Navy finding national competition on recruiting trail

Slotback Jamale Carothers was named Mr. Football and the Gatorade Player of the Year in Kentucky. The 5-foot-8, 186-pounder holds the Bowling Green High records for career rushing yards and total points. (Courtesy) There was once a time when Navy's only football recruiting rivals were Army and Air Force. Those three service academies annually found themselves battling for the same prospects with the competition primarily coming from Division I-AA and Ivy League schools.

But times have changed for Navy, which has significantly raised its national profile over the past decade-plus. During this current recruiting cycle, the Midshipmen found themselves doing battle with a bunch of fellow…