 The 1886 Navy football team was made up of twelve players at five unique positions. The squad consisted of five rushers, one snapback, two fullbacks, two halfbacks, and two quarterbacks. Three of the players (both halfbacks and a rusher) had played the previous season. The age of the players ranged several years due to the academy's admission policy; the school allowed for men between the ages of 14 and 18 to be admitted, which future player John B. Patton remarked made it "just a boys' school".
