Navy senior quarterback Braxton Woodson enters the 2026 season as the unquestioned starter following the graduation of Blake Horvath.
It didn’t always seem like this would be how Woodson’s career at Navy would play out, given the mixed results he had as a freshman and sophomore. But he took a big step forward as a junior in 2025, particularly when he carried the Midshipmen across the finish line during a 41-38 win against South Florida last November. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback completed two passes for 39 yards and carried nine times for 103 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Horvath, who had cramped up.
Woodson appeared in 24 games during his first three years in Annapolis, and his teammates see a different player and person as a senior.
“We all know what [Woodson is] capable of. We’ve seen it in flashes, but every time he steps on the field I want him to know that he’s the baddest kid out there,” senior offensive guard Hoke Smith II said. “He’s the best athlete we have on the team. I trust him with everything I’ve got. … That’s one thing I’ve challenged him personally [about], just have that swagger about you because I know you can do it and I just want him to believe that he himself can do it.”
Swagger, you say?
“I’d say Braxton coming out of high school didn’t have swag or drip,” senior safety Giuseppe Sessi said. “In all honestly, he’s a Ferrari. I think the confidence that he earned … I think that’s the biggest difference from freshman year to now.”
Navy will take a ride in that Ferrari in 2026, as it looks to build on a historic two-year run. The Mids won 21 games in 2024 and 2025. They took home the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy twice. They beat Oklahoma and Cincinnati in bowl games. They produced three NFL draft picks.
The leader of that group was Horvath. Now it’s Woodson’s turn.
“I’m not going to lie, it feels good,” Woodson said of being the starter. “It feels good finally being able to take that one role, that one step. It feels a lot different than being the backup — I will say that, for sure. I’m just happy to be here, really. I’m not going to take it for granted. I’ve waited three years to make it to this position, so I’m going to make the most of it.”
Woodson has big shoes to fill. Horvath threw for 3,017 yards, ran for 2,629 yards and accounted for 60 touchdowns in two-plus seasons at Navy. The Mids were seventh in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (31.3 points per game) and fourth in yards per play (6.3) in 2024. They were sixth in the league in scoring (31.5) and third in yards per play (6.5) in 2025.
Woodson said he appreciated Horvath’s “ability to make things go right.”
“That may sound a little bit confusing, but if we’re not having a good practice, we have a turnover in a game or something like that, his ability to rally the troops almost, just get everybody back on board, get everybody back moving in the same direction is just something that I really admire about Blake,” Woodson said. “I’ve talked to him a lot about it, just his ability to stay calm in a lot of pressure situations is something that I’ve tried to implement myself.”
Navy third-year offensive coordinator Drew Cronic runs what has been referred to as a hybrid Wing-T offense, which carries principles of the triple option traditionally used at Navy but also features modern concepts like bunch formations and misdirection.
It remains to be seen how exactly Cronic will use Woodson, who directed a Wing-T offense at Lake Brantley High School in his hometown of Altamonte Springs, Fla.
“A phrase that I’ve been saying a lot is everything looks the exact same until it doesn’t,” Woodson said of Cronic’s offense. “We’re doing a good job of, ‘This play looks exactly like this play, but we know that something different is going to happen.’ I think that’s the perfect way to put it. He does a really good job of making sure that everything works off of each other because it’s going to make it that much easier to understand the offense, especially for the young guys that we have coming here.”
Horvath was not only a productive runner but made explosive plays down the field, particularly to former slot back Eli Heidenreich, now with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Woodson worked hard on developing his touch as a thrower this past offseason so he doesn’t pepper receivers with fastballs all the time.
“I think that’s an area that we really improved in the offseason,” Woodson said. “We have a little bit more trust, we have a little bit more connection — especially in fall camp and it’s been evident.”
Navy begins its season against Towson on Sept. 5 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. A three-game road trip follows, with the Mids heading to AAC foes Florida Atlantic (Sept. 12) and UAB (Sept. 25) and rival Air Force (Oct. 3).
Woodson won’t have much of an opportunity to ease into the starting role, but the Ferrari is ready to roll.
“I think he’s been outstanding in the offseason, in the summertime,” Navy head coach Brian Newberry said. “His role of captain, I’ve been really, really impressed with how he’s handled that. He’s a guy that’s a proven commodity. He’s played meaningful snaps, meaningful moments and played really, really well at times. Really pleased with his growth, his development. I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now.”
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