Quarterback was a question mark for the Navy football program coming into the 2024 campaign.

Navy graduated two seniors — Tai Lavatai and Xavier Arline — that started the majority of games over the previous three seasons. The Midshipmen returned two signal-callers that gained some experience last season, but were still unproven in Blake Horvath and Braxton Woodson.

It would be safe to say after two games the coaching staff is much more comfortable with the quarterback situation. Horvath, who won the starting job during preseason camp, did a superb job of operating the new Wing-T offense against Bucknell and Temple. Meanwhile, Woodson saw considerable action in both games and has proven a more than capable backup.

“I feel good that we have two quarterbacks we can win with,” coach Brian Newberry said multiple times prior to the season opener. “Blake and Braxton have both done some really good things and both have improved in certain areas. They’re both comfortable with what we’re doing and have a good grasp of the offense.”

Horvath and Woodson got their feet wet last season with each appearing in four games and getting one start. Horvath displayed strong running ability, gaining 183 yards on 37 carries. Woodson flashed a powerful arm in passing for 163 yards, although he completed less than 50% of throws.

“Being able to play in games and gain experience was big for both Blake and Braxton. They learned what it was like to operate at game speed,” Navy quarterbacks coach Ivin Jasper said. “They have both matured a lot, but they still have a lot of room to grow.”

Jasper pushed Horvath to improve as a passer and Woodson to develop as a runner during the offseason. Both quarterbacks got a ton of practice repetitions during spring camp and were able to polish their respective games. Newly-hired offensive coordinator Drew Cronic spent considerable time working with the quarterbacks to make sure they learned his “millennial” Wing-T attack.

Horvath was atop the depth chart coming out of the spring, but the gap was slim so the competition carried over into August training camp. While the coaching staff said there was very little separation between the two, Horvath was able to maintain his hold on the starting spot and has certainly solidified that status.

Navy has scored 87 points and amassed 846 total yards through two games, numbers that speak to the quarterback’s ability to direct the offense and spread the ball around to the various playmakers.

“Blake’s growth since last year has been pretty remarkable on a lot of levels. His decision making has gotten a lot better and he’s doing a great job of getting us into the right plays,” Newberry said.

Horvath’s improvement as a passer has been on display as he’s completed 12 of 21 attempts for 220 yards and three touchdowns. The junior leads the Midshipmen in rushing with 155 yards and three scores.

Cronic has described Horvath as a “slippery” runner because of his ability to change directions to evade defenders in traffic. He’s been impressed with the speed Horvath has shown in the open field, pointing to the 62-yard touchdown run against Temple when the quarterback pulled away from several chasing defenders.

“Blake is an intelligent guy who absorbs things very well. He’s developed into a great leader and I can see the other [offensive players] believe in him,” Cronic said. “There are a lot of things I’m learning about Blake with each game and it is obvious he’s going to just get better and better.”

Same could be said for Woodson, a sophomore whose size, speed and overall athleticism is impressive. While Horvath played in a triple-option offense in high school, Woodson operated a more traditional pro-style offense.

It has taken time for Woodson to learn how to execute the various elements of the triple-option that Cronic has maintained as part of his Wing-T system. He’s improved in terms of footwork and being able to run between the tackles.

“Braxton is a big kid who can run fast and he has a cannon for an arm,” Cronic said. “He’s still learning and developing. There are certain things from a timing standpoint and being able to execute that he needs to get a better grasp of doing.”

Horvath left the season opener with cramps late in the second period, giving Woodson an opportunity to get more meaningful game repetitions. He threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Heidenreich, then capped a 58-yard touchdown drive by scoring on a quarterback sneak to complete the 49-21 rout of Bucknell.

With Navy holding a comfortable 27-point lead over Temple after three quarters, Jasper took the opportunity to get Woodson more game action by having him play the entire fourth quarter.

Navy fans weary of watching multiple quarterbacks share the position over the previous four seasons probably did not want to hear Cronic say he’s not averse to using both Horvath and Woodson during crunch time of games.

“Blake is our starter, but we certainly see that Braxton brings things to the table. I would say that Blake is our starter, but you have seen that Braxton is a very capable backup,” Cronic said. “It’s nice to have two kids you feel can run your offense and play winning football. They both can run and throw. We’re going to need both those guys to be successful this season.”

Horvath credits Cronic with refining his throwing form by focusing the mechanics and said daily passing drills under the watchful eye of Jasper helped develop consistency. He and Woodson had to become effective throwers because pass plays are a critical element of the Wing-T offense.

“We’ve spent a lot of time in the meeting room with Coach Cronic talking about passing concepts and progressions. He can very clearly define what a pass play is supposed to look like and how we want to affect the defense against certain coverages,” Horvath said.

Cronic has taken a very hands-on approach with the quarterbacks because it’s critical they understand the basic principles of the Wing-T and how it builds off itself in terms of having multiple plays that can be run out of the formation and with the same personnel.

“Coach Cronic has done a great job of teaching us the system and putting us in a position to succeed. I think we’re both very comfortable in the offense and that’s because he’s put so much time into making sure we know exactly what we’re supposed to be doing,” Horvath said.