NFL rosters were trimmed to 53 players Sunday, and there was celebration in Annapolis as former Navy stars Eli Heidenreich and Landon Robinson both made the rosters of the teams that drafted them in April (Pittsburgh and Cincinnati). Both were key cogs in the recent rash of success as the Midshipmen are coming off consecutive double-digit win seasons for the first time in school history.
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And while they will be missed, Navy returns plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and has been picked by many to win the American Conference while also receiving votes in the AP and coaches preseason Top 25 polls.
“These guys have a chip on their shoulder. There’s something to prove,” head coach Brian Newberry said at the team’s Media Day last month. “And they want to build on what we’ve done over the last two years. We’re not interested in maintaining or sustaining the success that we’ve had. I think we’re in a unique position to take Navy football into an era that we’ve never had.”
The offense that led the nation in rushing (285.6 yards per game) last season will have a fresh look, as quarterback Blake Horvath graduated to become a jet pilot. But senior Braxton Woodson has thrown 95 career passes in his three previous seasons with the team and ran for six touchdowns last fall.
“He’s a guy that’s a proven commodity. He’s played meaningful snaps in meaningful moments, and played really well at times,” Newberry said. “Really pleased with his growth and development and I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence now.”
He’ll be protected by a veteran offensive line that includes returning starter Hoke Smith III.
“He’s one of the most gifted athletes to ever come to the Naval Academy. I truly believe that,” Smith said. “He’s the fastest guy on our team and has the best arm. I think with Braxton everything starts upstairs for him.”
With four of the five returning starters on offense on the line, there have been opportunities for players like Vic Listorti and Charles Robinson to contribute in the backfield. Luke Hutchison (five catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns in 2025) is the team’s leading returning receiver. But their quarterback has confidence.
“Those guys all they’re hearing about is ‘Eli Heidenreich’ and how we’re going to replace him,” Braxton Woodson said. “They have a chip on their shoulder and they’re ready to go and prove themselves.”
The defense that found its feet late in the season after allowing over 30 points in five straight games will have a different feel this year as Coach Newberry plans to make the defensive calls this fall.
“The X’s and O’s are really important to put these guys in position to be really successful,” Newberry said. “We’re going to be really aggressive on defense. We’re unique on offense and we’re hard to prepare for and we want to be the same way on defense.”
The unit returns catalyst MarcAnthony Parker (team-high 97 tackles with two sacks plus a fumble recovery and an interception last fall) as well as ball-hawks Phillip Hamilton (team-high four interceptions) and Coleman Cauley (two interceptions and three forced fumbles). The kicking game returns punter Jacob Carlson (44.5 average last year) while sophomore Justin Welch takes over at place-kicker.
The schedule starts with the school’s second-ever game against Towson (the Mids won 41-13 in 2008). They then play three straight road games, including the annual showdown with Air Force. The Notre Dame game will be held in Foxborough, Massachusetts, while the regular season wraps up in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against Army. In the middle of all that, they’re the preseason favorite to win the American Conference.
“That pressure is a privilege, but I think the internal expectations for us right now are higher than what anybody else’s is. That’s what I like about this football team,” Newberry said. “I think it’s a hungry team. I think this is a really close team, and close teams are powerful teams. These guys care a lot about each other.”
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