Curt Cignetti and the Dukes blitzed the FBS in their first two seasons, going 19-5. And while the team is nearly unrecognizable after Cignetti took the Indiana job this offseason, it’s still in good hands with Bob Chesney in tow. What are the biggest questions the new head coach will face at his inaugural Sun Belt Media Days?
Three Most Significant Questions for Bob Chesney at Sun Belt Media Days
1) Can Dylan Morris Fill Jordan McCloud’s Shoes?
Jordan McCloud lit up the Sun Belt after five years of relative obscurity at the collegiate level (USF, 2018-20; Arizona, 2021-22), recording 3,657 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 68.2% completion rate. He also added 276 yards and eight scores on the ground, leading the Dukes to an 11-1 regular-season record and their first bowl game in the FBS.
However, McCloud transferred to Texas State this offseason, leaving a gaping hole at QB. To fill it, Chesney brought in Washington’s Dylan Morris. The former four-star recruit in the 2019 class started 15 games in his career with the Huskies (four in 2020 and 11 in 2021), completing 305 of 503 passes for 3,721 yards, 20 TDs, and 17 INTs.
While his numbers aren’t all that impressive, Morris studied under QB guru Kalen DeBoer and watched Michael Penix Jr. torch the country over the last two years. His arm is solid enough, and he’s by far the most experienced player in JMU’s QB room. The rest of the passers have a combined 34 career attempts.
Redshirt junior Billy Atkins, a trio of redshirt sophomores (Alonza Barnett III, Brett Griffs, and Blake Kendall), and three-star true freshman JC Evans make up the depth chart behind Morris. Barnett, who won the job out of camp and started in Week 1 last year, and the 6’5″ Evans are the most intriguing of the bunch and could push Morris for the starting nod.
Chesney has a penchant for dual-threat athletes, with former Holy Cross and current UNLV signal-caller Matthew Sluka rushing for 1,247 yards last season, including a Division I QB record 330 yards against Lafayette. Morris doesn’t fit the mold (56 career rushing yards), but Chesney and Co. know a thing or two about getting the most out of their starter.
2) Is There a Lack of Depth at Defensive Back?
Freshman All-American CB D’Angelo Ponds followed Cignetti to Indiana, and 2023 starting safety Francis Meehan is now a DBs coach for the Hoosiers. However, they were far from the only DBs to leave JMU this offseason, as the Dukes return just five of the 13 secondary members that saw snaps last year.
Starting CB Chauncey Logan and safety Jacob Thomas return, but the other three DBs (DJ Barksdale, Kye Holmes, and Justin Eaglin) combined for less than 60 snaps played in 2023. Enter the transfers.
Holy Cross’ Terrence Spence joins the fray after registering 52 tackles and a pair of picks last season. But more than that, he’s a special teams weapon, blocking six kicks across four years with the Crusaders.
While Spence is a near lock for the CB2 spot across from Logan, Tusculum’s Jordan Taylor provides depth at outside corner, as he is fresh off a three-INT campaign at the Division II level.
The nickel spot is a bit more interesting. Gardner-Webb’s Ja’Kai Young started at outside CB last season, snatching two INTs (both pick-sixes) and nine PBUs. Yet, JMU’s roster lists him at nickel, where his movement skills and playmaking ability should have no issue translating.
UConn’s Chris Shearin, who has started the last two years in the slot for the Huskies, is listed as a safety, although he should still see plenty of time near the line of scrimmage. He began his career at Missouri, and his SEC pedigree comes at an opportune time for a secondary enduring a massive overhaul. The talent is there, but it will be up to defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill to ensure his players are in a position to succeed.
3) How Will the Contingent From Holy Cross Translate?
Chesney isn’t the only former Holy Cross coach joining James Madison, as he brought eight Crusaders with him:
- Dean Kennedy: Offensive coordinator/QBs
- Drew Canan: Special teams coordinator/TEs
- Anthony DiMichele: Recruiting coordinator/safeties
- Chris Zarkoskie: Senior offensive analyst
- Kyle Barnes: Senior defensive analyst
- Nick Sproles: Offensive GA
- Mike Cordova: Offensive GA
Additionally, defensive GA Justice Seales served on Chesney’s staff at Holy Cross before working at UConn last season.
Only four Crusaders players became Dukes, but each one should make an impact in Year 1: RB Tyler Purdy, OL Patrick McMurtrie, LB Jacob Dobbs, and Spence.
Purdy will serve as the RB2 behind North Texas’ 1,000-yard back Ayo Adeyi. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry last season and also took 14 catches for 166 yards, so he should see significant snaps, especially on third down.
McMurtrie earned second-team All-Patriot League honors in 2024, using all 6’6″ and 300 pounds of his frame to create rushing lanes and keep his QB clean at right tackle.
Last but not least is Dobbs, who brings 432 tackles to Harrisonburg. Yet, he’s not just a tackling machine — although that aspect of his game can’t be understated — as he has generated 46.5 TFLs, 22.5 sacks, and four INTs in his career, operating as the Crusaders’ defensive leader.
The staff is there. The talent is there. But can Chesney pick up where Cignetti left off? The 46-year-old took Holy Cross to five straight conference titles and four FCS playoff appearances in his six-year tenure, but he’s not a one-stop-wonder.
Chesney got his head coaching start at Division III Salve Regina, where he slowly built the team up from 6-4 to 8-2 to 9-2. Then, he took the reigns at Division II Assumption, where he went 6-5, 7-4, 11-2, 9-3, and 11-2, reaching the playoffs in the last three years.
A 5-6 first year at Holy Cross was Chesney’s only losing season as a head coach, and its unlikely he adds a second one in his first campaign at James Madison.
Sun Belt Media Days Schedule: Bob Chesney, James Madison Head Coach
- Date: Tuesday, July 23
- Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
- How to watch: ESPN+
While the program has undergone major turnover, it faces one of the easiest strengths of schedules, ranking 16th in the nation and second in the conference. Their most difficult games are Week 3 against North Carolina and a two-week stretch of Appalachian State and Marshall to end the season.
The Dukes currently own a win total of 8.5 and the fifth-best odds to finish atop the Sun Belt, according to FanDuel. They land at No. 3 on College Football Network’s 2024 Sun Belt Power Rankings, largely due to Chesney’s coaching pedigree and an influx of transfer talent.
It will take time for the staff to instill their culture and marry their schemes to their players’ strengths, but JMU should have no issue posting their third straight campaign with 8+ wins since joining the FBS.
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