Johnson said he is not panicking, as he faced a similar project rebuilding Navy?s offense in 2005, when Navy went 8-4 after returning just two starters from one of the greatest Navy football teams in school history.

“We are going to have some new faces out there, but I really think we have a chance to be better athletically than we have been on defense,” Johnson said. “There will be some growing pains.”

Navy will have a completely new defensive line, as all of the top candidates, including sophomores Nate Frazier, Jordan Stephens and Kyle Bookhout and senior Chris Kuhar-Pitters, saw very little playing time last year.

Seniors Irv Spencer, Matt Wimsatt, Matt Humiston and sophomore Matt Nechak will compete for time at linebacker. That group combined for just 43 tackles.

“We will rise to the challenge,” Sovie said. “Our team is built on hard work. We’re going to run around and be disciplined. We have a good group of guys who just want to play football.”

There is a little more experience in the secondary, where safety Jeff Deliz, one of the team’s co-captains, returns. The former nickel back came on strong at the end of the season, registering a sack and an interception against Army, and recorded five tackles in the loss to Boston College in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

“The hardest part is making sure you have the right personnel for what you’re trying to do,” Johnson said. “That’s why I’m excited. A lot of guys over there haven’t played yet, but having been here for six years I can see that we have guys who run better, are a little bigger, are a little faster than what we’ve had. Now, will they be better football players? That’s why you play the game. We’ll see.”

NAVY NOTES

» Navy’s defense ranked 61st out of 119 Division I teams last year, as the Midshipmen allowed an average of 335.2 yards per game.

» Navy was ranked 38th in rushing defense (116.7 ypg), 85th in passing defense (218.5) and 41st in scoring defense (20.1 ppg).