JMU football visited New Orleans for Sun Belt Media Days on Wednesday.

Coach Bob Chesney, linebacker Trent Hendrick and offensive lineman Pat McMurtrie were those in attendance. They didn’t share anything groundbreaking, but here are a few quick notes from the week.

Alonza Barnett isn’t cleared for contact

JMU’s 2024 starting quarterback tore his ACL in the season finale against Marshall. He’s still not cleared for contact with fall camp about to begin.

“Alonza is in a good spot with his rehab, and he’ll be back and ready to go in the near future,” Chesney said. “He’s not fully there for contact yet.”

Chesney said outside of podium availability that he expects Barnett to play at some point, though.

“Alonza Barnett will certainly play this year,” Chesney said on ESPN+. “And he’s on track, and he’s doing a great job with rehabs and handles himself in a very professional manner.”

Sources have indicated to JMU Sports News that Barnett likely won’t be fully cleared for contact until Week 1 or Week 2. It’s possible he plays later in the season, but it’s also possible he’s behind transfers Matthew Sluka and Camden Coleman on the depth chart and opts to take a medical redshirt season.

Chesney saying Barnett will play doesn’t mean as much as one might think. He also said offensive lineman Tyshawn Wyatt and running back Ayo Adeyi were recovering well from injuries during the 2024 season, only for both to miss the end of the season. Wyatt missed the whole year, and Adeyi missed all but the first two games. Chesney has proven to be vague about injuries since becoming JMU’s coach.

Based on what we’ve heard from coaches and sources, Barnett is not in the mix to win the starting job out of fall camp. We also expect Chesney to keep this news hidden publicly during camp in an effort to force early season opponents to prepare for multiple quarterbacks.

Transfer DL won’t be on the team

Holy Cross transfer William Robinson verbally committed to JMU during the spring, but a JMU football spokesperson tells us Robinson won’t be on the team in 2025. It’s unclear why he won’t join the program.

Robinson, a versatile DL with experience playing both tackle and end, was an intriguing addition. The 6-5, 275-pound lineman tallied 40 tackles, six TFLs, and five sacks in 15 games over two seasons with the Crusaders. While he might not have been an immediate starter at JMU, he has three years of eligibility left and likely would’ve factored into the rotation along the defensive line.

Look for guys like Colgate transfer Andrew Taddeo and true freshman Cole Webster to help fill the role that Robinson may have filled. Those two guys, listed at 290 lbs, can move around the defensive line and should offer a pass-rushing upside from the defensive tackle position.

Media Day was a little bland

This isn’t a life-altering takeaway, but media days are boring. They’re also good for the local media and the conference to get some PR. Media members load up with quotes for future stories and get a little face time in front of coaches and players before camp starts. Media days are filled with loads of “coach speak” and cliches, though. Sun Belt Media Day was no different.

Outside of the comment about Barnett, Chesney didn’t say anything noteworthy. McMurtrie and Hendrick also didn’t share anything notable. Hendrick expects Gannon Weathersby to have a breakout season, but that’s no surprise as Weathersby is a projected starter at linebacker for the first time in his career. It’s expected that he’ll have a dramatic increase in statistical production.

Sadly, we didn’t learn a lot Wednesday. Football content in July can be rather stale, and this week was no exception.

We’re ready for August and September.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications