When he won a coveted admission spot tothe Naval Academy at Annapolis, local kid Jake Huard ( Franco) thought all his dreams had come true - but his battle to become the man he wants to be is only just the beginning.

Now, uncertain if a regular kid from a poor blue collar family can fit into the Academy's pressure-cooker atmosphere, and barely making the grade as a Freshman "plebe", Jake has one last shot at proving he has what it takes to become an officer in an institution that boasts a venerable 137-year history of focused discipline and determined excellence. With nothing left to lose, Jake decides to enter the notoriously fierce Navy boxing competition known as the Brigade Championships - and face off against his arch-nemesis, Midshipman Lt. Cole (Gibson).

Everything Jake has ever hoped for stands in the balance: the chance to make his father proud, to validate his Lieutenant's faith in him, to stand up for his fellow plebes, and most of all, to forge a different future....