Image courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications

By Bennett Conlin & Jack Fitzpatrick

For the JMU recruiting junkies out there, we’ll track JMU football’s 2025 recruiting class as it takes shape under head coach Bob Chesney. We’ll provide live updates as the class takes shape, which includes interviews with some of the commits.

Be sure to follow @DukesRecruits on Twitter for all the latest JMU Recruiting news.

Offensive additions

JD Rayner, OL – Rayner, a Massachusetts prospect, plays tight end and defensive end, but he’s moving to offensive line in the fall. He’ll join JMU as an offensive lineman when he comes to Harrisonburg in 2025. FCS schools and UMass were among those also seeking Rayner’s services.

Trent Wilson, OL – JMU beat out SMU and Memphis (among others) for Wilson’s commitment. Tulsa also made a strong push for the Texas prospect, but the three-star recruit verbally committed to JMU.

Ethan Gurela, TE – An athletic tight end prospect from Georgia, Gurela picked JMU over Marshall, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State, among others. Florida Atlantic made a strong push for Gurela as well, but he landed on the Dukes.

Brian Hnat, TE – A Connecticut prospect, Hnat has experience playing multiple positions, but he’ll be a tight end for JMU. He also received FBS offers from UMass, Army, and Temple. At 6’5 and 225 lbs, Hnat has intriguing size for an incoming tight end prospect.

Parker Cunningham, OL – An offensive lineman from Pennsylvania, Cunningham was highly recruited by FCS programs and also earned an offer from Buffalo, a MAC team.

Dylan Villarouel, OL – A 6’4 and 300-lb lineman from Georgia, Villarouel picked JMU over offers from Air Force, Georgia State, and Middle Tennessee, among others. He’s yet another big-bodied lineman in JMU’s 2025 class, which has multiple offensive line prospects.

Jamarcus Smith, WR – A 6’1 wide receiver from South Carolina, Smith picked the Dukes over several Sun Belt East programs, including App State.

Michael “Mikey” Scott, WR – The 3-star WR from Pennsylvania verbally committed to JMU in late October, shortly after decommitting from Arizona State. Numerous Power Four programs, including Cincinnati, Maryland, and West Virginia, offered Scott a scholarship, per 24/7 Sports. The 5’8″ WR is a speedy player who could play as a true freshman. 

Jonathan Williams, WR – A 3-star WR from North Carolina, Williams also received heavy recruiting interest from ECU and App State. At 5’9 and 160 lbs, Williams is a speedy WR with solid athleticism.

Jackson McCarter, RB – JMU flipped the running back from Villanova. A Virginia prospect, McCarter ran for over 1,300 yards and 25 TDs in eight games this season. He’s a talented athlete with good speed, who could develop into a contributor in the backfield. 

Defensive additions

Jerald James, DE – An edge rusher from Florida, James received notable offers from Maryland, SMU, West Virginia, and Liberty. He opted to commit to Bob Chesney and the Dukes, giving them young help on the edge. He committed to JMU days after visiting.

Kai Callen, DB – The 3-star prospect out of Carrollton, GA committed to JMU after taking his official visit over the June 15 weekend. Callen committed to JMU over schools like UConn and Washington State and the ATH had offers from a plethora of FCS schools.

Cole Webster, DL – The 6’3, 280-pound defensive line prospect out of Cuthbertson High School in Waxhaw, NC announced his commitment on June 19. Webster held offers from ODU, several Ivy League schools and other FCS programs.

Grayson Gilmore, DE – FAU and Toledo were among the G5 programs courting the Florida defensive end prospect. He’s a solid, athletic pickup.

Roy’Marr Thomas, EDGE – Toledo, FAU and USF all had Thomas to campus for a visit, but the 3-star EDGE defender out of Florida announced he is verbally committing to the Dukes on June 30. Thomas also had offers from Louisville and ECU. The EDGE defender is the third Florida DE to verbally commit to the Class of 2025.

Josiah Persinger, DB – The defensive back from Salem, Virginia, also received notable offers from Wake Forest, Old Dominion, and Bowling Green. He also runs track in high school, giving JMU a speedster at the defensive back position. His background fits what Chesney looks for in defensive backs, as the Dukes have heavily emphasizes speed among its cornerbacks since Chesney took over the head coaching job.

Roddrey McWilliams, DB – A Richmond prospect, McWilliams plays WR and DB in high school, although he’s expected to play defense in college. He’s an exceptional athlete, who also received offers from ODU and Temple, among others. McWilliams stands at 6-foot-1, giving him top-end size for a DB. 

Decommits

These players were verbally committed to JMU, but ultimately changed their minds:

Jamarice Wilder, RB – A standout running back from Florida, Wilder decided to decommit from JMU and instead commit to Louisville, an ACC program with significant financial backing.

Weston Sturzinger, S – An Ohio prospect, Sturzinger received heavy interest from MAC schools. Toledo, Kent State, and Akron all recruited Sturzinger, but he ultimately chose the Dukes. It’s unclear what caused him to decommit.

William “Trey” Dudley III, LB – Dudley received an offer from Syracuse in late November and flipped his commitment to join the rising ACC program. 

Be sure to follow @DukesRecruits on Twitter for all the latest JMU Recruiting news.