Meet Zach Abey, the QB whose first career start is in the Army-Navy game

This is Navy’s quarterback, a sophomore who is about to do something truly special.

In Navy’s loss against Temple in the American Athletic Conference Championship, Abey came in in relief for QB Will Worth, but today it’s his show. He started the season third on the depth chart, but after an injury to Tago Smith in Week 1 and then the injury Worth suffered last week, Abey was thrust into duty under center. He’s understandably excited about the opportunity.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been dreaming of running out of that tunnel for the Army-Navy game. So to be honest, this is a dream come true for me,” Abey said.

Abey’s hometown of Pasadena, Maryland, is just 20 miles away from Baltimore, a frequent site for Army-Navy games. During his recruitment, Abey verballed to Buffalo but told Bulls coaches that he would flip to the Naval Academy if it offered him. That’s what it did, and Abey became a Midshipman.

All of my live living near the Academy it’s been a dream of mine to play for Navy. When they offered me It was something I couldn’t pass up. And I look forward to having a military Career.

This is yet another twist in a QB situation that for so long was set in stone. Keenan Reynolds came close to getting a Heisman invite last season after four seasons of stellar play that will put him in the history books for years to come. Replacing him was the biggest task for Navy, and one of the reasons this season has been coach Ken Niumatalolo’s best coaching job yet.

But can Abey be a plug-and-play success at the level that Worth was this season? While Worth may not be Reynolds, he still led the team to a 9-3 record. Now it’s up to Abey to pilot the ship and steer clear of a loss to Army for the first time since 2002.