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Dec 20, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Ohio Bobcats quarterback Parker Navarro (13) throws a pass against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the third quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

2025 G5 QB Scouting Reports: Parker Navarro - Ohio Bobcats

Originally posted on G5 Football on SI | By Jorge Pola | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Initially, Parker Navarro began his career at UCF, where he saw limited action between the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He then made his way up to Athens, where he again played sparingly from 2022 to 2023 – primarily serving as the back up to then starter Kurtis Rourke.

However, all of that changed during the 2024 season, as Navarro was at the forefront of leading the Bobcats to their first MAC Championship since 1968.

Statistically, Navarro was a top-five rusher in the conference with 1,054 yards on the ground, while also leading the MAC with 18 rushing touchdowns. With Navarro leading the way, Ohio’s offense averaged 405 yards per game, as he totaled 3,469 yards of offense and 31 touchdowns on the year. His 2024 efforts earned him Second Team All-MAC honors.

The bar has now been set extremely high for the Bobcats as they look to follow up a season that produced historic program success. With Navarro back at the helm, he gives the Brian Smith-led squad one of the best chances to repeat or at least remain among the top teams in the conference in 2025.

Height: 6’0
Weight: 205
Class: Graduate Student
Hometown: Tempe, AZ
High School / Previous School: Desert Vista HS / UCF

Notable Stats & Accolades:

Second Team All-MAC

MAC Championship Offensive Player of the Game

2024 StaffDNA Cure Bowl MVP

NATURAL PLAYMAKING ABILITY

Parker Navarro’s playmaking abilities are evident; however, they at times feel like they have a Houdini-esque quality to them. What’s meant by that is, when watching him, it’s as if he has a sixth sense—making defenders miss when they don’t even appear to be in his line of sight, as if it’s all just feel.

So many times on film, he’s able to make “something out of nothing”—feeling defenders behind him, to his right or left, and making them miss with his ability to stop, change direction, slow down, or speed up all instantaneously. Obviously, this has plenty to do with natural football instincts, but again, his feel for surrounding defenders is the key aspect to that instinct that makes him all the more dangerous and unpredictable.

For example, at the 9:28 mark in the video linked at the bottom of the page, Navarro drops back to pass, and right after the snap, his left tackle gets beat inside by the Jacksonville State defensive end. Navarro’s eyes are to the right while the defensive end is essentially running free toward him. In an instant, Navarro feels this, quickly pivots, and reverses out of the pocket untouched.

As he escapes, he separates from any nearby defenders and spots his running back—who had originally leaked into the flat—now turning upfield past coverage. While running full speed toward the sideline, Navarro has the presence of mind to flip the ball over to his running back rather than force a full throw in such tight quarters.

The ball arrives uncontested into his running back’s hands for a touchdown, as if the defense had absolutely no time to react. Moments like this — where Navarro’s sixth sense, creativity, and physical ability blend into one sequence — show up across his tape consistently.

RELATED: 2025 G5 QB Scouting Reports: Blake Horvath- Navy Midshipmen

THROWING ON THE RUN

On tape, Navarro may be one of college football’s best passers on the run. When it comes to quarterbacks throwing on the move, one of the key mechanics often preached by coaches is to make the throw while running downhill.

What that means is: when a quarterback escapes the pocket in any direction, once he locks onto a target, he should begin — or at least attempt — to run toward that target. Doing so allows him to transfer all his weight into the throw, giving him more control over the ball.

Ideally, this is how every quarterback would throw on the run. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. Defenders are often too close for a quarterback to take the time or space needed to work downhill toward the throw.

When a quarterback can’t work downhill—it usually comes down to raw athleticism and arm control. He has to complete a throw to a moving or stationary target somewhere on the field while all of his momentum and body weight is traveling in a completely different direction.

Navarro, on multiple occasions, has shown he can do exactly that—delivering strikes on the run with precision and accuracy purely by way of arm talent.

At the 1:27 mark in the video just below this section, we see Navarro take the snap, glance left, and then sprint out to the right. This is a designed sprint-out, with the offensive line in a full slide to the left and the running back responsible for sealing the edge.

Miami’s defensive end reads the play beautifully, blows past the running back’s block, and gets right up in Navarro’s face—completely eliminating the possibility of coming downhill to make a comfortable throw.

No problem for Navarro. He still delivers a 25-yard touchdown pass.

What makes this play so impressive is the fact that Navarro completes the throw while his momentum is not only rapidly moving toward the sideline, but also slightly backwards.

While the pass goes down as a 25-yard touchdown on the stat sheet, Navarro actually released the ball from the 35-yard line, and his receiver caught it around the two yard line—a testament to his athleticism, arm strength, and overall arm talent.

RPO PASSING

Another aspect of Navarro’s passing prowess is his RPO (run-pass option) ability. When it comes to RPOs, there are several layers the quarterback has to manage. The first is the mental aspect—RPO reads are typically based on numbers, leverage, or post-snap movement.

Numbers refer to how many defenders are in the box pre-snap compared to how many blockers are available to handle them. Leverage is about identifying which receivers are in favorable positions based on the defensive alignment—whether it’s an off corner, or a slot defender shaded inside. And post-snap movement comes down to reading a key defender once the ball is snapped. Based on how that defender reacts, the quarterback decides whether to hand it off or pull it and throw. At times all of these factors must be taken into account all at once post-snap.

RPO passing requires a blend of sharp processing and athleticism. The quarterback is reading out a play in real time, deciding whether to hand it off or pull it, and then executing a throw—all within a second or two. Through all that, the quarterback still has to stay clean mechanically. He can’t let the processing bog him down. The operation has to stay sharp, efficient, and deliberate.

We see that in Navarro’s game consistently. He’s decisive, quick to react, and rarely lets the mental load affect his mechanics when he decides to put the ball in the air.

At the 1:18 mark in the video below, Ohio lines up with five blockers across the offensive line and no tight end attached. Before the snap, Jacksonville State shows six defenders in the box—leaving Ohio outnumbered by one. To counter this, teams often tag routes for receivers and leave it up to the quarterback to make the call based on the leverage or numbers advantage.

Navarro seems to recognize the mismatch pre-snap, as the defense shows a one-high man coverage look. As he catches the snap and rides the mesh with the running back, the picture confirms itself. The one unblocked defender comes straight at him. Unfazed, Navarro pulls the ball, takes one step back, and releases a perfectly placed box fade from the opposite hash to his slot receiver—while taking a hit.

Between the decision-making and the execution, plays like this showcase the added dimensions Navarro brings to Ohio’s offense.

THE FULL PACKAGE: NAVARRO AS A BALL CARRIER

As a ball carrier, Navarro can do it all. Oftentimes, quarterbacks have one or two specific traits that make them capable and productive runners—vision, agility, speed, or power. Navarro possesses all of them.

He has the vision to read and follow blocks into the open field. The agility to make tacklers miss and generate yards even when defenders are in position to make a play. The speed to separate once he breaks the pocket or hits the second level. And the power to finish runs. Navarro shows no hesitation dropping his shoulder or diving forward through contact to gain extra yardage—efforts that can make all the difference for crucial first down conversions or short yardage scoring situations.

One example of this shows up at the 3:39 mark in the video below. Navarro takes the snap, flashes his eyes to the right to show pass, then plants and explodes upfield with his running back lead blocking. In flawless fashion, he reads his blocks, finds the lane, and gets himself into scoring position. As he closes in on the goal line, there’s one defender in his path. Without hesitation, Navarro drops his shoulder, dives through the contact, and powers his way into the end zone for the touchdown.

With all of these traits present in his game, Navarro excels not just as a scrambler, but also within the designed quarterback run game. Whether it’s the speed option, zone read, or quarterback draw, the Bobcats lean on him in a variety of ways—and he delivers. He is the full package as a rusher at the quarterback position.