JMU will have a new starting quarterback in 2026, but it might be a player who was on the roster for the Dukes’ College Football Playoff appearance.

With the Dukes’ transfer portal haul well over 30 players, including two quarterbacks, we have a clearer picture of what the offense will look like in 2026. It’s still far from clear, but it’s less murky than a few weeks ago.

Out is Alonza Barnett, who transferred to UCF. In come Memphis’ Arrington Maiden and UCF’s Davi Belfort. And Camden Coleman and JC Evans return.

Who might start in Week 1 in 2026?

Give me Coleman as the clubhouse leader as of late January.

While he didn’t take a snap for the Dukes in 2025, Coleman came to JMU after a pair of stellar seasons at Richmond. Entering each season, the Spiders played to redshirt him. It became apparent in 2023 and 2024 that they needed him, so he stepped in and helped the Spiders play at a solid level. He’s thrown for over 3,000 career yards on 399 passes, and he’s completed 65.2% of his attempts. He has meaningful game experience at the FCS level, while his counterparts are all inexperienced players with promise.

Maiden, Belfort, and Evans bring impressive speed and running ability to the competition, which will likely take shape during the spring. Maiden has all the physical tools needed to dominate at the Group of Five level, while Evans is an imposing figure with the ability to run over and around defenders.

Belfort gives me Anthony Colandrea (UVA to UNLV to Nebraska) vibes, as a slightly smaller quarterback with playmaking upside. He was recruited heavily by Napier at Florida and others before starting his career at Virginia Tech and moving to UCF. He showed off a few nice flashes in 2025 in relief, using his legs to extend plays. With more reps, he’ll only improve.

Maiden’s minimal game experience in 2025 still featured highlights. He ran for a gritty first down against Arkansas, carrying a defensive tackle several yards to ice the win. He then ran for a 25-yard TD against Tulane. The Tigers won both games, with him making brief appearances. Like Belfort, the sky is the limit with more reps.

Evans played an important role in JMU’s 2024 bowl victory over Western Kentucky, in which he threw and rushed for a score. His passing is the major question, as he needed to develop that area of his game entering college and we haven’t seen him throw often in game action. What type of work has been done behind the scenes? A lot. Will it be enough to win a crowded competition? If he throws the ball as well as his peers, he’ll be firmly in the mix.

I give Coleman the way-too-early edge because he’s played meaningful college snaps and showcased all of the traits needed to win Sun Belt games. He’s played 899 college snaps, to be exact. His 85.3 PFF grade in 2024 was the best offensive grade of any Richmond player on the Spiders’ 10-win team. Coleman was exceptional against the blitz, posting a PFF grade over 87 when blitzed.

A collection of JMU fans will also like this: He had just one batted pass over 251 throws. Barnett ranked second nationally in 2025 with 16 passes batted down.

Coleman can run, too. He ran the ball 75 times for 338 yards and six scores in 2024. He’s not as mobile as guys like Maiden and Evans, but he’s far from a statue. He moves well in the pocket and can gain yards running downhill. One of his scrambles in 2024 ended in a 50-plus yard TD scramble. He’s a complete quarterback, and he spent 2025 studying Sun Belt defenses while redshirting in Harrisonburg.

It doesn’t hurt that he went 13-1 as a starter at Richmond. Coleman wins.

With JMU’s reloaded offense that includes standout WRs like Corey Scott (West Florida) and Jeremiah Harrison (ETSU), it’s easy to imagine Coleman putting the Dukes into contention in the Sun Belt. Whoever wins the job holds several advantages over most SBC QBs, as the Dukes have a big offensive line and elite skill players.

I’ve been wrong plenty of times before when analyzing JMU QB battles, as Alonza Barnett shocked me by beating out Jordan McCloud, Dylan Morris, and Matthew Sluka in consecutive years. The last two victories were partially injury miscalculations by me, but Barnett was a training camp phenom. He loved a good QB battle.

With Barnett out of the picture, it’s an open race. Part of my brain tells me Maiden lands the job — there’s a reason the Dukes brought him in as their first QB addition via the portal. But another part tells me Coleman’s experience and previous success coupled with a year of experience at JMU make him the man to beat.

When JMU opens the season on Sept. 5 with an in-state game against Liberty, the Dukes need to trust their QB. Coleman has proven his game trustworthy over 14 FCS starts.

Can one of the young stars beat him out? It’ll be an entertaining offseason battle, if nothing else. For the first time in several years, Alonza Barnett isn’t in town to dominate an offseason quarterback competition.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications