If Dan O’Brien had to grade the Navy secondary following spring camp, he would almost be forced to go with a mark of incomplete.
O’Brien rarely had a full complement of defensive backs at his disposal as a variety of injuries caused multiple players to miss most practices. Rising junior cornerback Noruwa Obanor missed all of spring camp because he was recovering from offseason surgery. Two other top corners – rising seniors Jarid Ryan and John Gillis – also missed considerable practice time with nagging ailments.
“At one point we only had three corners practicing,” bemoaned O’Brien, the secondary coach.