As the 2026 season begins this weekend, Old Dominion will have expectations of repeating last season’s success. The Monarchs are coming off the best season in the program’s history. They went 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the Sun Belt.
The Monarchs are still projected to finish second in the Sun Belt East, but the roster will look much different from last season. The offensive side is where most of last year’s players have departed.
Old Dominion 2026 Preview
Offense
The offense for Old Dominion last season was a very productive unit, averaging 32 points per game, which ranked 29th in the nation. The offense has seen a lot of change in the roster and on the coaching staff.
The offensive line also lost all five starters.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Decker departed for Memphis, with Kody Cook replacing him.
The Monarchs offense will be an interesting unit to look at with all the changes. There are a lot of players on that side of the ball that will have to prove themselves when their season begins.
The biggest hole the Monarchs have to fill on that end is the quarterback, as Colton Joseph left for Wisconsin. He had a terrific 2025 season, throwing for 2,624 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He rushed for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year and second-team All-Sun Belt.
Starting Quarterback
The Monarchs have named Quinn Henicle the starting quarterback. Henicle has been a backup for them for the past two seasons. He will be stepping into a role he hasn’t been in during his collegiate career. He’s only thrown 65 career passes, completing just 31 of them. The most action he has seen came against South Florida in the Cure Bowl, where he threw for 127 yards and ran for 107. In that game, he went 11-for-25.
Henicle presents some of the same challenges Joseph did, but it would be a lot to expect the same level of production.
Runners and Receivers
One important player returning is Devin Roche. He had a really good season, rushing for 630 yards at 5.7 yards per attempt. The Monarchs also brought in Trey Hall, who rushed for 1,981 yards for Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2023 and 2024.
The Monarchs were a dominant running team, averaging 238.3 rushing yards per game and ranking seventh in the nation. Replacing Joseph and Trequan Jones, who were the two leading rushers last season, will be key.
The wide receiver position will be much different for the Monarchs, as the top three receivers, Ja’Cory Thomas, Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, and Tre Brown, all departed. They brought in Kendall Harris, who played at Mercer, and Zion Agnew, who played at Lenoir-Rhyne.
Defense
Old Dominion’s defense was the biggest reason it had the success it did. The defense only allowed 18.5 points per game, ranking 14th nationally.
The defense will have several key players returning, as Chris Forbes, Mario Easterly, and Zion Frink were named to the Preseason Second Team All-Sun Belt. Forbes recorded 30 tackles and a sack, Easterly led the Monarchs with 80 tackles, and Frink recorded an interception and multiple pass breakups.
They will also have players come back from injury who didn’t get to play much last season. Koa Naotala played one game last season after recovering from a torn pectoral muscle, but re-aggravated the injury against Virginia Tech. Mario Thompson suffered a torn meniscus against North Carolina Central that sidelined him for two months, limiting him to only five games.
Both players were among their top defenders in 2024, with Naotala leading the team with 88 tackles and Thompson coming third with 65.
The Monarchs will still be formidable on both ends of the field, and that will remain their calling card.
Schedule
The first three games for Old Dominion are nonconference matchups. They start the season with Norfolk State coming to town, then travel to Virginia Tech and finally face East Carolina.
The first Sun Belt game will be at home against the reigning Sun Belt Conference champion, James Madison. Georgia State, App State, Georgia Southern, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Coastal Carolina, and Southern Miss are the rest of their Sun Belt opponents. The only other nonconference game will be against UConn.
The most important game for the Monarchs will be against James Madison. The Dukes are widely considered the favorite to win the East, so with the Monarchs being in the same division, it should be a good measuring stick.
Old Dominion 2026 Overview
The Monarchs are expected to be still good but also have a lot of question marks. It’s the offense that will have most of the questions to answer.
Can Henicle be as good as Joseph? Can the new offensive line hold up? Which receiver breaks through? Will the running game be as potent?
Main Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images