Homecoming for the Naval Academy was last weekend with most of the festivities centered around Saturday’s football game. Navy sent the alumni and fans home happy by routing Charlotte, 51-17.
Kyle Jacob and Colin Ramos will have their own personal homecomings this weekend when No. 24 Navy meets No. 12 Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Navy’s two starting inside linebackers both hail from north New Jersey, growing up in towns located about 20 minutes from the NFL stadium that is home to the New York Giants and Jets.
Both players have huge contingents of family and friends attending to provide support. Marcial Ramos did a head count earlier this week to determine how much food and drink was needed for the parking lot pregame and estimates there will be 50 to 60 people coming to cheer on his son.
“Anyone who has followed Colin since he was playing for the Wayne Boys and Girls Club is coming,” Marcial said.
Scott Jacob personally purchased 25 tickets to distribute and figures a similar amount will turn out to his tailgate party.
“Everyone is really excited to see Kyle play at MetLife and right here in our backyard,” he said.
Ramos grew up in Wayne and played high school football at Don Bosco Prep, a perennial private school powerhouse. He played in the 2019 Non-Public IV state championship game at MetLife Stadium as a senior with Don Bosco losing to St. Peter’s.
Marcial Ramos said his son was a “phenomenal” running back as a youngster in the Wayne Boys and Girls Club youth football program. He was moved to linebacker by Don Bosco Prep defensive coordinator Torrance “Tank” Daniels.
“Tank saw that Colin was smart, fast and loved to hit so he recruited him to play linebacker,” Marcial said.
Ramos was named first team All-State and the 2019 North Jersey Defensive Player of the Year after totaling 108 tackles, including 18 for loss. He was considering scholarship offers from Fordham, Morgan State and Morehead State until Navy entered the picture in late October of his senior season.
Things happened quickly from there with Ramos visiting Annapolis and watching Navy beat Tulane in a 41-38 thriller. He committed shortly thereafter.
“I loved everything about the academy and Navy football and knew I wanted to be there,” he said.
Jacob was a two-sport standout at Paramus High. He was a tailback and safety, setting the school record with 2,934 career rushing yards over three seasons. He totaled 107 tackles, nine forced fumbles and four interceptions on defense as a senior.
Jacob passed up Division I wrestling offers, including one from Maryland, and made an early commitment to Fordham as an outside linebacker, but decided to consider Navy after assistant coach Jason MacDonald showed up at Paramus. As was the case with Ramos, the recruiting process proceeded promptly with Jacob changing his commitment to Navy shortly after taking an official visit in December.
“I felt like the type of players I met at the academy were like my personality — tough, hard-headed dudes that just go to work,” said Jacob, who was hosted by standout inside linebacker Diego Fagot during his official visit.
Jacob and Ramos, who did not know each other in high school, both attended the Naval Academy Prep School during the 2019-20 school year, but had minimal interaction since there was no football season and the campus was mostly locked down due to COVID. They got to know each other better as plebes at the academy and became close friends after bonding over their shared north New Jersey roots.
As a plebe, Ramos saw action in each of the last eight games and closed the campaign by starting against Temple and Army. He became won a starting job s a sophomore and emerged as one of Navy’s top defenders. Last season, Ramos led the team with 110 tackles and received the Tony Rubino Memorial Silver Helmet Award as Navy’s most outstanding player.
Truth be told, Jacob arrived in Annapolis as a more highly-touted recruit than Ramos and saw action in nine games on special teams his freshman season. He was a member of special teams again as a sophomore and received some defensive repetitions while playing in all 12 games.
Jacob was slated for a more prominent role last season and started strong by recording a career-high seven tackles in the opener against Notre Dame. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice the following week and underwent surgery.
“We had really high expectation of Kyle going into his junior season, so it pierced my heart when he got hurt and could not continue to play,” Navy defensive coordinator P.J. Volker said. “It was crushing because I saw first-hand how hard Kyle worked and how far he had come.”
Now Jacob and Ramos are playing side-by-side and performing at a high level while ranking one-two in tackles for the unbeaten Midshipmen (6-0). Ramos has notched 68 tackles, including a team-high 5 ½ for loss to go along with two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a sack. Jacob has totaled 45 tackles, including a career-high 12 in the upset of Memphis.
Jacob was credited with a team-high 10 tackles versus Air Force, but Volker said a review of the film showed he actually had 16. Jacob made an interception and a fumble recovery on consecutive possessions to help fuel Navy’s first half blitz of Charlotte.
“I think Kyle is playing excellent football right now and it’s a testament to all his hard work. He’s developed exponentially, both mentally and physically, over the course of his career,” Volker said. “KJ does nothing but impress me in terms of the maturity level and leadership he brings. He’s a testament to hard work, toughness, perseverance… and every time he goes out there we know he’s going to give everything he’s got for Navy football.”
Ramos is the third of six children and his younger brother, Kyle, has committed to play football at Navy. Jacob is the youngest of three children and his older brother, Bryce, was a two-way standout at Paramus and played middle linebacker at Division I Assumption.
Jacob and Ramos were both coached by their fathers at the youth football level. Ramos played for coach Dan Sabella at Don Bosco, while Jacob played for Joe Sabella (Dan’s younger brother) at Paramus.
Holly Ramos, Colin’s mother, grew up in Paramus and has numerous mutual friends with Scott and Susan Jacob. The two families have grown close over the last four years, often having dinner together during Navy road trips and tailgating together at home games.
“We love the Ramos family. We’re similar type folks as North Jersey people. We have a lot in common,” Scott Jacob said.
Kyle Jacob and Colin Ramos are both diehard Giants fans and have attended many games at MetLife Stadium over the years.
“It’s definitely such a surreal thing to be going back home and playing in MetLife Stadium,” said Jacob, who served as a ball boy when his older brother played in two state championship games at the stadium. “It means a lot to me to play in this atmosphere and to have a bunch of friends and family there. It’s going to be a great experience and I’m really excited.”
This actually marks the second collegiate game at MetLife Stadium for the two Navy inside linebackers. Jacobs and Ramos both got into the game on special teams as Navy beat Army, 17-13, at The Meadowlands in 2021.
“I love MetLife Stadium. It fits 85,000 fans and it seems like everyone is on top of you,” Ramos said. “I’ve gone there for a lot of Giants games and I’ve always enjoyed that stadium.”
Navy football players routinely argue about which state has the best high school football with the Florida and Texas players usually claiming superiority. Jacob and Ramos believe New Jersey produces a certain type of football prospect.
“I think the type of dudes that come out of New Jersey are tough, gritty and hard-nosed. I think it’s a really underestimated state for [prep] football,” Jacob said.
“A lot of tough guys come out of Jersey,” Ramos agreed. “I think there’s quality football in Jersey and you go against a lot of good players, so it helps you when you get to the college level.”
Volker was not about to argue because he loves the playing style his two starting inside linebackers bring to the field. “This is my first stop coaching New Jersey guys, but I’m certainly a believer,” he said.
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