Six Navy Players Earn Preseason All-American Conference Honors From Pro Football Network
By Brian Hradsky | Maryland Sports Blog
Navy football continues to receive significant preseason recognition heading into the 2026 campaign, with six Midshipmen earning spots on Pro Football Network’s Preseason All-American Conference teams.
Senior defensive tackle Griffen Willis, senior snipe and kick returner Isaiah Bryant and junior punter Jacob Carlson were named to PFN’s second team. Senior offensive guard Hoke Smith II, junior linebacker MarcAnthony Parker and junior defensive back Phillip Hamilton earned third-team honors.
The recognition gives Navy representation at nearly every level of the roster — offensive line, offensive skill positions, defensive line, linebacker, secondary and special teams — and highlights the veteran core tasked with carrying the Midshipmen into another season of high expectations.
Navy is coming off an 11-2 campaign in 2025 and a 35-13 Liberty Bowl victory over Cincinnati. The Midshipmen finished No. 23 nationally and recorded back-to-back double-digit-win seasons for the first time in program history.
Those accomplishments have raised the standard entering 2026.
Griffen Willis Leads Defensive Front
Willis enters his senior season as one of the most important returning pieces on Navy’s defensive line.
The 6-foot-1 defensive tackle started all 13 games in 2025 and totaled 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He finished fifth on the team in sacks, but every Navy player who recorded more sacks last season has departed, increasing Willis’ importance as both a run defender and pass-rush presence.
That becomes especially important following the departure of standout defensive lineman Landon Robinson.
Robinson was one of the most decorated defenders in recent Navy history, leaving a significant hole in the middle of the defense. Willis will now be counted on to become one of the leaders of a defensive front undergoing a transition.
PFN placed Willis on its second-team All-American Conference defense.
Navy allowed 141.3 rushing yards per game in 2025, fourth-best in the American Conference according to an offseason review of the Midshipmen. Maintaining that level of play without Robinson will require Willis and the rest of the defensive line to take another step forward.
Isaiah Bryant Could Take on Much Larger Role
Bryant may be one of the most intriguing Navy players entering 2026.
He has already established himself as one of the Midshipmen’s primary special teams weapons, but his role could expand considerably on offense this season.
Bryant returned kickoffs for 462 yards in 2025 while averaging 22 yards per return, both career highs. He now enters his third season as Navy’s primary kickoff return specialist.
PFN named Bryant its second-team preseason kick returner in the American Conference.
The bigger story, however, may be what Bryant does from scrimmage.
Navy is expected to use him much more heavily at the “snipe” position after losing several of its top offensive weapons from last season. The Midshipmen must replace quarterback Blake Horvath, hybrid star Eli Heidenreich and several of the team’s leading rushers.
Bryant is expected to become part of a rebuilt Navy backfield alongside players such as Charles Robinson and Vic Listorti.
That gives Bryant an opportunity to become considerably more than a return specialist in 2026.
Jacob Carlson Gives Navy Stability at Punter
Carlson provides Navy with one of its most reliable returning special teams performers.
The junior punter averaged 44.5 yards per punt last season, placed 16 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and recorded 11 punts of at least 50 yards.
PFN rewarded that production by naming Carlson its second-team preseason All-American Conference punter.
Field position often becomes especially important for Navy because of the Midshipmen’s ball-control approach.
Navy averaged more than 32 minutes of possession per game last season while limiting opponents to fewer than 28 minutes. Carlson’s ability to flip the field gives both the offense and defense another advantage.
The Midshipmen averaged 44.51 yards per punt as a team in 2025 with a net average of 39.49 yards.
Hoke Smith II Anchors Experienced Offensive Line
Navy’s offensive line could be one of the strongest parts of the team.
Smith, a senior guard, was selected to PFN’s third-team preseason offense. PFN listed Smith with a 70.5 evaluation entering the season.
Smith brings valuable experience back to an offensive front that helped Navy produce the No. 1 rushing offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season.
The Midshipmen averaged 285.6 rushing yards per game, accumulated 3,713 rushing yards and scored 41 rushing touchdowns. Navy averaged 5.8 yards per rushing attempt.
Smith is one of four returning starters along the offensive line, joining Cam Nichols, Sean Crowley and Malcolm Johnson.
That continuity could become particularly important with Braxton Woodson expected to replace Horvath at quarterback.
Phil Steele ranked Navy’s offensive line as the 12th-best unit nationally and second-best in the American Conference entering 2026.
If Navy remains among college football’s elite rushing teams, the offensive line will once again be one of the biggest reasons why.
MarcAnthony Parker Returns as Defensive Leader
Parker could be Navy’s most established returning defensive playmaker.
The junior linebacker led the Midshipmen with 97 tackles last season while adding 6.5 tackles for loss. He earned third-team All-American Conference recognition following the season and enters 2026 as one of the leaders of an experienced linebacker group.
PFN also placed Parker on its preseason third team while giving him a 71.6 evaluation.
Parker will be especially important as Navy adjusts to changes on the defensive coaching staff.
Eric Lewis was promoted to defensive coordinator after P.J. Volker left Navy to join the Baltimore Ravens as safeties coach. Ricky Brown also added co-defensive coordinator responsibilities.
Despite the coaching transition, Navy returns several experienced linebackers, including Parker and Coleman Cauley.
Cauley finished 2025 with 79 tackles, two interceptions and three forced fumbles, giving Navy one of the more experienced interior linebacker combinations in the conference.
Phillip Hamilton Headlines Secondary
Hamilton also earned third-team recognition from PFN.
He finished the 2025 season with 49 tackles and led Navy with three interceptions.
PFN listed Hamilton as a third-team defensive back with a 73.9 evaluation.
His experience should be valuable for a secondary that must replace several contributors from last season.
Navy allowed 230 passing yards per game in 2025, and improving against opposing passing attacks will be critical considering several dangerous quarterbacks on the 2026 schedule.
Hamilton gives Navy a proven ballhawk capable of helping stabilize that group.
Navy Enters 2026 With Major Expectations
The six PFN selections provide another indication of how much respect Navy has earned nationally.
Phil Steele ranked Navy No. 20 in his preseason rankings, picked the Midshipmen to win the American Conference and projected Navy as the Group of Six representative in the College Football Playoff.
Navy also has been selected to win the conference by multiple preseason publications.
The expectations make sense following consecutive seasons of historic success.
Navy went 10-3 in 2024 before improving to 11-2 in 2025. Head coach Brian Newberry has gone 21-5 over those two seasons, and the Midshipmen have won consecutive bowl games and consecutive Army-Navy Games.
Still, the 2026 roster will look different.
Horvath and Heidenreich were two of the most productive offensive players in the program, while Robinson became an All-American defensive centerpiece.
Navy cannot simply replace that production with one player.
Instead, the Midshipmen will need players such as Willis, Bryant, Carlson, Smith, Parker and Hamilton to take larger roles.
That is what makes the PFN recognition noteworthy.
These are not merely six players collecting preseason honors. They represent much of the foundation Navy will build around while attempting to remain one of the best Group of Six programs in college football.
Tough Road Ahead
The season opens Sept. 5 when Navy hosts Towson at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy then travels to Florida Atlantic for its American Conference opener Sept. 12.
The schedule later includes games against Air Force, UTSA, North Texas, Notre Dame, Memphis and Charlotte before the annual Army-Navy Game.
Several of those matchups could have major implications.
North Texas prevented Navy from reaching the 2025 American Conference Championship Game through a tiebreaker after the Midshipmen finished 7-1 in conference play. Navy has not appeared in the American championship game since 2016.
Reaching that game — and potentially competing for the Group of Six spot in the College Football Playoff — represents the next step for a Navy program that has accomplished nearly everything else over the past two years.
MSB Take
Six preseason all-conference selections show that Navy still has plenty of talent despite losing several of the biggest names from last season.
Parker and Willis give the defense proven production in the front seven. Hamilton provides experience in the secondary. Carlson remains a dependable weapon in the field-position game. Smith helps anchor one of the strongest offensive lines in the conference.
Bryant might be the player worth watching most closely.
He has already proven himself as a return specialist, but the opportunity awaiting him at snipe could turn him into one of Navy’s breakout offensive players.
Navy will not have Horvath, Heidenreich and Robinson carrying the team anymore.
The 2026 Midshipmen will need a new group of stars.
Pro Football Network’s preseason teams suggest Willis, Bryant, Carlson, Smith, Parker and Hamilton could be among the players ready to take that responsibility.
Maryland Sports Blog will continue covering Navy football throughout the 2026 season.
