Like any hungry playmaker with multiple offensive skills, dynamic athletic ability and an insatiable work ethic, Navy senior Brandon Chatman craves having the football in his hands and the chance to inflict damage as a runner or a receiver.
 
The Midshipmen, off to their second straight 6-0 start and bowl eligible for the second year in a row, owe much of their success to an offense that has been productive, versatile, and explosive, while averaging 36.5 points and 472.7 yards.
 
Seniors such as quarterback Blake Horvath, snipe/receiver Eli Heidenreich and running back Alex Tecza have taken turns making big plays happen.
 
Then there is Chatman, the undersized, speedy, sure-handed snipe listed at 5-feet-9, 174 pounds, the guy whom Navy head coach Brian Newberry calls "the fourth head to go with that snake, who might be the best player, pound for pound, on our team."
 
Chatman looks small in a football uniform, yet he has established quite the habit of playing bigger over the past three seasons. That trait often is reflected in his steady, fundamentally sound blocking for the likes of Horvath, Heidenberg and Tecza.
 
Besides being one of the more upbeat, humorous dudes in the position room, the locker room, or any room, the frequently smiling and engaging Chatman has a serious way of taking care of his business.
 
"Everybody has their [bad] days, but my feeling is why not go through life being happy? Through the bad things and trials and tribulations, things always get better," said Chatman, who grew up near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in large part with a single mom, Tianna Brown, and two younger brothers.
 
"I could be having a bad day at [the academy], when it's cold and kind of gloomy," he added. "Then I see one of my guys and I make a joke and I feel 10 times better. Why not be the light in the room?"
 
In the classroom, as a cyber operations major who aims to serve his country in that world as either a Navy or Marine officer, Chatman earned a 3.49 grade point average in the fall semester of his junior year. Last spring, he earned a 3.0 GPA.
 
In his time in Annapolis, Chatman has averaged five touches per game, while producing 1,159 career yards from scrimmage.
 
In his career, Chatman has rushed for 567 yards, averaging 5.4 per carry. As a receiver, he has gained 592 yards and averaged 13.2 yards on 45 receptions. He has rushed for four touchdowns and caught four TD passes. Seven of his eight career TDs were scored in 2024.
 
"Brandon is one of my favorite people to be around, one of the funniest guys I've known. I'm always cracking up around him. He brings infectious energy," Heidenreich said.
 
"He is also an extremely talented player, with the ball in his hands or running routes and catching passes. He's like a water bug, the way he can stop on a dime and go 90 degrees in the other direction," Heidenreich added. "The greatest thing about him is his selflessness. The way he can block a 230-pound linebacker is incredible. When you talk about guys who play bigger than they are, he totally embodies that."
 
"At the end of the day, as long as everyone is doing his part and we're winning, I love blocking all day. I can't make plays without Eli and Alex making good blocks for me," Chatman said.
 
"It's a credit to [Chatman] and to everybody in our system that we don't mind whoever gets the ball. Even if Brandon isn't touching the ball, he is an integral part of our team. He puts stress on the [opposing] defense with whatever he does," Horvath said.
 
"It's hard to be in a bad mood or upset around him. He is always bringing people up," Horvath added. "From the time we were plebes, he was one of those 24/7 workers. His work ethic is unmatched."
 
Earlier this year, Chatman was recognized with the team's "Lifter of the Summer" award. His weightlifting feats included his single bench press maximum of 315 pounds – or 1.8 times his listed weight.
 
In terms of his stature, Chatman has followed many light offensive backs – formerly called slot backs or "A" backs – over the years at Navy, which used to hang its hat on a run-heavy scheme that leaned heavily on option principles. Slot backs earned playing time, based significantly on their proficiency with blocking assignments.
 
That rule has not changed. And Chatman has thrived – even after the NCAA banned cut blocks, once the bread and butter blocks of the Mids' attack against their numerous larger opponents – with his knack for gaining enough leverage to win his share of battles against far heavier defenders.
 
"Blocking is not something I did much in high school and it's probably something I wouldn't be doing much now if I was at another school. I need to be creative with it sometimes, since I am not one of the bigger guys," said Chapman.
 
"The game happens so fast. It's not about making pancake blocks. It's more about getting in the way [of a defender] in time or chipping the guy enough," he added. "If I get knocked on my butt and my man doesn't make the tackle, I still did my job. I've thrown my body, just to get in front of my guy. There have been times when [a bigger defender] has run me over, but he went down with me, so he still couldn't make the tackle."
 
Near the end of the Mids' stunning, come-from-behind, 32-31 win against Temple on October 11 at Lincoln Financial Field, Horvath took a shotgun snap, shot straight through the open middle, and did not stop until he reached the end zone untouched with 39 seconds left in regulation. Horvath then teamed up with Tecza for a dramatic two-point conversion that finished the Owls.
 
As Horvath's 51-yard sprint began, the Navy offensive line and Tecza took care of their six blocks with stellar efficiency. And on Navy's right edge, there was Chatman, who had lined up in the slot, picking up Temple linebacker Curly Ordonez, 6-1, 220 – 45 pounds heavier – who appeared to have a possible line to reach Horvath before he could get through the opening cleanly.
 
But then Chatman locked down on Ordonez' left side with a textbook block that may have slowed Ordonez just enough to allow Horvath to complete his escape.
 
Chatman remains a dangerous offensive weapon. He excels at route running, bursts of speed and shifty changes of direction, while he owns some of the surest hands on the squad. And he never runs short on toughness.
 
His durability has been strong. After suffering a broken ankle that required surgery during his freshman spring in 2023, Chatman returned in time to play in the season opener in Ireland against Notre Dame. He has missed only one game at Navy, while playing in 30 contests overall. He has started the last 19 games.
 
"[Chatman] gives up a lot of inches and a lot of pounds. He works so hard at his craft," said David Cole, Navy's snipes coach. "We ask him to deliver some tough blocks, and he constantly delivers."
 
"I appreciate a guy who fights and claws, is a true competitor, and overcomes some things. And always has a smile on his face while he's doing it," said Drew Cronic, Navy's second-year offensive coordinator.
 
"There is a lot about 'Chat' that is the heart and soul of what we do," he added. "He'll take some hits in the chops, but he generally gets the best of the guys he goes against. He keeps showing up. That is a special trait. 'Chat' is just a great story about finding ways."
 
Chatman essentially grew up early. His mother and father, Timothy Chatman, separated when Brandon was a toddler. Brown and her son moved several times before settling in Coral Springs, Florida, when Brandon was 4. The financial struggles were formidable. Chatman recalls living at one point in a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment.
 
"Being younger wasn't always the best situation for me, and my mom," he said. "She was working multiple jobs, working hard every day, making sacrifices for me, so my life could be better than hers."
 
Due to his mother's work circumstances, she was forced to leave Brandon home alone for stretches.
 
"We didn't have much of a choice, since I worked a lot. Brandon had to take care of things and act older than he was," said Brown, who decided to sign him up for youth football. He quickly took to the sport.
 
"Brandon was this happy, chatty person, which he still is. We made the best of everything," she added. "He always had this light that drew people in. Football helped him grow up. It was good for him to be around other boys and get some male guidance."
 
By the time he got to middle school, Chatman, who turns 23 on October 23, was helping to take care of two younger brothers, Johnny and Gavin, now 15 and 12, respectively. Brandon would assist with their homework, cook for the family on certain nights – steak and spaghetti are still among his favorite things to prepare.
 
Chatman entered Chaminade-Madonna College Prep in Hollywood, Fla. as a freshman. He would soon earn his learner's permit, then his driver's license. His mom bought him a used car, which he used to drive himself and his brothers to school and football practices.
 
Chatman played for two years on the junior varsity at the high school football powerhouse. He suffered a dislocated elbow during his sophomore season. The following year, after he got minimal playing time on the varsity team, Chatman and his mom decided it was time for a change.
 
"I had to find a way to get to college. I wasn't getting any looks at Chaminade," said Chatman, who was a strong student and a frustrated, talented slot receiver.
 
He ended up spending his senior year at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, where Navy great Diego Fagot had played. During a Covid-shortened six-game regular season, and a postseason run that ended with a regional final loss – to Chaminade-Madonna – Chatman shined. Not even a significant shoulder injury could hold him down.
 
"Brandon's sense of duty was so beyond the other kids in our room. It was just a blessing to find him," said Calvary head coach Kirk Hoza, who advised Navy to take a chance on this undersized receiver. "He never should have played in that [regional final] game. But he blocked, ran routes, caught balls. It was like a miracle to watch him. He was special. He gave us a chance to win."
 
Navy contacted Chatman – whose only offer had been from Warner University, an NAIA school – three days before the start of the February national signing period. A committed recruit had not achieved the test scores necessary for admission. A spot for a slot back was available.
 
Soon, Chatman was headed to the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport for a year, before landing in Annapolis for plebe summer in 2022. Although he did not see any varsity action as a freshman, Chatman got some meaningful looks as an A-back on the scout team. His teammates eventually voted him Junior Varsity Player of the Year.
 
It was only the beginning.
 
"I never thought I'd be here. I've grown as a person. I've gotten out of my comfort zone as a leader. I've learned a lot of skills I don't think I would have learned at lots of other schools," Chatman said.
 
"This place teaches you how to speak up for yourself, how to go about your business, whether it's the classroom, leading on the football team or leading in your company. It's given me that confidence about the future."