There is good and bad news when it comes to Navy’s safeties.
On the upside, Navy has two returning senior starters in Rayuan Lane and Mbiti Williams. On the downside, none of the backups have played a down of varsity football.
Having Lane and Williams running the alleys and patrolling the back end is a real comfort. Lane is a fourth-year starter who has never missed a game in his Navy career, including 30 straight starts.. Williams has played in 34 games with 21 starts.
“Those two guys have played a lot of snaps together and know what each other is thinking,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “They can give a quick glance and be on the same page. Those guys know the defense inside and out, so they are coaches on the field at this point and are able to teach the younger guys.”
Defensive coordinator P.J. Volker believes Lane and Williams know the defense as well as any player that has suited up at Navy during his six years on staff.
“They understand the checks, the ways to get in and out of calls and how to defend certain looks that we get,” Volker said. “There’s something to be said about the connection those two guys have together. They’re in sync with how we call things and how we want to play against certain routes.”
Eric Lewis, the safeties coach and defensive passing game coordinator, said having two veteran safeties with tremendous experience gives Navy flexibility. Their ability to make the defensive calls and checks as well as in-game adjustments is invaluable, Lewis said.
College football is introducing a coach-to-player communication system this season with one player on offense and defense having equipment installed in their helmets. It speaks volumes that Navy has chosen to have either Lane or Williams wear the green dot as the defensive communicator.
Lewis said that decision is based largely on how the Midshipmen call the defense and the fact the safeties can see the entire formation. Inside linebacker Colin Ramos is responsible for making pre–snap checks for the front seven and was also considered for having the earpiece in his helmet.
“Those two guys [Lane, Williams] have shown they can handle it. It can throw off some guys emotionally or mentally. Those two guys actually enjoy having the ability to talk to the coaching staff,” Lewis said.
For Lewis, the greatest benefit of the vast experience possessed by Lane and Williams comes in the form of mentorship. Navy has a group of sophomores battling for spots on the depth chart and they all look up to the two seniors and rely on them for advice.
“Those guys have been through a lot of games, a lot of wars. From a leadership standpoint, from a knowledge standpoint they are great mentors to the younger kids,” Lewis said.
Williams concurred and said that extends beyond the safety room: “I would say the experience and knowledge we’ve gained over the years is great for the entire defense,” he said.
Lane ranks as one of the greatest safeties in Navy history. The Gilman School graduate forced his way into the starting lineup midway through his freshman season and has been a fixture ever since. He’s amassed some impressive career stats: 174 tackles, 21 pass breakups and eight forced fumbles or recovered fumbles. The Jessup resident led the Midshipmen last season with four interceptions.
“Ray is an excellent athlete, an excellent all-around football player. He understands the game at a high level and can change the game by saving touchdowns or creating turnovers,” Lewis said. “A lot of safeties can either play in the box or play with depth. Ray can do both, which makes him unique. He has tremendous explosiveness and can cover or tackle equally well.”
Lane was a third team All-American Athletic Conference selection last season. For someone who has played at a first team all-conference level for the past two seasons, that ranking provides motivation.
Lewis said Lane can improve in terms of consistency when it comes to the basic fundamentals of pad level and tackling.
“Ray takes coaching very well and is very accepting that he needs to improve. At the end of the day, he’s not just competing against the guys at Navy or the guys in the AAC, he’s trying to be the best safety in the United States. That’s his goal and that’s my motivation to try to get him better as well,” Lewis said. “Ray makes a lot of splash plays. We just need him to do it day in and day out.”
Williams has enjoyed watching his classmate grow and develop from a raw talent as a plebe to a complete player as a senior. He loves that Lane plays the game so fast and without any hesitation.
“Ray is a real bright kid who knows his stuff and it shows all the time out on the field,” Williams said. “He’s very knowledgeable and is not afraid to make a mistake. We definitely compete and that’s what makes us both better every day.”
Williams played cornerback as a freshman and sophomore, appearing in 22 games with 10 starts. The Georgia native played some safety out of necessity toward the end of 2022 and moved full-time to the position as a junior. He’s recorded 108 tackles and 13 pass breakups during his career. He ranked fourth on the team with 63 tackles and tied for second behind Lane with five pass breakups.
“Mbiti got much more comfortable [at safety] as the season progressed. He came a long way in terms of his understanding of the position, feel for the game, the timing and communication,” Lewis said. “I think his prior experience at corner really helps in terms of coverage skills. You feel very comfortable matching him one-on-one with slot receivers. He’s tougher and more physical than people think.”
Williams acknowledged it was difficult converting to safety after having played cornerback dating back to his days at Pace Academy. He was recruited as a corner and played that position at the Naval Academy Prep School in 2020.
“Getting tossed into the fire at safety was a challenge. There is nothing that will mold you more as a person than having to adjust on the fly,” said Williams, who used Lane as an example and spent this offseason working hard to refine his safety skills.
“I wanted to work on certain techniques. Having the right technique every time for certain play calls and schemes. Just the consistency with all the small things,” he said.
Navy lost a valuable backup safety when Joe Hutson, who played in 11 games as a junior, left the team in order to focus on academics. JaSean McLean, a sophomore who saw action in nine contests as a member of special teams, has been moved from safety to striker. As a result, Navy is relying on a bunch of sophomores Kush’i Abraham and Connor Lessane also in the mix.
“They’re all second-year guys and their improvement has been incredible. They have come a long way since the spring as far as understanding the playbook, understanding the culture,” Lewis said of the youngsters.
From what he’s seen so far in preseason camp, Williams believes those sophomores are ready for prime time. He has watched the depth chart candidates take to coaching and apply what they have learned on the practice field.
“We tell those guys all the time in meetings that they need to be ready. We all have full confidence in those younger guys,” Williams said.
Navy safeties
Position coach: Eric Lewis, second year
Returning starters: Rayaun Lane (Senior, 5-11, 197) and Mbiti Williams (Senior, 5-9, 185)
Top backups: Guiseppe Sessi (Sophomore, 5-11, 195), Matthew Seliga (Sophomore, 5-11, 190) and Joshua Switzer (Sophomore, 5-10, 188)
Lettermen lost: Marcus Moore (graduated) and Joe Hutson (left team)