Article by Daniel Merriman

JMU’s defense was historic in 2023. The Dukes set the Sun Belt single-season record for total team sacks at 45. Defensive line standout, Jalen Green, was the first FBS All-American in program history, too.

Heading into the 2024 season, Green and other major contributors are not returning to this year’s group due to graduation or transferring to new destinations. This team lost every defensive coach except Eddie Whitley, the cornerbacks coach. Therefore significant change is expected. Opportunities are now available for new playmakers to emerge. 

The Scheme

A 4-2-5 scheme appears to be defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill’s preferred defensive base. James Madison’s coaches have expressed that leverages and matchups are paramount to success. Therefore, I expect the defensive scheme to be multiple as the Dukes face unique offensive challenges. The linebackers are captaining the unit through camp, and the secondary looks much deeper than last year. JMU’s defensive front is unproven but has looked scary during camp.

Newcomers Bolster Defensive Front

Eric O’Neill is a standout. The 2023 Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year is one of the most proven transfers on this roster. Albeit at the FCS level, O’Neill has been a dominant edge rusher for the past two years (44.5 tackles for loss). He is on the preseason SBC Second Team defense for a reason. A 10+ sack season could very well be in the cards for the LIU product, who looks like a starter during camp.

Amar Thomas as well as Lloyd Summerall are names being frequently mentioned by players and coaches at the defensive end position. Thomas started in the Dukes’ bowl appearance against Air Force, finishing the game with three tackles.. Summerall is one of the most explosive athletes pound for pound on the entire roster. He started his career at Florida and has legitimate Power 4 size (6’6″ and 245 lbs). If he can stay healthy, watch out for the USF transfer. Khairi Manns is an interesting addition to this roster as well. The former Maine standout (8.5 sacks in 26 career games) played sparingly for Colorado last year but has a realistic opportunity to make the two deep this season and is working as a defensive end during camp.

On the interior of the defensive line, Immanuel Bush receives frequent praise during camp. Bush looks much more athletic than in previous seasons and came on strong to end JMU’s 2023 campaign (three TFLs in JMU’s final four games).

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Mychal McMullin might be the breakout star of fall camp. He beat out Cole Potts in a 1-on-1 compete drill early in camp. That doesn’t happen often to the preseason All SBC right guard. Chris “Twitchgerald” FItzgerald is someone who Ayo Adeyi, JMU’s likely starting running back, mentioned as one of the guys who have given him the most fits in the run game. Adeyi mentioned how the Youngstown St. tackle was recorded running 16+ mph in practice (he’s over 300 lbs) and sports great hands. He may be one of the Dukes’ most underrated pickups in the transfer portal.

Terry Lockett, another potential underrated pickup out of Syracuse, is coming back from a shoulder injury and is progressing nicely as camp moves along. He might not start at the beginning of the year but could be opening games as the season progresses. He is an ideal fit for new defensive line coach Sam Daniels, with Lockett saying they play very similar positions/styles.

Hendrick a Starting Linebacker?

Holy Cross transfer Jacob Dobbs acts like an on-field defensive coordinator. Unlimited energy, constant communication, and inarguably the captain of this defense, I would be absolutely flabbergasted if 27 isn’t starting at middle linebacker the entire year (barring injuries).

Junior linebacker Trent Hendrick has been a vocal leader during this year’s camp. He’s led the team in stretches multiple times and has been a stellar tackler during the early stages of camp. Hendrick has six career starts at JMU, and I believe he’ll start next to Dobbs.

Taurus Jones appears to be very close to being fully healthy after dealing with an upper body injury last fall. He was an All-SBC third teamer in 2022, recording a team-high 82 tackles. Chesney specifically highlighted him during post-practice media session a few days ago. 

Gannon Weathersby grabs my attention. The former Coastal Carolina commit slides by blockers and makes unexpected plays often. The sophomore could secure noticeable reps this year, especially if there are any injuries.

Graduate transfer Ray Scott is large and imposing. Listed at 6’1″ and 246 lbs, he’s a welcome addition to this new-look run defense. He comes to James Madison with experience at USC and Fresno St. While playing for the Trojans, he also got reps as a safety. His coverage skills are wildly underrated and he should be one of the premier “reserves” on this defense.

Secondary Still Unpredictable

This is by far the most confusing group when it comes to predicting who starts. However, two things are certain, Chauncey Logan needs to be on the field and Jordan Taylor is exciting to watch. Taylor had an interception during the first few practices of camp and has been playing beside Logan often. The former Tusculum (D2) track star is a strong run defender and tackler. He’s wiry but extremely explosive and strong. He’s a sleeper All-Sun Belt team pick.

Terrence Spence came with Chesney from Holy Cross. During open periods of camp, Spence regularly plays with other projected two deep players. He’s lined up at both safety and corner. If you can run, cover, and tackle, Hemphill will find a way to play you.

Safety Jacob Thomas is a returning starter expected to see reps in 2024. The former high school quarterback has a good mind for the game and is positionally versatile at both strong and free safety.

I haven’t had the best look at Howard transfer Ray Williams during camp, but the veteran has impressed others on the roster. Dobbs mentioned him to members of the media as a player to watch. Gardner-Webb transfer Ja’Kai Young and KJ Flowe (a true freshman) are both seeing significant snaps at the nickel position. Flowe possesses exceptional speed and appears to be one of the few true freshman who could make an immediate impact.

True freshman Chase Regan fits that same bill. The speedster from Pennsylvania transformed his body during the offseason and appears to be an active communicator. He impressed in the spring game and continued that momentum into fall camp. Regan’s skills suggest he could be starting by the end of the year at one of the safety positions. If nothing else, the Dukes boast two freshman standouts in the secondary capable of making plays in future seasons.

JMU’s defense is largely unproven, yet full of potential.

The defensive line creates pressure often during practice, with the secondary making solid plays on the back end. The linebackers look like the strongest position group on the team. In my opinion, Jacob Dobbs is in for a Jason Henderson-like season. Henderson, who plays for ODU, is a tackling machine and the preseason Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year.

The defense held an edge over the offense to begin camp, although that’s balanced out in recent days. In theory, the transfer-heavy unit will continue to gel in coming weeks. This group might not be a completely finished product on Aug. 31, however, the pieces are there for this unit to be special in Sun Belt play.

Header image courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications