Old Dominion Football Preview 2025: Strong Season Ahead For Dangerous Monarchs

Miami Herald

19-05-2025

Remember, Old Dominion isn't exactly a college football powerhouse.It's a lovely research university close to water and the beach, and it has enjoyed an FBS college football program since 2014.All things considered, the school hasn't been bad since the move. It's flown under the radar, going a better-than-it-sounds 51-72 in ten full seasons - the team didn't play in 2020
There was a 1-11 clunker of a 2019 season, and there's been just one winning campaign since the move up in weight class, but things have turned up a notch.Ricky Rahne came in as the head coach, and following the 2020 craziness that would have been a rebuilding campaign, he has gone to two bowl games in four years and went a respectable 5-7 last season.In Year Six of Rahne's reign, the talent and parts are there to start being noticed.The offense should be fun. The ground game is strong, the defense should quietly be great - the linebacking corps is fantastic if star Jason Henderson is okay - and soon the next step will come as a player in the Sun Belt race.
Old Dominion Monarchs Preview 2025: Offense
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN- No one in the Sun Belt ran better than the Monarchs. No one in the country was better in the red zone. There were too many turnovers, the pass protection wasn't good enough, and the passing game was just okay.Colton Joseph had a little something to do with all of it. The sophomore quarterback ran for 647 yards and 11 scores, hit 60% of his throws, and he should be the star of the show once again, but …
- The other skill parts are questionable. The Monarchs lost almost every receiver who did anything meaningful. It's a young group that needs JUCO transfer Ja'Cory Thomas to be a superstar on the outside, and fellow transfer - both receivers are coming from Hutchinson Community College - Tre Brown to be a reliable inside threat. Brown is the better of the two.
- The line will work around tackles Zach Barlev on the left side and Stephon Dubose-Bourne on the right. Barlev is an All-Sun Belt performer, and Dubose-Bourne has the size. The interior is rebuilding, starting with Fordham transfer Ryan Joyce at center.Joseph is the most dangerous runner, but backs Devin Roche and Bryce Duke each averaged over six yards per pop for a ground game that should average over five yards per carry.
Old Dominion Monarchs Preview 2025: Defense
- The defense can and should get into the backfield, but it had a hard time holding up against anyone who tried pounding away. The transfer portal wasn't exactly kind, but the main tackles are back, along with the big end combination of sack leader Kris Trinidad and Ricardo Williams Jr.
- Jason Henderson might be the best defensive player in America if he's fully back from the knee injury that cost him almost all of last year. The tackling machine linebacker made 438 tackles with 34 tackles for loss in his three seasons, and if he's right, everything changes on the D.Leading tackler Koa Naotala filled in Henderson's place - he made 88 stops - and will be in the rotation in some form. Mario Thompson was the team's third-leading tackler, and Jaheel Culbreath was fourth. The linebacking corps will be a killer.- The transfer portal will take over the secondary. Safety Nickendre Stiger (Kansas State) and corner Botros Alsandro (Purdue) were the biggest name gets, but safety Lucas Struck from Iowa Western will be the statistical star.
Old Dominion Monarchs Key to the Season
Keep the turnovers to a minimumStopping the run is the real key, but that will be better with a veteran front six/seven. It might seem basic, but don't turn the ball over, and all should be well. The Monarchs were 0-6 when turning it over multiple times, and 5-1 when they didn't.
Old Dominion Monarchs Key Player
Ryan Joyce, C Sr.Again, the tackles should be fine on a line that was great for the run but struggled in pass protection, mostly because Colton Joseph kept trying to run. The interior of the Monarch line is the slight question mark, and that's where the 6-5, 305-pound Joyce comes in. The Fordham transfer can work at guard, but he'll likely start at center.
Old Dominion Monarchs Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Ryan Joyce, C Sr.The interior of the ODU line needs help, and it got a versatile 6-5, 305-pound veteran from Fordham. Most of his time was spent at guard, but he'll get a look at center.Top Transfer Out: Jahron Manning, S Sr.One of the best all-around playmakers on the defense, he was second on the team with 85 tackles with three interceptions and 5.5 tackles for loss. He's going to a Mississippi State defense that needs him.
Old Dominion Monarchs Key Game
Coastal Carolina, Oct. 4It's the Sun Belt opener, and if Old Dominion is really that good, it should be 2-2, beating NC Central and Liberty, and losing on the road to Indiana and Virginia Tech. It lost last year to Coastal Carolina on the road, and is now 1-2 all-time in the series. With three road games in the next four, there's a problem if it loses this at home.- 2025 Old Dominion Schedule Breakdown
Old Dominion Monarchs Top 10 Players
1. Jason Henderson, LB Sr.2. Mario Thompson, LB Jr.3. Colton Joseph, QB Soph.4. Zach Barlev, OT Sr.5. Kris Trinidad, DE Sr.6. Koa Naotala, LB Jr.7. Jahleel Culbreath, LB Jr.8. Stephon Dubose-Bourne, OT Sr.9. Lucas Struck, S Soph.10. Ricardo Williams Jr., DE Sr.
Old Dominion Monarchs 2024 Fun Stats
- Fumbles: Old Dominion 17 (lost 10), Opponents 16 (lost 4)- Time of Possession: Opponents 32:17, Old Dominion 27:43- Red Zone Scores: Old Dominion 25-of-27 (93%), Opponents 23-of-30 (77%)
Old Dominion Monarchs 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
The Monarchs might be able to push Indiana or Virginia Tech if everything works perfectly, but probably not.That's okay. As long as they're winning the games they're supposed to, they should be able to make a second bowl game in three seasons and the third in five under Ricky Rahne.There won't be a ton of consistency, but the defensive front should be terrific and the ground game will continue to be effective.
Going to James Madison and Georgia Southern might be just enough to prevent a real run for the Sun Belt title, but be great in SB Ballard, this should be the second winning season in 11 years at the FBS level.Set The Old Dominion Monarchs Win Total At … 5.5Likely Wins: NC Central50/50 Games: App State, Coastal Carolina, at Georgia Southern, Georgia State, at James Madison, Liberty, at Marshall, Troy, at ULMLikely Losses: at Indiana, at Virginia Tech
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