Navy Football Places Two Standout Players Among Group of Five Top 15 Rankings

The Navy Midshipmen football program is receiving national recognition for two of their offensive playmakers, quarterback Blake Horvath and running back Eli Heidenreich.

ProFootball Network released its Top 25 players in the Group of Five conferences. Heidenreich was ranked at No. 14, making him the second-highest running back, while Horvarth was No. 1.

The Group of Five conferences include the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, the Mountain West, the Sun Belt, and the the Mid-American.

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Horvath, a 6-foot-2 quarterback, had a monster breakout season last year. He finished the campaign with 1,353 passing yards and 1,246 rushing yards, which made him the third Midshipmen in program history to have more than 1,200 yards in both rushing and passing. 

For his 151 career passing attempts he has only thrown four interceptions. That makes his interception percentage .026 per each attempt, which is the second-best average in Navy history. 

Heidenreich had his own terrific season for the Midshipmen in 2024. He had six touchdown receptions last year, which is tied for the most in school history. 

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He averaged 6.8 yards per carry and was also the Midshipmen's leading receiver. He averaged 17.2 yards per reception on 39 catches. By the end of the season he was fourth all-time for single-season receiving yards with 671. 

The Midshipmen finished last year 10-3. They had a battle in their bowl game against Oklahoma and ended up winning the Armed Forces Bowl, 21-20.

The Midshipmen also won the Commander-In-Chief's trophy under coach Brian Newberry for the first time. Navy has been identified as a potential favorite in the AAC this preseason.

Horvath and Heidenreich were in the first full years as starters for the Midshipment in 2024. They both showed how capable they are and also why their return has Navy in contention for the conference title. 

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