Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 17, 2026 33 GAME PREVIEW: NAVY said. "Knowing out of certain forma- tions what I'm going to get from watch- ing film and stuff like that. Just being more disruptive, even more aggres- sive. Just shooting my shot. Taking that chance." Parker delivered on that objective in the first four games of Navy's 2026 sea- son. He logged at least 9 tackles in each of the first three games of the season. In the latter three-game stretch against Florida Atlantic, UAB and Air Force, he tallied 4 sacks and 6 tackles for loss. "He's playing as well as any line- backer we've had since I've been here," said Navy head coach Brian Newberry, who's in his fourth season leading the Midshipmen. "The effort and the phys- icality, you turn on the tape and just watch the urgency that he plays with in getting to the football. It's tremendous. Really, really excited about the way he's playing right now." Navy pairs Parker (33 tackles through four games) with senior linebacker Coleman Cauley (31 tackles) for what's proven to be the strength of its defense. They're a big reason why opposing of- fenses averaged just 96.3 rushing yards per game through the first four games. That gave the Midshipmen the No. 21 rushing defense at the FBS level enter- ing Week 6. "I feel like it's almost like a yin and yang," Parker said of his pairing with Cauley. "He's very physical, kind of like a thumper kind of guy. Very good player. Can also run, cover and stuff like that. And then I kind of view me as more like in-and-out versatile. We're both physi- cal." Parker preached confidence in Na- vy's defensive potential prior to the first game of the season. But the Midship- men struggled out of the gate defend- ing the pass. Entering Week 6, Navy ranked last in the FBS in team passing efficiency defense. "As long as we do our job and don't try to do somebody else's job and just play our style of football, I feel like we'll be a very, very, very good defense," Parker said. "I feel like we have the abil- ity to control how good we are. We just have to do our job and just play to our strengths." Whether Parker reaches his NFL dream or not, he came to Navy from Fredericksburg (Va.) Riverbend with a plan for a post-playing career. He wants to model it after his older brother, An- thony, who graduated from Navy in 2008 and played four seasons on the soccer team. Anthony became a Marine pilot and will likely become a pilot for a major airline after his service. "Looking up to him, life's pretty nice," MarcAnthony said. The Parker brothers were raised by a father with more than 25 years of mili- tary service. "He's like my best friend, honestly, like number one fan," MarcAnthony said of his father. "There were times in high school when I got hurt and there was nobody there for me or believed in me at times. Maybe there was, but he would always pick me up and tell me you're this, you got this, this and that. And I would vent to him about anything. I still do. "He's played a huge role. Without him, I wouldn't be here. I always talk to him, and he's like my best friend. I talk to him about anything now. But as a little kid, I was a little scared of him. I would go to my mom a little bit more. But growing up, he's not as scary. He just taught me discipline." That discipline in MarcAnthony now shows up on the football field. He leads by example on a daily basis. "He makes it just easy to coach," Navy defensive coordinator Eric Lewis said. "You know what you're going to get Facts & Figures NOTRE DAME VS. NAVY Date: Oct. 31, 2026 Site: Gillette Stadium (64,628) in Foxbor- ough, Mass. Kickoff: 12 p.m. ET Television: ABC or ESPN Radio: This game can be heard on SoFi Notre Dame Radio Network affiliates. Series Facts: Notre Dame leads 84-13-1. Head coaches: Navy — Brian Newberry (28-15, 4th season); Notre Dame — Marcus Freeman (49-12, 5th season). Noting Navy: The Midshipmen used 17 first- time starters in their first four games of the season. That total was tied with East Carolina for the most in the country entering Week 6 … Navy scored on each of its first 10 trips into the red zone this season … Navy was second in the country in passing yards per comple- tion (17.3) through the first five weeks of the season … Navy has gone to a bowl game in 12 of the last 13 years it has won its season opener. The Midshipmen beat Towson, 42-15, in Week 1 … Following its season opener, Navy played three consecutive true road games for the first time since 2010. Senior Coleman Cauley (31 tackles) has teamed up with Parker to form a dynamic duo at linebacker. Through four games, opponents were averaging just 96.3 rushing yards per contest. PHOTO COURTESY NAVY ATHLETICS