Impact newcomers on defense
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By Mike Langston
Quick disclaimer: leaving a player off this list doesn't mean he won't make noise this season. We expect a number of new faces to show up in the box score; listing every one of them would turn this into a novel. These are simply the names we feel most confident spotlighting today.
Blake Seiler's sixth year directing the Old Dominion defense reached unprecedented heights. In 2025, the Monarchs set a program record by holding eight opponents under 10 points and logged their first shutout since 2017 with a 33-0 rout of Troy. They held opponents under 200 total yards twice; highlighted by a school-record 138 yards allowed against Troy.
ODU ranked second in the Sun Belt in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, and passing defense. Nationally, they finished 14th in scoring defense (18.5 points per game) and 14th in red-zone defense. A ferocious pass rush fueled this success, as ODU led the Sun Belt with 39 sacks and tied for sixth nationally in sacks per game.
Sustaining that level will require replacing key starters. All-Conference talents Kris Trinidad and Jeremy Mack Jr. exhausted their eligibility, while Jerome Carter (Clemson), Jahleel Culbreath (UCF), and Keshawn Thomas (App St.) departed via the transfer portal. In total, ODU lost seven graduates and three transfers from its top 20 snap-getters.
Despite those departures, the cupboard is far from bare. ODU ranks 45th nationally and second in the Sun Belt in defensive returning production. Returning 10 of their top 20 snap-getters provides crucial continuity; allowing players to operate faster and with greater confidence. The unit returns All-Conference performers Chris Forbes and Mario Easterly, alongside proven contributors like Zion Frink, Lucas Struck, Brandon Crutchfield, Daevon Iles, DeAndre Lynch, Javen Gibson, Jackson Forrest, Koa Naotala, and Mario Thompson.
2026 Sun Belt defensive returning production
Share of prior-year defensive production returning this season
1 Georgia Southern logo Georgia Southern
   
62%
2 Old Dominion logo Old Dominion
   
58%
3 Louisiana Tech logo Louisiana Tech
   
48%
4 Arkansas State logo Arkansas State
   
45%
5 Coastal Carolina logo Coastal Carolina
   
44%
6 UL Monroe logo UL Monroe
   
40%
7 App State logo App State
   
39%
8 South Alabama logo South Alabama
   
37%
9 Marshall logo Marshall
   
36%
10 Louisiana logo Louisiana
   
35%
11 James Madison logo James Madison
   
32%
12 Troy logo Troy
   
32%
13 Georgia State logo Georgia State
   
27%
14 Southern Miss logo Southern Miss
   
20%
Source: Bill Connelly, ESPN
Snaps will be harder to come by with so much continuity in place, but these four transfers still have a real shot at making an immediate impact:
KENDALL "BUCCI" FARMER DT · Appalachian State
At 6'1", 310 pounds, Farmer helps replace the interior presence lost with the graduations of Ricardo Williams and Cole Daniels. In Seiler's 3-3-5 scheme, his ability to win one-on-ones and eat up double teams keeps linebackers clean and opens up blitz lanes behind him.
JA'MEZ DRUMMER LB · Towson
The 6'1", 225-pound former Monarch returns to Norfolk after a breakout year at Towson, where he racked up 57 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 2 interceptions. Fast, physical, and already familiar with the defense, Drummer slots right back into a linebacker room he knows alongside Koa Naotala and Mario Thompson Jr.
MONTRELL CHAPMAN LB · Mississippi State
The 6'3", 230-pound linebacker out of Batesville, Mississippi, by way of Mississippi Gulf Coast, was the No. 1 name on our recruiting staff's board back in 2025 before he signed with Mississippi State. A year later, his move to the portal gives ODU a look at him in navy and silver. Chapman saw limited action with the Bulldogs in 2025, appearing in just four regular season games, as well as their bowl game, and finishing with a single tackle. But at Mississippi Gulf Coast, he was a load: 100 tackles (55 solo), 8 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass breakups. 
JIVAN BALY CB · NC State
Baly joins ODU after two seasons with the Wolfpack, where he totaled 9 tackles; 7 of them coming in a single game against Campbell. He played his high school ball at Meadowcreek, where ODU General Manager Hunter Sims was one of his coaches. A three-star recruit and three-time First Team All-Region honoree as a two-way player, Baly drew more than 30 FBS offers in high school, including Arkansas, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, and Kentucky.
All four have the talent to make an impact right away, joining a broader newcomer group that includes Talan Babin, De'Veion McLilley-Bulo, Greg Johnson, Asher Horn, and Daniel Pickens, among others. That said, opportunity will ultimately determine playing time. Even the newcomers who don't earn a starting role will still leave their mark; whether it's pushing teammates in practice and the weight room, bringing energy and good vibes to the locker room, or contributing on special teams. All of it counts. For a defense as talented as ODU's, every positive contribution matters as the unit works to stay among the top G6 defenses in the country.
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Stay tuned to ODUMonarchists.com as we continue to preview the 2026 squad for ODU Football. Until then, Go Monarchs!