MORGANTOWN -- Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro is no hidden secret to the West Virginia University football team.
Navarro is coming off an impressive 2024 season that saw him total more than 3,400 yards and 30 touchdowns, including 18 on the ground.
The Bobcat quarterback's game was cemented in multiple lists across the country during the offseason.
CBS Sports listed Navarro as one of the top 50 quarterbacks entering 2025. He was also tabbed to the Walter Camp and Davey O'Brien award preseason watch lists.
The scouting report on the dual-threat Ohio quarterback has been a point of emphasis for WVU as the Mountaineers enter their Week 2 matchup against the Bobcats in Athens, Ohio, on Saturday.
"Their quarterback is one of the best in the country," WVU coach Rich Rodriguez said. "He's really good, really talented. He can take the play that's off and make something happen out of it."
Navarro finished last season with 160 carries for 1,054 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Bobcats quarterback rushed for more than 100 yards in six games last season, including a 176-yard, one-touchdown performance on the ground against Central Michigan.
He rushed for more than 100 yards in four of Ohio's final five games. In each of the last five games, he rushed for at least two touchdowns.
"You gotta have that in mind defensively when putting your packages together and say, 'Hey, you might have everybody covered, but he's gonna take off and run,'" Rodriguez said. "It's not one of these deals where you don't have to worry about the quarterback taking off. You have to worry.
"You can't let him run around, scramble and run for first downs and throw for off-schedule plays. He thrives in that atmosphere."
WVU defensive coordinator Zac Alley is being detail-oriented in figuring out how to slow down Navarro.
"Nobody really did [slow him down] last year or even [last week]," Alley said. "He kind of ran over everybody. [It's] making sure we keep him in the pocket as far as the rush, [while] trying to keep him from scrambling out and around. He's a top-five quarterback in the country when he gets outside the pocket. He's unbelievable once he's out on the move.
"So, [we'll] do everything we can to keep him in there, and that'll involve the defensive line and spy players."
Navarro finished fifth last season among Division I FBS quarterbacks in rushing yards.
He finished behind Army's Bryson Daily, Jacksonville State's Tyler Huff, Navy's Blake Horvath and New Mexico's Devon Dampier.
The Bobcats were No. 32 nationally last season in successful red zone attempts, scoring 88.68% of the time.
They scored 24 touchdowns inside the 20-yard line last season, which was 24th-best nationally.
"[They're] very efficient [down there]," Alley said. "We were laughing today. I don't know how many red-zone plays [they had]. It wasn't many. When they get down there, they score and they do a good job of it. Obviously, they like running him."
The Mountaineers are working to pick up on Navarro's tendencies.
WVU safety Darrian Lewis previously played four seasons at Akron, a Mid-American Conference foe of the Bobcats, so he knows firsthand what challenges lie ahead when facing Navarro.
"He will beat you with his arm and legs," Lewis said. "He's a really good runner for sure. Once he starts to move, he can throw the ball well. We gotta be [key] on our details and sound."
Lewis noted that he never beat Ohio while playing for the Zips, giving him additional motivation on Saturday.
The Mountaineers defense was stern in its Week 1 contest against Robert Morris, posting four sacks and eight tackles for loss in a 45-3 victory.
Veteran Mountaineer defensive lineman Hammond Russell, who had two sacks last Saturday, wants to take this week's challenge head-on when facing Navarro.
"It's a challenge that we need to take on because this guy is a player. He's a ball player," Russell said. "We have to be able to keep our integrity when we rush. We have to be disciplined. If we're not, that could hurt us a lot because he's a really good player.
"Once he's out of the pocket, he's very dangerous."
