Navy Midshipmen 2026 Season Preview

Braxton Woodson steps in after patiently waiting his turn. A 6-foot-3 senior with genuine sprinter's speed, he has already lined up at quarterback, slotback and wide receiver, and he broke off a string of long runs in those cameos. The staff has been high on him since he arrived as a true freshman, when he flashed the ability to make every throw and closed out games in relief, including a five-touchdown-drive second half in a start. He brings a timed 22 mph and a strong arm into camp, and he piled up 414 rushing yards at 8.6 a carry while spelling Horvath a year ago. The one caveat is depth: Navy needs a No. 2 to develop behind him, with junior Jackson Gutierrez next in line.

The passing game is short on proven targets but not on speed. Senior wideout Luke Hutchison, who missed seven games with a shoulder injury, is the fastest player on the offense and averaged nearly 27 yards a catch when healthy, giving Navy a legitimate vertical threat. Junior slotback Charles Robinson made a clear leap in the spring, earning the program's most improved player award, and profiles as a playmaker in space. Coordinator Drew Cronic, in his third year running a hybrid Wing-T that folds triple-option, run-option and pro-style concepts together, has openly challenged his split ends and tight ends, led by senior Jake Norris, to become real factors in the passing game rather than afterthoughts.

This is where the graduations sting most. Tecza and Heidenreich are gone, leaving the backfield thin on experience. Senior Vic Listorti is the most accomplished returner but comes with a question mark after a lingering hamstring cost him most of last season. The staff will lean on the fullback dive and slotback sweeps that make the scheme go, and the coaches do list a genuine four-deep, but new names will have to carry the load behind an offense that expects to run first, second and third.

The line is both the strength and the anchor. Navy led the country in rushing at 285.6 yards per game while surrendering only a handful of sacks, and the group earned recognition on the sport's premier interior-line honor roll. Four starters return, headlined by senior guard Hoke Smith II, giving Navy an unusually veteran front for a service academy, with dozens of combined starts. Sophomore Malcolm Johnson, who became the first freshman to crack the starting lineup up front since 1997, anchors right tackle, with junior Sean Crowley at left tackle and senior Cam Nichols at center. The lone significant loss is at left guard.

The front seven has the most to sort out. Navy must replace first-team All-America nose guard Landon Robinson, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, whose disruption held together a rush defense that tightened to 141 yards allowed per game with 27 sacks. His exit, along with that of another productive end, makes generating pressure a real concern. Senior tackle Griffen Willis, junior nose guard Xavyer Arrington and junior end Aiden Lyczek headline the rebuild up front, and because Navy annually faces multiple option offenses that stress gap discipline, how quickly this group jells will shape the season.

Linebacker is a strength, as it usually is in Annapolis; an inside backer has led the team in tackles in 19 of the past 21 seasons. Navy returns two highly productive inside men in junior MarcAnthony Parker and senior Coleman Cauley, who combined for 176 stops a year ago after Cauley took over a starting job at midseason. This is regarded as one of the better linebacker corps in the American, with the speed to run down the spread teams that dot the schedule.

The secondary is the swing unit. Pass defense was a problem for much of last fall before improving sharply down the stretch, a turnaround that coincided with junior Phillip Hamilton sliding to safety. Senior Giuseppe Sessi returns at safety after finishing second on the team with 81 tackles and handling the defensive signal-calling. On the perimeter, junior Nick Bell and senior Irabonoise Oniha bring starting experience, and Oniha carries genuine next-level potential. Newberry believes the group is as deep at corner as it has been during his tenure, which matters for a defense that historically struggles to simulate polished passing looks in practice.

The kicking game is settled at punter and unsettled at placekicker. Junior Jacob Carlson averaged 44.5 yards in his first year as the starter, helping lift a much-improved unit. The field-goal job is open after the graduation of a reliable veteran, with sophomore Justin Welch atop the depth chart entering camp but a live competition expected to run to the opener. Senior slotback Isaiah Bryant has been a productive kickoff returner and could add punt-return duties.