Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications
Written by Daniel Merriman
On Saturday, JMU football officially entered the Bob Chesney era as the Dukes played their first official game in front of fans at Bridgeforth Stadium under Chesney.
JMU's offense won the annual spring game by a score of 30-29, and the Dukes had an impressive mix of returners and transfers. The younger members of the JMU program also had some great moments. Here are some key takeaways from the exhibition.
The receiver shows off the promise.
Linebacker Jacob Dobbs tells himself and his team every day, “If you're not energetic, you're no good.” Well, quarterback Dylan Morris and wide receiver Cam Ross were active today.
Morris, the team's expected QB1, looked for Ross multiple times and scored several times throughout the afternoon. Ross completed a key first down conversion in the first quarter, giving Morris its first lead through most of the game.
Ross has lightning speed and a diverse root tree. Ross is likely to be a major target for Morris this fall. At 5'10'', his UConn transfer is well positioned to be his WR1. He will have stiff competition for the spot with returning ECU transfer Taj Hudson.
Dylan Williams seems like the real deal. He scored a touchdown during a one-on-one game and made an incredible one-handed catch. He is already a jump ball threat with impressive size (6-foot-1, 193 pounds). Although he was a freshman, he showed overwhelming power as a pass catcher.
“This guy is going to be something special… He's a freak athlete, he's got huge hands, he catches everything near him, he works his tail off,” Morris said.
The freshman who enrolls early could eventually become JMU's next star wide receiver.
deep running back room
This year's running back room is loaded with talent. Ayo Adei, who is expected to be a starter, showed explosiveness and versatility all day. Supporting him was George Pettaway, who showed elite explosiveness in the gaps.
Pettaway exploded on a tackle for a 38-yard TD. Overall, the run blocking showed great promise compared to last year's ground game. The Dukes ranked 12th in rushing yards per game in 2023, averaging 134.2 yards per game and less than four yards per carry.
In the spring game, there were very few procedural penalties and zero turnovers on offense. Behind his stout JMU O-line, Solomon VanHoose also contributed some great production. He averaged more than 10 yards a carry on three attempts in the first half.
JMU had a ton of backfield talent last year, but had the most success using that space as a pass catcher. While pass-catching will be a big part of the running back's job this fall, it looks like the rushing game will be completely reinvented this year.
“There were some really clean run plays,” head coach Bob Chesney said. “I thought a few things happened inside and we opened up really well.”
Young safeties could need time quickly
KJ Flo, Chase Regan and Evan Spivey were thoroughly impressed in the JMU safety room. This position group has plenty of opportunities for young players to become starters. Five safeties graduated last year, and few returning players played quality snaps.
Sophomore DJ Barksdale and junior Jacob Thomas have been touted throughout spring ball. But the young guns stepped up and thrived in Harrisonburg.
“Spivey did a really good job. He did some things that I think stood out,” Chesney said of the redshirt freshman.
The other two freshman safeties (Flo and Regan) also have incredible potential. Thomas is projected to be the starter, but one of these young players could easily line up alongside him once fall camp is complete.
Stay tuned for Special 2024
Today's festival provides an exciting insight into what fall football will be like. This year, JMU's high school recruiting and transfer portal additions will benefit.
The Dukes have a lot of room to grow and improve, especially defensively. However, they still appear to be in a very competitive position in the Sun Belt and could possibly compete for a Group of 5 spot in the College Football Playoff.
“It's very similar to the blueprint that was laid out here last year…we need to put ourselves in a position where we can probably come out of this situation with a pretty clean record,” Chesney said.
The Dukes have a lot of steps between now and then, but that's the goal.
“This is a difficult challenge, but one that our staff is targeting at some level,” Chesney said.
