2026 American Preseason Previews: Navy Midshipmen

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2025 record: 11-2 (7-1 American)

2025 postseason: defeated Cincinnati in Liberty Bowl, 35-13

Welcome to the golden era of Navy football. While the transfer portal resets the American Conference’s top rosters each offseason, the Midshipmen are as the conference’s beacon of stability. And this stability is showing up in the standings.

Navy finished 10-3 in 2024 and 11-2 in 2025, producing back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time in program history. The Midshipmen thrived out of the gate both years, jumping out to consecutive 6-0 starts en route to successful seasons. They also finished both seasons in style, taking down their arch rival in the Army-Navy Game and claiming back-to-back bowl victories (defeating Oklahoma in the 2024 Armed Forces Bowl and Cincinnati in the 2025 Liberty Bowl).

Navy earned a final ranking of No. 23 last season. The Midshipmen have accomplished so much in the past two years, but there are still more boxes to check. They still haven’t qualified for the American Conference Championship Game since 2016, missing out on last year’s game thanks to losing a tiebreaker with North Texas. That remains a paramount goal for head coach Brian Newberry and his team in 2026, and while Navy returns 11 starters, it must accomplish it without its premier stars from the last two seasons — starting quarterback Blake Horvath and recent NFL draftees Landon Robinson and Eli Heidenreich.

Staff

Brian Newberry enters year four as Navy’s head football coach. After a 5-7 debut campaign in 2023, Newberry has taken the Midshipmen to new heights by logging a 21-5 record from 2024-25. In a conference characterized by roster and personnel turnover, he is the third-longest tenured head coach in the American, only trailing Army’s Jeff Monken and UTSA’s Jeff Traylor.

Perhaps the defining feature of Navy’s recent resurgence was the hiring of offensive coordinator Drew Cronic. Cronic shifted the Midshipmen from a traditional midline option scheme to a hybrid wing T option scheme that utilizes shotgun more than 50 percent of the time. Cronic also incorporated more of a passing element in Navy’s offense, and the Midshipmen nearly produced their first-ever 1,000-yard receiver last year. Even with this increased emphasis on slinging the pigskin, Navy still finished No. 1 in the FBS in rushing at 286 yards per game in 2025.

However, Navy will start anew at defensive coordinator. After seven seasons running the Midshipmen defense, P.J. Volker accepted a position as a safeties coach with the Baltimore Ravens. That vacancy resulted in the promotion of Navy safeties coach Eric Lewis, who succeeds Volker as DC. Lewis previously served as the defensive coordinator at Eastern Michigan (2009) and Bowling Green (2021-22), and this will mark his third stint as an FBS coordinator.

Mick Yokitis remains on staff for the 16th year as a wide receivers coach. However, his duties expand in 2026 to include associate head coach and special teams coordinator. Another coach expanding his coverage is outside linebackers coach Ricky Brown, who became a co-defensive coordinator this offseason. The only new position coach the Midshipmen added was cornerbacks coach Charles Mack, who held the same role at New Mexico in 2024 and Utah State in 2025. The staff features a litany of longtime assistants, including quarterbacks coach Ivin Jasper who prepares for year 27 in the program.

Offense

• Key arrivals: N/A
• Key departures: QB Blake Horvath, RB Brandon Chatman, FB Alex Tecza, WR Eli Heidenreich, WR Nathan Kent, TE Cody Howard, G Ben Purvis, OT Jaylin Acevedo
• Key incumbents: QB Braxton Woodson, QB Jackson Gutierrez, RB Isaiah Bryant, RB Charles Robinson, FB Vic Listorti, WR Luke Hutchison, TE Jake Norris, C Cam Nichols, G Hoke Smith II, G Jake Polito, OT Sean Crowley, OT Malcolm Johnson

Drew Cronic guided Navy to the top rushing offense in the country in 2025, and the Midshipmen were quite explosive in the passing game with the fifth-most 60+ yard pickups in the FBS. However, the two stars that defined this offense graduated from the program — quarterback Blake Horvath and running back/wide receiver hybrid Eli Heidenreich. Replacing a quarterback with back-to-back 1,200+ rushing yard, 16+ rushing touchdown seasons won’t be easy, especially when simultaneously replacing the program’s all-time leading receiver who generated a Navy record 941 receiving yards last year.

Filling in for Horvath as the chief signal caller is Braxton Woodson, who started one game in each of the last three seasons. Despite the lack of starting experience, Woodson has accrued valuable in-game reps, totaling five career 100-yard rushing performances. When Horvath was injured last November vs. South Florida, Woodson shook up the American title race by upending South Florida behind 103 rushing yards and two scores on an 11.4 average. He saw minimal passing opportunities last year and enters his senior campaign 44-of-95 with 516 passing yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Navy also retains Jackson Gutierrez who rushed for 172 yards as the third-string QB in 2025. Gutierrez is still waiting to complete his first collegiate pass, but he’ll likely achieve that goal soon given his move up the depth chart.

Excluding quarterbacks, Navy lost each of its top four rushers from 2025, leaving Charles Robinson (10 rushes, 33 yards) as the top returning option for 2026. Robinson, a former quarterback who transitioned to the ‘snipe’ (or slot back) role, is a likely replacement for Brandon Chatman, while Vic Listorti (3 rushes, 17 yards) should slide more into the Alex Tecza fullback role. Another player poised for an expanded role in the offense is Isaiah Bryant, who will start at ‘snipe’ after mainly operating as a kick returner over the past two seasons. Those three are expected to form the starting unit, while running back Quinton Ezzard and snipes Robert “Tre” Jones III and Michael Barrow are the second-string backfield pieces.

Luke Hutchison is Navy’s returning leader at receiver after turning five receptions into 134 yards and three touchdowns in 2025 — adding a significant element of explosiveness to the passing attack. Wide receiver Joshua Guerin and tight end Jake Norris will be other targets in the receiving game, which must fill a Heidenreich-sized void with this new group.

Navy enjoys great continuity on the offensive line, bringing back starters Cam Nichols (center), Hoke Smith II (right guard), Sean Crowley (left tackle), and Malcolm Johnson (right tackle). This unit paved the way for the nation’s No. 1 ground attack, and the only starter it must replace is left guard Ben Purvis. The logical replacement is Jake Polito, who started two contests at guard last fall including the Midshipmen’s Thanksgiving win over Memphis.

Defense

• Key arrivals: N/A
• Key departures: DE Julien Moutome, DT Landon Robinson, DT Kendall Whiteside, OLB Luke Pirris, OLB Jaxson Campbell, OLB Kenneth McShan, CB Justin Ross, FS Andrew Duhart
• Key incumbents: DE Aiden Lyczek, DT Griffen Willis, DT Xavyer Arrington, ILB Coleman Cauley, ILB MarcAnthony Parker, OLB Job Grant, OLB Will Miller, OLB Christian Johnson, CB Irabonoise Oniha, CB Nick Bell, FS Phillip Hamilton, SS Giuseppe Sessi

Navy produced multiple NFL Draft selections for the first time since 1956. One of those selections was nose guard Landon Robinson, who earned an AP First Team All-American selection — the first Navy player to warrant that honor since 1975. Replacing the reigning American Conference Defensive Player of the Year will be a big ask, but Navy remains in great hands by returning six defensive starters from last year’s 11-2 masterpiece.

The defensive line remains fortified with defensive tackle Griffen Willis who produced 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks as a 13-game starter in 2025. He finished fifth on Navy in sacks, but each of the four players that registered more graduated, leaving the Midshipmen in search of new pass rushing talent. Aiden Lyczek is set to take a starting defensive end spot after missing the majority of 2025 due to a broken leg. Filling in the nose guard spot for Robinson will be Xavyer Arrington, a 6’0″, 279-pound junior with 19 career appearances and seven tackles.

Navy’s strongest position group in its hybrid 3-4 scheme is the linebacking corps, and more specifically, the inside linebackers. The Midshipmen return three starters in inside backers Coleman Cauley and MarcAnthony Parker and outside backer Job Grant. Parker ranked first on the roster with 97 tackles and claimed a Third Team All-American Conference selection, while Cauley contributed 79 tackles, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles as the chief takeaway officer of the defense. After the departures of Luke Pirris and Jaxson Campbell, the Midshipmen offer less experience at outside linebacker, where potential starters include Will Miller and Christian Johnson. They combined for one tackle in 2025 but will see exponentially increased playing time this fall.

Rounding out the unit is the secondary led by strong safety Giuseppe Sessi, who managed 81 tackles in 2025. Sessi is one of two returning starters to the defensive backfield, sharing the designation with fellow safety Phillip Hamilton, who logged 49 tackles and a team-best three interceptions last year. Occupying a starting corner spot will be Irabonoise Oniha, who started four games in 2025 and two in 2024. Oniha shined in coverage last season with a team-high seven pass breakups — three more than anyone else on the roster. Nick Bell is the favorite to lock up the other starting cornerback spot. Bell started three of the last four matchups in 2025 including the Liberty Bowl, spearheading the effort in holding Cincinnati’s passing attack to 97 yards in a dominant win.

Special Teams

• Key arrivals: N/A
• Key departures: K Nathan Kirkwood, PR Brandon Chatman
• Key incumbents: K Justin Welch, P Jacob Carlson, KR Isaiah Bryant, PR Charles Robinson

Navy didn’t always kick field goals in 2025 — owning the 10th highest red zone touchdown rate in the country — but when it did, they often split the uprights. However, Nathan Kirkwood graduated after nailing 10-of-11 field goals as a senior, making room for Justin Welch as the new starting placekicker. Welch is a sophomore with one career appearance and zero field goal and extra point attempts to his name, so this fall will be his first significant exposure to college football.

The Midshipmen operate with much more experience at punter thanks to the return of Jacob Carlson. Carlson was in the upper echelon of American punters last year with a 44.5 average, booting 11 punts of 50 yards or greater and pinning 16 inside the 20.

The return game remains formidable with Isaiah Bryant preparing for his third year as the lead kickoff return specialist. Bryant produced similar numbers in his two previous seasons, setting new career-highs in yardage (462) and average (22.0) a year ago. He didn’t dabble in the punt return game last fall, as that was Brandon Chatman’s responsibility. Charles Robinson, who takes on a similar role to Chatman on offense, returned one punt for 13 yards last year and could be an ideal fit as a full-time punt returner.

Schedule and outlook

* denotes non-conference game

Navy started 6-0 in 2024 and 7-0 in 2025. The pathway to a third-straight magnificent start is certainly in the cards for the Midshipmen, which should be favored in most games before Halloween. One matchup that is particularly intriguing is the Week 2 conference opener at Florida Atlantic, where Navy must battle the No. 1 passing offense from 2025 which returns its star quarterback/receiver duo in Caden Veltkamp and Easton Messer.

Another conference matchup where the passing defense must be on its toes is the Week 7 road trip to UTSA. The Roadrunners have traditionally dismantled conference opponents in the Alamodome throughout the 2020s decade, and Navy’s refurbished secondary must arrive in San Antonio with the tools to limit Owen McCown from a spectacular performance. One week later, the Midshipmen eye revenge against North Texas, although the Mean Green return zero starters from the squad that upended Navy last November, denying it of a conference championship appearance.

Navy faces its other grudge match from 2025 one week later on Halloween. The Midshipmen travel north to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA for a neutral-site matchup against Notre Dame. Even during this two-year stretch of Navy excellence, the Midshipmen have not been able to overcome the Fighting Irish, dropping the last two matchups by a combined score of 100-24.

After the Notre Dame game, Navy rounds out its conference slate with Temple, Memphis, and Charlotte, hoping wins down the home stretch can propel the team to its first American Conference Championship berth in 10 years. Navy could theoretically win the conference and qualify for the College Football Playoff before finishing its regular season slate. Seven days after the American title game, the annual Army-Navy Game kicks off from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Navy aims to extend its win streak in America’s Rivalry to three-straight seasons, and winning this rivalry in back-to-back years has been a major highlight of the Brian Newberry era.

What’s the outlook for 2026? Navy’s 2024 and 2025 teams were guided heavily by star talent in Blake Horvath, Eli Heidenreich, and Landon Robinson. The Midshipmen still have capable, established starters throughout the roster including inside linebacker MarcAnthony Parker and strong safety Giuseppe Sessi. But in order to win the American, Navy needs some of these starters to take the next step and emerge as full-fledged stars capable of taking over games like Heidenreich and Robinson. Braxton Woodson has demonstrated he has the tools to run the offense effectively like Horvath, but he’ll need breakout seasons from the surrounding skill position players for Navy to retain that spot among the American’s elite.

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