James Madison isn’t spending too much time looking at preseason expectations.
Sure, the Dukes were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt East and had five players land on preseason all-conference teams.
There are some high preseason expectations for the Dukes, many set by people outside the program, but head coach Bob Chesney isn’t focusing on those too much.
To him, he couldn’t care less about the preseason rankings, because, usually, people don’t have a good feel for what’s happening inside the program.
“I don't think people know what to expect from us just yet,” Chesney said. “I think there's guys that were on this roster already, they’re gonna have a chance to shine. … Then there's [this] whole crop of guys that just came in that we're just as excited as everybody else to see exactly what they can do.”
When it comes to the offense, wide receiver Taji Hudson has seen this group up close over the last year. He’s seen the work put in by players who maybe haven’t had their moment to shine on Saturday yet and he’s also witnessed the consistent effort from groups like the offensive line.
A season ago, the passing game was strong for the Dukes, but they couldn’t seem to put together a consistent rush attack.
In Hudson’s eyes, the offensive line should be able to help JMU thrive in multiple facets this upcoming year.
The group is experienced and ready to go.
“I believe that our o-line is being overlooked,” Hudson said. “We have a couple of returning starters that people aren't really talking about as much, so I believe the o-line room as a whole will do big numbers and will have a big impact on the team.”
Hudson added that between the returners on the offensive line and the transfer additions, it’s a group that shows up each day looking to get better. Like any position group, Hudson said, there’s room to improve, and the offensive line is up for the challenge.
While so much of the offensive success starts in the trenches, Hudson added that it wasn’t just there that the Dukes held some potential breakout stars.
Wide receivers Maxwell Moss, Yamir Knight and Chris Lofton are all young, but their time on the field could be growing.
The trio of wide receivers were with the program last season, but only Moss and Knight saw playing time. Even though they reached the field, the pair only combined for three total receptions.
The group hasn’t seen a ton of playing time, but it’s a group of young receivers Hudson believes is trending in the right direction.
“I can name a lot of people right now,” Hudson said. “Time will tell, but if we can stay close and everybody can stay healthy, there'll be a lot of people on our team that will make huge impacts that nobody thought would.”
Linebacker Jacob Dobbs shares a similar mindset as Hudson when it comes to trying to close in on one breakout star. Dobbs can’t just pick a player or two who’s poised to have a breakout season.
To him, there are so many on the defensive side of the ball.
Dobbs was drawn to the newest additions in the JMU secondary as potential key players once the season gets underway. The first-year Duke said he expects cornerback Chris Shearin to shine in the secondary and also added that safety Ray Williams and nickel Ja’Kai Young will do big things.
Division-II transfer Jordan Taylor and former Holy Cross player Terrence Spence also picked up a shoutout from Dobbs. The secondary, at times, was one of the bigger question marks on the JMU roster, but those in the program know the ceiling is high.
“Having those guys in the secondary is going to be a huge deal to us,” Dobbs said. “The depth and the competition that is now going to be in that secondary for starting jobs, and then guys that are going to be able to go in and play if something happens to the guy who's named the starter.”
Chesney echoed his longtime linebacker’s view on the Dukes’ secondary.
It was a position group that took a hit following the spring season with the departure of cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. With holes to fill, specifically in the secondary, the JMU coaching staff went out and added to the room.
The coaches didn’t just add a player or two.
They brought in six different guys.
Chesney said that it was important to double up at both the nickel and corner positions before preseason camp came. JMU wanted depth in the secondary and the staff found it.
“We brought in a guy in each of those groups and then an extra on top of it,” Chesney said. “It’s just one more guy to be able to help push this thing and compete really, really hard.”
It happens every year. There always seems to be a player who people didn’t know before the season started, but by the time December rolls around they’re a star.
A season ago it was, arguably, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt.
He became a key piece in the team making it to the Armed Forces Bowl, and now Chesney is leading a team he believes is full of players who could become stars.
It’s something Chesney said he experienced in 2022 at Holy Cross when the Crusaders went undefeated in the regular season.
Now at JMU, Chesney hasn’t lost the joy of leading a team that could very well steal some attention with breakout stars.
To have a team like Holy Cross in 2022, though, programs need depth, and Chesney believes JMU has just that.
“Whether you like the transfer portal or not, I think it allows you to bring in depth,” Chesney said. “There's a lot of very capable dudes in there that are going to be playing a lot of football, and I can't wait to just watch them go and watch them get a chance to put it on display in front of 26-27,000 people.”
