Drew Cronic has applied different names to this particular position group during his two decades of coaching the Wing-T offense.
Wing backs is the traditional term for the position in the old school offense. Navy fans knew these players as slotbacks for the past 21 years. Starting this season, they are now snipes — a nickname coined by current position coach David Cole.
Perhaps the most accurate description for these two players would be playmakers. In Cronic’s “millennial” version of Wing-T offense, the wing backs — or slots or snipes — have always played a pivotal role.
“They’re receivers and running backs. They’re good football players that can do a lot of things,” Cronic said. “You want home run hitters at that position —- guys that are able to do things we can’t teach when you get them the ball out in space.”
Navy fans saw Saturday how versatile a weapon the snipes can be in this offense. Starters Eli Heidenreich and Brandon Chatman combined for 170 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns to spark Navy to a 49-21 blowout of Bucknell in the season opener.
Cronic moved Chatman and Heidenreich all over the formation and found all sorts of creative ways to get them the ball. Chatman turned a well-designed screen pass into a 42-yard touchdown by slipping several tackles while threading his way through the defense. He also lined up in the backfield when Navy was in shotgun formation, followed an escort of blockers around the left side, turned the corner and picked up 14 yards. One possession later, he had a 16-yard gain off a well-designed run play.
Heidenreich took a short pass in the flat and raced 39 yards for a score, using a pair of lightning-quick jump cuts to leave two defenders grasping for air. He later lined up as a wide receiver, came in motion and took a jet sweep for an 8-yard gain. Shortly after, he ran a precision-like route to get open in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Blake Horvath.
“We’ve got to get the ball in Eli’s hands and Chat’s hands as much as possible,” Cronic said. “I thought those two played exceptionally well and really made things happen [on Saturday].”
Heidenreich emerged as a big-time playmaker last season, leading Navy with 382 receiving yards and adding 214 rushing yards. The Pittsburgh native averaged a whopping 20.1 yards on 19 catches and a stellar 7.9 yards on 27 rushing attempts.
The 6-foot, 201-pound junior is the bigger body the coaching staff is seeking at the snipe position going forward. He was a slot receiver in high school and boasts extremely sure hands. That reliability catching the ball has led the coaching staff to install Heidenreich as the team’s punt returner this season.
It was somewhat fitting that Heidenreich set up Chatman’s touchdown reception with an impressive 23-yard punt return in which he made the gunner miss. Cole, who describes Heidenreich as the complete package in terms of speed, quickness and elusiveness, has nicknamed him Drago — the fictional Russian boxer from “Rocky IV.”
“Eli brings tremendous toughness and he does not get tired. He’s like a machine, which is why we call him Drago,” Cole said. “On top of all that, Eli is a really smart player as well. He does a tremendous job of seeing the defense and understanding what they’re trying to do. He can process stuff quickly and play fast.”
Chatman, like Heidenreich, also made a mark in his first varsity season — tying for the team lead with 19 receptions for 254 yards, while rushing for 165 yards. The Florida native worked hard during the offseason to add 15 pounds to his 5-foot-9 frame and got much stronger.
Chatman credits strength and conditioning coordinator Jim Kiritsy for crafting a plan that enabled him to add pounds and muscle mass without sacrificing speed. Cole said Chatman has “built up his body armor” and is therefore a more physical runner and is not getting bumped around on pass routes.
“I was actually able to build my explosiveness and become bigger, faster and stronger,” Chatman said. “That adds a whole different factor to my game. It’s also showing up in my blocking, too. I feel like I’ve improved greatly with that.”
Chatman’s new-found power was on display during the 42-yard catch and run that produced his first career touchdown Saturday. He made several cutback moves while running through several arm tackles.
“I feel like I can be dangerous from the slot position as far as being able to catch the ball in space and make plays. That’s a very crucial aspect of this offense and we need to step up whenever our number is called,” he said.
Pound for pound, Chatman is one of the toughest players on the Navy football team and showed that last season despite being so slightly built. Coach Brian Newberry said Saturday’s touchdown run, in which Chatman literally powered through the body of one defender, is something we’ll see more of this season.
“Brandon’s always been a guy for his size who is a really hard runner and breaks tackles,” Newberry said. “You can definitely see that he’s a better football player than a year ago because of that added weight and strength.”
Cronic also had high praise for the way Chatman, Heidenreich and the other snipes blocked against Bucknell. He was proud of the way they competed and won matchups.
“Not only were they making plays with the football; they were also really unselfish and imposing themselves as blockers in the run game,” he said.
Senior Amin Hassan and sophomore Isaiah Bryant were the only other snipes that saw action while the game was still in doubt with each getting one carry and being targeted once in the passing game. Sophomore Joshua Guerin and freshman Mikey Pearson III are listed third on the depth chart.
Hassan was named position captain by the coaching staff with Cole describing him as a “steady Eddie type of guy” and said the maturity and experience he brings is invaluable. Chatman said his fellow south Florida native is like a big brother to the younger snipes.
“We all look up to Amin and lean on him for advice and wisdom,” he said.
While the position is now known as snipes instead of slots, the job description has not changed much. Chatman said the A snipe plays more of a running role, while the Z snipe is more involved with the passing game. Cole expects every member of the unit to know both the A and Z spots and be comfortable with switching back-and-forth.
“It’s the same position. The only thing I would say is different is the mentality,” Chatman said. “Coach Cole says we’re elite snipers and we’re going to be better than every position on the field. We’re going to make plays and practice harder than everybody else, too.”
Navy Snipes
Position Coach: David Cole, first year
Starters lost: none
Other lettermen lost: Anton Hall (dismissed); Daniel Jones (graduated)
Current starters: Eli Heidenreich (Junior, 6-0, 201); Brandon Chatman (Junior, 5-9, 167)
Top backups: Amin Hassan (Senior, 5-7, 170); Isaiah Bryant (Sophomore, 5-9, 160)
