 hot seat after a 7-6 finish where six of seven losses came by 19 total points? And is senior Cale Hellums the answer at quarterback after leading every military academy with 1,223 rushing yards a year ago?
Can an offense that ranked 4th nationally in rushing but 136th through the air get more balanced under coordinator Cody Worley now that Hellums runs the triple option? Does a defense that finished 40th in scoring and 43rd in total defense hold up under new coordinators Darryl Dixon and Scott Sloan? Do returning starters like slotback Samari Howard, tight end Parker Poloskey and center Brady Small carry the offense while Jack Bousum, Kody Harris-Miller and Jaydan Mayes anchor the other side? What does a Saturday feel like at Michie Stadium above the Hudson at West Point? Which games decide the season on a slate from Bryant and USF through Air Force, a Rice option clash and the Navy finale? And where’s the betting value on the Army win total, American odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Monken Barely Warm On The Hot Seat
This Army 2026 preview starts with a coach who has earned his job security. Jeff Monken enters the season with an 89-63 record at West Point. So the deck rates his seat just a 2 out of 10, one of the coolest marks on the board. First, Army finished 7-6 a season ago and stayed close all year. Then the pain came in tight spots, with six of seven losses landing inside 19 total points. Because of that stretch, 2026 reads like a bounce-back season for a program used to winning nine and ten games.
Cale Hellums And A Triple Option Looking For Balance
Army’s offense ranked 4th nationally in rushing in 2025, but the passing game sat 136th and the total landed 110th. Cody Worley calls the plays as offensive coordinator, so the triple-option identity carries straight over. First, senior Cale Hellums takes the keys after leading every military academy with 1,223 rushing yards a season ago. Then the line returns eight starters on offense, anchored by center Brady Small. Also back are slotback Samari Howard, receiver Brady Anderson and tight end Parker Poloskey to give Hellums a supporting cast. Meanwhile the scoring offense finished 94th, so Worley wants more punch through the air to keep defenses honest.
Dixon And Sloan Share A Defense With A Base To Build On
Darryl Dixon and Scott Sloan share the coordinator duties on the Army defense, and last year’s numbers give them a solid base. First, the unit ranked 43rd nationally in total defense a year ago. Then the scoring defense finished 40th and the pass defense sat 27th, the strongest marks on the roster. Because the rushing defense slipped to 74th, the new staff wants a firmer front in 2026. Ends Jack Bousum and Dillon Stowers return up front with tackle Kody Harris-Miller, and cornerback Jaydan Mayes anchors the secondary. So the pieces are there, but only three starters come back on that side of the ball.
The Schedule, Michie Stadium And The Win Total
Army opens at home against Bryant before a Week 2 test with South Florida. First, the American slate rolls in with Temple, Louisiana Tech, Tulane and FAU through the middle of the year. Then the road turns tricky with Tulsa and a Liberty Bowl trip to Memphis before Air Force visits Michie Stadium. From there, an ECU revenge spot and a Rice option clash lead into the Navy finale. What does a Saturday feel like at Michie Stadium when the corps of cadets fills the stands above the Hudson? The deck sets the Army win total at 7.5. So the Black Knights sit plus 600 to win the American and plus 1000 for the College Football Playoff. Now the hosts weigh the over against Monken’s cool seat.
College Football Previews
SEC
Arkansas Razorbacks
Auburn Tigers
Georgia Bulldogs
Kentucky Wildcats
LSU Tigers
Missouri Tigers
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South Carolina Gamecocks
Tennessee Volunteers
Big Ten
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Virginia Cavaliers
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Pac-12
Boise State Broncos
Fresno State Bulldogs
San Diego State Aztecs
Washington State Cougars
American
Army Black Knights
Navy Midshipmen
Temple Owls
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Mountain West
Air Force Falcons
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
New Mexico Lobos
San Jose State Spartans
Sun Belt
Arkansas State Red Wolves
Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia State Panthers
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns
Marshall Thundering Herd
South Alabama Jaguars
MAC
Bowling Green Falcons
Buffalo Bulls
Miami OH Redhawks
Ohio Bobcats
Toledo Rockets
Umass Minutemen
Western Michigan Broncos
Conference USA
Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Liberty Flames
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Independents
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
UConn Huskies
Podcast Chapters
00:00 Show Intro and Promos
02:07 Meet The Hosts
07:36 Recapping The Close-Loss Season
10:40 Jeff Monken On The Hot Seat
16:14 Offense Stats And The QB Shift
19:06 Returning Line And Playmakers
22:47 New Coordinators And The Defense
30:39 State Of The Army Program
36:23 Michie Stadium And West Point
40:55 Westy’s, Whiskey And Army-Navy Traditions
47:31 Schedule: Bryant And USF To Open
54:04 Temple, Louisiana Tech And Tulane
1:02:01 FAU, Tulsa And Memphis
1:08:00 Air Force At Michie
1:10:28 ECU Revenge And A Rice Trip
1:17:34 The Army-Navy Rivalry Debate
1:23:18 Final Records And Betting Angles
1:28:44 Who Should Be On The Schedule
1:33:23 Farewell Plugs And Finale
