Army wasn’t too far away from appearing in the College Football Playoff in 2024.
The Black Knights started the season with nine straight wins and were ranked as high as No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25. But Army’s 49-14 loss to Notre Dame altered those CFP hopes.
Though Army also lost to Navy later in the season, the Black Knights still ended the year with an AAC Championship after beating Tulane 35-14 in the title game. Army also closed the year with a 27-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl.
Army has lost some star players, though, so will the Black Knights manage to defend their conference title?
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Army Football’s AAC Title Betting Odds
Army’s odds to make the American Championship are +300, via BetMGM.
Army Football’s Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy Betting Odds
Army’s odds of winning the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy are +325. Navy is the favorite to retain the trophy at -185.
Army Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
Army’s win total Over/Under is 7.5, with Under 7.5 at -145 and Over 7.5 at +120.
Army Football’s 2025 Schedule
8/29 vs. Tarleton St.
9/6 @ Kansas St.
9/20 vs. North Texas
9/25 @ East Carolina
10/4 @ UAB
10/11 vs. Charlotte
10/18 @ Tulane
11/1 @ Air Force
11/8 vs. Temple
11/22 vs. Tulsa
11/28 @ UTSA
12/5 AAC Championship
12/13 vs. Navy
Bold indicates American contests
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Key Army Football Returners
2024 All-AAC 1st Team
OL Brady Small
2nd Team
OL Paolo Gennarelli
3rd Team
LB Andon Thomas
Honorable Mention
LB Kalib Fortner
Army Football Looking To Replace Top Playmakers
Army’s offensive production in 2024 will be hard to replicate without quarterback Bryson Daily.
He led the FBS with 32 rushing touchdowns and was top five in the country with 1,659 rushing yards. He also threw for 1,007 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions on a 52.4% completion rate.
Army is also without Kanye Udoh, who ran for 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, after he transferred to Arizona State. Casey Reynolds is gone as well after leading Army with 457 yards and three touchdowns on 20 catches. But the Black Knights still do have some skill players who can step up.
Noah Short is back after ranking second on the team with 318 receiving yards while catching 17 passes and tying a team best with three touchdowns through the air. He was also third on the team with 569 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Hayden Reed ran for 207 yards and a score and caught six passes for 63 yards and another TD, and he is returning as well.
At quarterback, Dewayne Coleman is expected to take on the starting role. He was Daily’s backup the past couple of years, and when Daily was out against Air Force last season, Coleman led the Black Knights to a victory. He ran for 42 yards on 16 carries and completed 5 of 8 passes for 48 yards in that game. Last season, Coleman ran for 136 yards and a touchdown while passing for 121 yards and another score on 11-of-16 passing.
Up front, Army will be without three of its five starting offensive linemen. But center Brady Small, a first-team All-AAC pick a year ago, and right guard Paolo Gennarelli, a second-team all-conference pick, are back.
Army’s defense, which was fourth in the FBS in scoring defense (15.5 points per game allowed) and top 10 in the country in total defense (297.9 yards per game allowed), should be solid again.
Andon Thomas is back after making the all-conference third team in 2024. He led Army with 93 tackles to go with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
All-AAC honorable mention linebacker Kalib Fortner is also back. He racked up 76 tackles, two sacks, and three passes defended a year ago.
Cornerback Jaydan Mayes and safety Casey Larkin are also back after leading the team with four and three interceptions, respectively. Mayes added 29 tackles with three passes defended and a forced fumble, while Larkin totaled 50 tackles and two passes defended.
In fact, six of Army’s top 10 tacklers from a year ago are on the roster this year. The Black Knights have plenty of continuity on that side of the ball, which indicates this unit has a chance to be just as good as it was in 2024.
Army Football Season Prediction
I predict Army won’t win the AAC Championship but will go Over 7.5 wins.
Though I don’t think Army will be the same team it was a year ago, I still think this will be a great squad in 2025.
And I think this team will be good enough to win at least eight games. Looking at Army’s schedule, there’s at least seven winnable games to me: Tarleton State, North Texas, UAB, Charlotte, Air Force, Temple, and Tulsa.
From there, the Black Knights need just one more win. But that may not be easy. Maybe it’s at UTSA or East Carolina, or maybe it’s an early upset at Kansas State. But I believe the Black Knights are capable of pulling off a victory in one of those matchups and will end up with another solid season.
