Navarro ready to step in and succeed in his first chance leading the Bobcats

There’s a reason why the quarterback position is looked at as the premier position in arguably any of the major sports that engulf our consciousness at all times. It takes a certain breed of leader and borderline psychopath to put themselves in such harm and danger in hopes of reaching the pinnacle of sports.

Quarterbacks, without a doubt, have the most praise sung about them while also have the most scrutiny out of any position in American sports. Though, sometimes it takes a bit of time for a quarterback to truly be put under the spotlight.

Parker Navarro, coming off a breakout performance in the Myrtle Beach Bowl victory for Ohio in the final taste of 2023, now gets his chance to finally run an offense once again after years of unpredictability and adversity.

“It means so much to me and I try everyday to not take it for granted,” Navarro said in an interview with the Messenger, clearly touched and honored with the position he’s in. “The spot that I got into is a long time coming. Especially through those two injuries, the collarbone and the UCL in one year. I try to think about how blessed I am every day to be here.”

Sitting behind a former Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in Kurtis Rourke the past couple of years, it must’ve been incredibly tough for someone so used to being relied upon to pick up a new role when entering the program. Though it was a long and windy journey, Navarro is more than happy with how things have eventually played out and is grateful for the lessons he’s learned.

“I think being behind Kurtis was great. He is a great quarterback, he’s smart and decisive. I think he showed me a lot about preparation. Learning from him has been awesome” the Tempe, Arizona native said, throwing praise to the former Ohio quarterback. “I think being hurt has really made me appreciate the sport that I play and the opportunities that I get. When I get them, to execute and take advantage of them.”

Everything Navarro has dealt with off the field will only make him better in the future in his eyes. It opened up a different aspect to appreciation and preparation that he might not have had at his time at Desert Vista high school and even UCF before transferring in. From the mental aspect, he seems more than ready to step in.

Though, only so much of the game can be done in your head. It’s still football, you have to go out and make some plays.

While he could go out there and erase any worries or doubts, there’s still reason to have a little caution when coming into the season. While sticking at quarterback and being within a college program for five years at this point, he hasn’t exactly had all that many reps.

Through eight appearances as a Bobcat in two years, Navarro has thrown just 38 passes during that time. Out of those, 16 of those throws came in the postseason victory this past season. Navarro hasn’t thrown more than 16 passes in a game since 2019 in high school.

It may not have that large of an impact on him or the Bobcats’ offense at the start of the season, but it’s still a legitimate question that the graduate senior will have to answer early.

“I think practicing, taking all the reps helped a ton. But it is kind of a funny thing, this is really my first shot to go out there and lead the team,” Navarro noted with a slight smile when acknowledging that fact. “I’m excited for it. I’m pumped up. All the years of preparation will come into play week one.”

Throwing is the name of the game for quarterbacks, but it’s not the only aspect of playing the position that can bring success. As we’ve seen with Ohio in its recent history, the Bobcats are not scared of running option offenses and allowing the quarterback to make plays with his legs.

The dual-threat aspect of Ohio’s offense should work perfectly into the skillset and play style of Navarro.

“I’m excited to bring that aspect to the offense. I think it’ll open up a lot of stuff for us offensively.”

To play quarterback is to be under the most scrutiny and the most pressure. It takes a certain type of mental maturity and responsibility to succeed. Being with the program for arguably its greatest two-year run in school history, Navarro fully believes he’s ready to continue the good times in Athens.