Overshadowed in Ohio by the reigning national champions Ohio State Buckeyes, there is a gem of a college quarterback who can destroy a defense through the air with his arm as well as on the ground with his legs at Ohio University. He will surely be one of the main focuses for WVU’s football and first-year Defensive Coordinator Zac Alley as the West Virginia Mountaineers travel to Athens, Ohio for a non-conference matchup this week.
Parker Navarro, a graduate student originally from Tempe, Ariz., is one of the most explosive dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. Against Big ten opponent Rutgers University, Navarro did not shy away from the spotlight, and after being down by 17 at one point, Navarro and company led a spirited comeback that fell just short in a 34-31 loss for Ohio against the Big 10 opponent.
Ohio’s signal-caller, Navarro, had himself a great game against the Scarlet Knights, both through the air and on the ground. Navarro finished the game going 21-for-31 on his pass attempts (a 67.7 completion percentage) for 239 passing yards and three passing touchdowns – all with zero interceptions. That by itself would prove for a good day at the signal caller spot for a Group of 6 team against a Power 4 team, but that was not the Arizona native’s only contribution. He also added 93 rushing yards on nine attempts, good enough for 10.3 yards per attempt, and one rushing touchdown on the night – he led his team in both passing and rushing.
"Their quarterback is one of the best in the country," Rich Rodriguez said of Navarro on Tuesday. "They were the best team in the MAC last year by far. It's going to be a big challenge. I told our guys we've got to be comfortable being uncomfortable."
Rich Rod on Ohio: "Their quarterback (Parker Navarro) is one of the best in the country. They were the best team in the MAC last year by far. It's going to be a big challenge. I told our guys we've got to be comfortable being uncomfortable."
— Schuyler Callihan (@Callihan_) September 2, 2025
Navarro is one of the most dynamic dual-threat QBs in the country
Only two college quarterbacks in the country had more passing yards and rushing yards during the 2024 season than Navarro. Navarro had the fifth-most rushing yards at the QB position in 2024. Only Tyler Huff (Jacksonville State) and Devon Dampier (New Mexico) had more rushing and passing yards at QB than Navarro last season.
With 2,243 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns in addition to 1,047 rushing yards, and 18 rushing touchdowns in 2024, Navarro put everyone on notice of what he could do on his way to capturing a MAC Championship with a 38-3 win over Miami (OH). Last season, Navarro relied a lot on his roommate Coleman Owen for clutch moments. This season, Owen is no longer on the team, and after the first game of the season, it appears Ohio’s wide receiver Chase Hendricks has taken over that role. Hendricks racked up nine catches for 115 receiving yards in the loss to Rutgers.
Zac Alley and his defense will have their hands full trying to contain Navarro and his dual-threat ability. If Navarro can be slowed down, it seemed like Ohio had trouble running the ball with starting running back Sieh Bangura on Thursday.
Can this WVU defense slow down Navarro and the Ohio offense? We will get our answer when the Mountaineers and Bobcats kick the game off at 4 PM EST on Saturday, September 6 in Athens, Ohio.