[Baltimore Sun] Navy football defensive end Justin Reed enjoying dominant senior season
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Navy’s defense suffered a significant loss early last season when Jacob Busic sustained a torn bicep. It happened during the third game against Memphis in mid-September and proved season-ending.
Busic was a captain and expected to be a consistent force on Navy’s defensive line. Justin Reed made sure Busic’s absence did not result in diminished performance at the position. He made it a personal challenge to make sure Navy’s pass rush and run defense were not adversely affected.
Reed took over as the starting end in late September and was extremely productive over the last nine games of the season. The North Carolina native tied for the team lead with 4 ½ sacks and tied for third with 7 ½ tackles for loss.
“When Busic went down, I took it as an opportunity to be able to make more plays,” Reed said. “I knew I had to elevate my game because I wanted everyone to know that the position is being taken care of.”
Competing against Busic in practice for three seasons had already raised Reed’s game as the former set the standard for the proper way to play the end position.
“Busic fired me up when I first got here and challenged me to play with that type of intensity, that type of speed,” Reed said. “It became about trust. I wanted [Busic] to know that he could trust me to go out there and play at a high level whenever he needed a break. I thought we just fed off each other.”
Now, Reed is the one raising the bar and showing the younger ends how it’s done. The long, rangy 6-foot-3, 268-pound senior has been a dominant force so far this season and leads Navy with six tackles for loss and three sacks.
“Justin is a powerful, powerful young man who plays with great technique and leverage. He’s got really strong hands, a great 6-inch punch and always has his feet firmly planted in the ground,” Navy defensive coordinator P.J. Volker said. “I think the game has slowed down for Justin to the point he can go out and execute at a high level. He has a great knack for knowing how and when to use his tools.”
Reed saw action in 12 games, primarily on special teams, as a freshman. He became Busic’s backup as a sophomore and made his first career start against service academy rival Air Force during that 2022 season.
Volker said he’d love to have an entire roster of players like Reed because of the example he sets on a daily basis.
“I absolutely love the way J Reed goes about his business. I think his character and work ethic permeates throughout the defensive line group,” Volker said. “He’s a leader on this football team because he takes great pride in doing his job. He’s been a really productive player and it’s not just the stat line. He’s where he needs to be when he needs to be there.”
Navy defensive end Justin Reed, left, celebrates a tackle with linebacker Colin Ramos during the first half against Memphis on Sept. 21. (Terrance Williams/Freelance)
Navy defensive line coach Jerrick Hall said Reed was already a good player before becoming the starting end a year ago. However, those increased game repetitions accelerated his development and are paying dividends this season. Hall expects seniors to play the best football of their careers and is seeing that happen right now with Reed.
“It’s been fun to watch J Reed around and make plays as a senior. He’s a product of being in our scheme for four years and it shows,” Hall said. “I think the game has really slowed down for him. He understands the blocking schemes and knows how opponents are going to try to attack him in the run game. This year, we took it to another level as far as understanding how that offensive tackle is going to set up in pass protection.”
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During this past offseason, Hall challenged Reed to do a better job of using his hands as a weapon when working against offensive linemen. Hall said Reed has always played with superb pad level, but too often “left his hands behind.”
“There were too many times when [Reed] was a millisecond too slow in getting on the blocker. I wanted him to really focus on being the first to strike and he’s doing a really good job of that this season,” Hall said.
Reed took that constructive criticism to heart and stayed after practice during the spring and summer doing extra work hitting the blocking sleds. He discovered how using one’s hands made it easier to defeat blocks and practiced doing so until it became a habit.
“You have to put in the time striking those sleds until it becomes muscle motor memory,” he said.
Reed ranks second among defensive linemen with 22 tackles, one behind nose guard Landon Robinson. He’s only been credited with two quarterback hurries, but has threatened the pocket far more times than that.
Reed set the tone for Navy’s dominant defensive effort by recording two tackles for loss against Temple. He had a huge game at Alabama-Birmingham with seven tackles (three for loss), two sacks and a forced fumble.
UAB left tackle JonDarius Morgan got a first-hand lesson on how strong and powerful Reed can be. Reed exploded out of his stance and shoved both outstretched arms into Morgan’s torso, driving the 6-foot-4, 315-pound South Carolina transfer into the quarterback.
Morgan went backward so fast he looked like he was on roller skates and the result was a sack for Reed using the lineman to make the tackle. Reed used a block destruction technique taught to him by Hall, a former defensive lineman for N.C. State.
“That is Justin’s patented move — the long-arm stab,” Hall explained. “J Reed knows that every Saturday he’s going to be going against offensive tackles that are 6-5 and 6-6. He knows that long-arm stab will equal the playing field in terms of length.”
Reed’s primary goal during the offseason was to become a more effective pass rusher and focused on all the basic fundamentals and tiny details. He wanted Volker to feel confident Navy could get pressure on the passer with a three-man rush and not have to rely on blitzing.
That aforementioned sack against Alabama-Birmingham came during a three-man rush situation and showcased the skills Reed has developed in that department.
“It’s always encouraging to make a play like that. It’s all about leverage when I work that move,” he said. “I feel I’m very strong and powerful when I rush the passer. Using the long-arm stab plays to my advantage because it combines a speed rush with a power rush.”
Reed also takes great pride in setting the edge in run defense and always exhibiting the Navy mantra of playing with “Elite EAT” (effort, attitude and toughness).
“J Reed is a relentless player. He is going to come after you again and again,” Hall said. “Justin played 80 snaps against Memphis and he played the last snap the same way he played his first.”
Have a news tip? Contact Bill Wagner at bwagner@capgaznews.com, 443-534-0102 and x.com/@BWagner_CapGaz.
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