Report: Navy to play two quarterbacks against Notre Dame
After starting preseason camp with four candidates to start at quarterback against Notre Dame, Navy narrowed it down to two this past weekend.
According to Navy beat writer Bill Wagner of the Capital Gazette, Midshipmen offensive coordinator Grant Chestnut said he’ll likely play both senior returning starter Tai Lavatai and sophomore Blake Horvath against Notre Dame on Aug. 26. On Saturday, first-year Navy coach Brian Newberry said Horvath and Lavatai are quarterbacks “1A and 1B” as they approach the season opener.
Sophomore Teddy Gleaton took the first-team reps in the spring, but he fell behind after missing several practices due to his summer class schedule. Senior Xavier Arline started against Notre Dame this past season and was seen as a candidate for the full-time gig in 2023, but Navy is trying him out at one of its running back positions.
Here’s what Notre Dame knows about the two Navy quarterbacks.
What Notre Dame knows about Tai Lavatai
The senior from St. Johns (Fla.) Creekside started eight games this past season for the Midshipmen, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Temple on Oct. 29. Lavatai continued to rehab that injury through spring camp, which made his status as QB1 uncertain.
Lavatai completed only 42 of his 91 pass attempts in 2022, but he averaged 8.6 yards per attempt. When the Midshipmen lulled opposing secondaries to sleep with their triple option, he took advantage.
With those numbers, it should come as no surprise that quick passes were not much of a factor in Lavatai’s game. He finished with an average depth of target of 15.7, according to Pro Football Focus, which was even higher than Notre Dame graduate quarterback Sam Hartman’s 12.8.
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Lavatai tossed five touchdowns and three interceptions. Two of the picks came during Navy’s 38-20 loss to Houston. As the triple-option quarterback, Lavatai ran the ball 115 times, finishing with 309 yards. Including five sacks, that comes out to 2.7 yards per carry.
What the Irish know about Blake Horvath
The sophomore from Hillard (Ohio) Darby did not play as a freshman, so the Notre Dame game will be his collegiate debut.
Horvath’s rushing numbers in high school were impressive. He ran for 1,722 yards on 234 carries with 28 touchdowns, and he finished his career as his school’s all-time record holder with 57 total scores.
As a passer, much like Lavatai, Horvath was hit or miss. He completed 26 of 65 passes for 515 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) and five touchdowns.
