JMU football plays a game this week! 

College football season is back. I won’t write too much of an intro here because I went really long in this mailbag. We asked you for questions. And you all delivered. 

Hopefully these answers add some clarity ahead of Week 1. Enjoy!

What is the likelihood that Coach Chesney will play Camden Coleman against Weber State and play Sluka against Louisville to limit Louisville’s prep work? – Glen, class of 1982

In a similar light, Nova asked us this.

It certainly wouldn’t be a “traditional approach”but could we see different starters weekly based on the game plan? Ex: Heavy run game plan one week with Sluka then a more “standard” mix with Coleman the next? Or just generally, best guess on how they handle the QB room?

And JimiJamesRVA asked this. Who is QB1?

Let’s lump this into one question. I’m of the belief that Sluka will play this season, regardless of whether he wins the starting job.

Sluka rushed for 253 yards in three games with UNLV last season, including going over 100 yards in a win over Houston. At Holy Cross, he had a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He’s one of the best rushing quarterbacks in college football, and the Dukes can’t leave that skillset on the bench all fall.

Also, based on the team’s public discussions of the QB room and what we’re hearing from reliable sources, Alonza Barnett III seems to have a better chance of earning the starting nod than Camden Coleman. Barnett and Sluka are likely vying for the QB1 spot, and the Dukes will play Sluka regardless.

As for whether the Dukes will alternate starters in Weeks 1 and 2 to throw off an opponent, I highly doubt it. If Barnett is healthy after tearing his ACL in late November 2024, the offense probably operates most efficiently with him starting and the Dukes using a special package for Sluka. Barnett has an NFL arm, and Sluka doesn’t. If Barnett is not ready to go early in the season, Sluka makes sense as the starter with Coleman a highly reliable and experienced backup who could play four games and still redshirt.

I don’t expect JMU to use some outlandish QB system to confuse defenses. The best offenses are good because the personnel is talented and works well together, not because the opposing defense isn’t sure which QB will start a game. Given the turnover at wide receiver, JMU would benefit from getting its full-time starter at least three full quarters of passing reps against Weber State to help build in-game chemistry.

The Dukes need to be careful about Barnett’s long-term health, too. The longer a player waits to return from an ACL tear, the lower the chance of reinjury. It’s one thing to be cleared for contact. It’s another to have full confidence and increased strength in the knee. There is absolutely no reason to rush Barnett back.

My brain tells me Sluka is QB1 on Saturday, but my heart says it’s Barnett with Sluka assisting in a run-focused package.

Am I crazy for now thinking Alonza might actually be the starting QB week 1? The black jersey was the start. Now JMU posted a video and Sluka is clearly running with the twos or threes. I thought there was 0 chance for the start of the season, but now? — Dalton Wagner

If Alonza starts, it won’t stun us, although it will be a rapid recovery from an ACL tear. As for the video, I’m glad I wasn’t alone in watching the video 35 times and pausing it to see which QBs were playing with which linemen, etc. We don’t put too much stock into 25-second videos with no context, though, given how often teams rotate guys during camp. 

Barnett might be QB1, but the Dukes won’t reveal that via a highlight video of a practice. Still, there’s a lot of buzz about Barnett being to play in Week 1. We’ll believe it when we see it. 

What coach has the most to prove this year? OC Dean Kennedy coming off an inconsistent play calling stretch? Or maybe DC Colin Hitschler getting fired from Bama? – Daniel Merriman

Give me special teams coordinator Drew Canan, as suggested by Chris in the X replies. Canan is well-regarded as a special teams coach, but the Dukes’ unit imploded in the second half of 2024. They gave up three blocked punts on the season, which is an alarmingly high number.

JMU doesn’t have kicker Noe Ruelas or punter Ryan Hanson this season, either. Can the unit succeed despite significant change? It needs to, if JMU wants to be a College Football Playoff contender.

Special teams … Kicking game? Punt block — is the issue fixed and was the issue players or coaching? How many 2 point conversions on the year – over/under 5? – Bill Pap

I’m cautiously optimistic about the kicking game, as Morgan Suarez comes over from FAU where the field goal kicker was 19-for-26 (73%) in his career. The lefty is reliable and a solid kicker, although Ruelas is a future pro. At punter, Louisiana Tech punter Patrick Rea should be another solid option.

JMU might not have the same high-level talent in the kicking game as 2024, but the Dukes should be an above average special teams unit if they can figure out how to punt protect. I’m not sure exactly what caused last season’s issues there — other than maybe injuries to key players that put new personnel into punt protection packages.

And I’ll take over five two-point conversions! Chesney is wild.

We attended the last JMU/Louisville game. It seemed like one of the few games the line was pushed around. Does JMU’s recent addition of much larger and more athletic players on the line bode well for a different outcome? — Glen, class of 1982

Great question.

After the 2022 loss to Louisville, Curt Cignetti said: “This is a pretty simple synopsis. We were up three points, and the last 32 minutes we were physically dominated. That’s it, period. They pushed us around, we couldn’t run the ball.”

Part of the reason for JMU’s inability to run was because JMU played an injured Todd Centeio at quarterback, and he only completed four of his 15 passes in a 34-10 loss. Without a healthy Centeio, Louisville stacked the box and dared him to throw. JMU couldn’t run against a stacked box, which makes sense when facing a good ACC team with an athletic front seven.

On the other side of the ball, JMU’s Mikail Kamara dealt with injuries that kept him sidelined for all but 14 snaps. The defensive end, now a game-changer for Indiana, was a beast when he could play in the game. He finished with four tackles and a sack. The offense’s inability to sustain drives hurt the defense as the game wore on, but honestly the 2022 defensive front held up well with 10 TFLs and three sacks recorded.

JMU’s depth in 2025 should make it better prepared to face a good Louisville team. The starting offensive line returns significant experience, and guys like Carter Sweazie and Patrick McMurtrie have NFL skill. They have multiple options at tackle with McMurtrie, Joseph Simmons, James Pogorelc and Cam McNair all good enough to play for most G5 teams. The guard depth includes Josh Toner and Riley Robell.

There’s talent along the defensive front, too. Immanuel Bush, Xavier Holmes, Sahir West, Aiden Gobaira, Amar Thomas, Turner Schmidt, Mychal McMullin, Kells Bush, Terry Lockett and Andrew Taddeo form one of JMU’s deepest defensive lines in years.

On paper, the Dukes look stout up front. Plus, this is an early September game rather than an early November game. The Dukes were banged up in 2022 but should be very healthy along the offensive line in Week 2 after an FCS opener.

Am I crazy to think we should run the ball 35+ times a game this year? — Tyler Torborg

Not at all! JMU actually ran the ball 40 times a year in 2024 when including sacks and scrambles. Excluding those, the Dukes still averaged about 35 rush attempts per game, per PFF.

Given the depth at running back — the Dukes go five deep — and the mobility of their top four quarterbacks, the Dukes will almost certainly lean on their rushing attack in 2025. I’d anticipate 35+ carries per game again in 2025.

How many times does “or” appear on the opening week depth chart on Tuesday when the notes come out? – Dom Palumbo

It appeared seven times before Week 1 against Charlotte last season. I’ll say it shows up five times this year ahead of Week 1 (quarterback, both edge rushers, free safety and at right guard).

Let’s get some JMU football position group superlatives. To complete that thought, most likely to: under/over perform, have different starters week 12 than week 1, have players at a P4 school in 26 — Shaun Conway

Fun question.

Most likely to underperform: I’ll go with the offensive line because of injury risk. I love the starting unit and some of the depth pieces, but the starters have such high-end talent that losing someone like McMurtrie to injury would be a season-changing problem. I don’t think JMU has a true replacement for a guy like McMurtrie at right tackle — he’s one of the best players in the G5.

Most likely to overperform: Give me the linebacker room. I think guys like Gannon Weathersby and JT Kouame-Yao are underrated players with elite athleticism. The room isn’t getting much preseason buzz, but Trent Hendrick and company have a good chance to surprise people.

Most likely to have different starters in Week 12 than Week 1: It’s probably the offensive or defensive lines because of the injury risk, but I’ll say tight end. Don’t be surprised if someone like Charlotte transfer Lacota Dippre becomes a star over the course of the year and earns TE1 honors.

Most likely to have players at a P4 in 2026: Defensive line. Sahir West, Amar Thomas, Aiden Gobaira, and Turner Schmidt stand out as edge rushers who could generate significant P4 interest with decent seasons. JMU is stacked at the edge rusher spot.

Really need that psycho list for this year! – Austin Logan

The Athletic introduces a Freaks List each year, highlighting athletic freaks. The psycho list comes from my desire to have more lunatics in college football. Here’s my JMU freaks list.

Nick DeGennaro, WR: He might be the most competitive player on the team. DeGennaro, who has NFL potential, is a complete WR. He can operate underneath or burn corners down the field. He’s also fiery and makes my list.

Matthew Sluka, QB: He runs like he’s attempting to get hurt. Truly, Sluka does anything to seek contact. He’s a monster in the running game and an easy pick for the freaks list. Rushing for 1,000+ yards is possible if he’s QB1.

Xavier Holmes, DE: Holmes, who played over 700 snaps for Maine in 2024 (which is an insanely high total for a lineman), told us he’d die on the field if he could. Sure! 

Andrew Taddeo, DT: The Colgate transfer is a bit undersized for an FBS defensive tackle at 290 lbs, but his motor is relentless. He plays like a psycho, and he has a legitimate chance to start alongside Immanuel Bush.

Favorite HC quote, good, bad, or just funny (“Lock the damn gates,” “I’m excited to see how much they give and get involved,” any Mickey quote ever, etc.) — Jake Nelson

Throwback, but my favorite reporter-coach interaction came in 2015 after QB Vad Lee was injured during the Richmond game. Essentially Matt Jones from the DNR asked Everett Withers a series of very specific questions about the process of diagnosing an injury — no clue what the angle of this story was, but the interaction was hilarious. Withers wasn’t interested in sharing any details, as he was always prickly with the media and seemed to dislike Jones.

Here’s the synopsis, which starts at the 11-minute mark.

Jones: Did you see how Vad was injured? What actually happened to Vad?

Withers: He got tackled and somebody rolled on his ankle.

Jones: Was it on one play?

Withers: Usually you get injured on one play.

Jones: I didn’t know if it was over time. OK. I guess, the decision to leave him in there. Were you unsure what his injury was?

Withers: He didn’t want to come out. He didn’t want to come out.

Jones: Did he get checked on the sideline? Do you know how that process went?

Withers: The process is that everybody who gets hurt goes through our trainer and they get checked on the sideline.

Jones: Was he taken somewhere after the game?

Withers: The process after the game, guys go to the training room to get evaluated after the game.

Jones: Did he go to the hospital?

Withers: No.

Jones: Where is he having an MRI done today?

Withers: Next question.

Jones: Did you talk to his parents? What was the mood around Vad after that happened?

Withers: Vad was fine.

Jones: He looked pretty emotional leaving the field. Did you get a sense of how he was feeling after that?

Withers: He was fine.

Bravo to everyone involved in an unreasonably awkward and tense interaction. Jones’ question about where Vad was getting his MRI was kinda weird, but the questions about Vad’s emotions were fair. Don’t tell that to Withers, who seemed to hate Jones. I think about this interaction once a month, at minimum. It always cracks me up.

Go to 17:30 and watch the next 40 seconds if you need another laugh — even Withers started laughing.

Break down the other top 2 SBC contenders in Georgia Southern and Louisiana. — Steven Agee

We’ve made this into a lengthy mailbag, but I’ll quickly describe both teams as solid groups with high floors. But they’re not College Football Playoff contenders in my estimation.

Georgia Southern should be sound on both sides of the ball, and their starting offensive line might be the best in the Sun Belt East. The defense has a few stars, but lacks the depth along the defensive front that JMU has. I also like JMU’s quarterback room and skill position depth more than Georgia Southern’s.

Louisiana should be good along the offensive line, and the Cajuns have a nice running back room. If the defense can fulfill its potential, this is a scary team that I consider one step above the Eagles — assuming transfer Walker Howard works out at QB.

JMU is the best team in the Sun Belt on paper, but solid coaching and strong offensive line play make both Georgia Southern and Louisiana dangerous.

How will you fill the time in each episode usually spent speculating about injuries and availability now that we have injury reports? — Jeff Bourne’s burner

Hahaha this got a chuckle out of me.

The Sun Belt implementing injury reports for conference games will help us get a better understanding of player availability, but they’re not perfect. Here are the rules, per the SBC office:

“An initial availability report will be published three days prior to each conference game (e.g. Wednesday before a Saturday game), with a gameday update to be provided by 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT on gameday. Student-athletes must be designated as available, probable, questionable, doubtful or out on the initial availability report. Student-athletes must be designated as available, game time decision or out on the gameday update.”

It’s pretty easy for a team to list players as questionable on Wednesday and then game-time decisions Saturday. It’s still possible to hide the severity of injuries, and it’s unclear if the Sun Belt would ever actually penalize a program — and what the penalty would be — for clear deception about player availability. Something tells me Chesney won’t shy away from being secretive, even with these reports forcing the tiniest bit of transparency.

The reports are only needed for conference games, though. JMU won’t have availability reports ahead of its nonconference showdowns so don’t expect to learn about the Week 1 QB starter via a pre-Weber State injury report because there won’t be one.

Still, this is way better than nothing and will cut down on us speculating about injuries during the weekly podcast. You’re welcome.

Start one, bench one, cut one: Riley Stapleton, Brandon Ravenel, and Kris Thornton — JMU Hater

Start: Stapleton
Bench: Thornton
Cut: Ravenel

Stapleton was elite against top competition, including catching 19 passes for 262 yards and four touchdowns in the final two games of his career against Weber State and NDSU. Thornton and Ravenel both had great JMU careers, too. You can’t go wrong with any of the three WRs.

For me, Stapleton’s size and ability to make contested catches puts him above the other two. Statistically, it’s hard to argue against Thornton, though. He’s the only Duke to ever post a pair of 1,000-yard seasons.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications