ESPN Ranks Navy Quarterback Room As Best in Group of Five

2024 was a breakout season for Navy starting quarterback Blake Horvath.

The Ohio native rushed for 1246 yards with 17 touchdowns, while throwing for 1353 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He set the school record for touchdown passes in a season and became just the third quarterback in the program's illustrious history to rush and pass for more than 1,200 yards in the same season,

The Midshipmen finished the season with a 10-3 record, including a win over Army and a win over Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl. Horvath earned MVP honors in both of those final two contests.

Ahead of the 2025 season, ESPN placed every FBS quarterback room into a tier list. Writer David Hale placed Navy's combo of Horvath and Braxton Woodson into the third tier. Based on that list, Navy have one of the top 21 quarterback rooms in the FBS and the top one in the Group of Five.

"Horvath's 83.6 QBR was the best last season -- and the seventh best of the playoff era -- by any quarterback outside the Power 4," Hale wrote of the Hilliard Darby High School graduate. Horvath is also one of five returning quarterbacks in FBS who averaged more than nine yards per attempt last season.

Backing up the senior Horvath is Woodson, a junior from Altamonte Springs, Florida. Woodson appeared in ten games for Navy last season, rushing 49 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns. He also compiled 18 passes on 36 attempts for 243 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Horvath, who was named a captain of the 2025 team, will have his work cut out for him again in 2025 when Navy opens the season against VMI on August 30 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

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