Xavier Arline enters Navy spring football practice as the clear-cut starting quarterback, largely because the competition consists of players with little or no game experience.
Arline played in five games with three starts as a freshman, flashing dynamic running ability at times while also displaying some leadership skills.
In a testament to the massive struggles of the Navy offense throughout last season, Arline finished as the team’s third-leading rusher with 210 yards on 59 carries. Most of that came against archrival Army when the 5-foot-9, 165-pounder ran for 109 yards.
Arline reminded observers somewhat of former Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry when he broke loose for a 52-yard gain against the Black Knights, showing some shake and sudden cutback ability in juking multiple defenders.