Now that JMU football’s portal activity has wrapped up, let’s take a closer look at where the Dukes added players. Which guys are ready for an immediate impact, and which players are developmental prospects?

Here’s the breakdown as the Dukes go through spring practices:

Offensive additions

Quarterbacks

Davi Belfort, QB (5’11 and 195 lbs), UCF — Belfort started his career at Virginia Tech but didn’t play in 2024. For UCF in 2025, Belfort completed 4 of his 6 passes for 53 yards with one INT. He also ran 16 times for 94 yards. 

Arrington Maiden, QB (6’3, 225 lbs) Memphis — He redshirted in 2024 and appeared in seven games in 2025 with his best performance coming against Tulane where he went 4-for-6 passing for 51 yards and tacked on 35 rushing yards and a TD. 

The verdict: Realistically, Maiden has the best chance of starting in 2026 of the two portal additions. Returners Cam Coleman and JC Evans also factor into the competition, with Coleman the only guy with any starting experience. Coleman would be our on-paper frontrunner to be QB1, with Maiden and Evans likely having the best chance to compete with him for the role.

Best addition: Maiden. He could become a G5 standout in the not-so-distant future. He has all the physical tools needed to succeed.

Running backs

Nick Herman, RB (5’11 and 190 lbs), Drake — An FCS Freshman All-American in 2025, Herman rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2025, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. He was being courted by other G5 teams, he has three years of eligibility. 

Malachi Fannin-Render, RB (5’8 and 180 lbs), Liberty — He ran the ball just two times for six yards as a true freshman in 2025, but he’s a highly regarded talent. His high school tape makes you think a bit of Wayne Knight, as Fannin-Render runs low to the ground and does well to break tackles. Coming out of high school in Georgia he had offers from App State, Georgia State, Troy, Coastal Carolina and other G5 teams.

Seth Cromwell, RB (5’11 and 220 lbs), Northern Arizona — Cromwell has over 1,300 rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs over the past two seasons. He’s hard to bring down, with over 1,000 yards after contact in 2024 and 2025. He’s also an above average pass blocker, earning a grade a tick above 70 in 2025 on PFF. He’ll likely be a short-yardage option and rotational back for the Dukes in his final year of eligibility.

The verdict: Herman (weak competition) and Fannin-Render (limited reps) are somewhat unknown, while Cromwell is a proven player who should receive time as the “power back.” He’ll complement George Pettaway well. We’d expect Herman to see the field plenty, too.

Best addition: Herman. Cromwell should contribute immediately, but we’re high on Herman’s long-term potential.

Wide receivers

Noah Grevious, WR (6′ and 200 lbs), VMI — The Charlottesville native is a natural fit after bringing in 52 catches for 728 yards and three TDs in 2025 as a redshirt freshman. His dad also played at JMU. 

Jeremiah Harrison, WR (6’1 and 178 lbs), ETSU — He’s from the same North Carolina high school (Julius L. Chambers) as three current Dukes, and his former OC is now at JMU. The rising sophomore generated a lot of P4 interest and will be a contributor for the Dukes in 2026, potentially even a star.

Corey Scott, WR (6’1 and 180 lbs), West Florida — He went over 1,000 receiving yards in 2025 and had offers from Virginia Tech and Michigan State. He has two years of eligibility left. 

Kylan Billiot, WR (6’3, 195 lbs) LSU — The Dukes added a hugely talented prospect with three years of eligibility remaining. Billiot began his career at LSU in 2024 after being recruited as a top-100 recruit, he then saw the field once in 2025 and entered the portal at the end of the season. 

The verdict: This might be our favorite position group. The unit returns Braeden Wisloski and Michael Scotti, and all four portal additions could play immediately. We’d put our money on Harrison and Scott being starters, but Grevious and Billiot have a ton of potential. Billiot’s size makes him a likely option to see the field early in his JMU career because the Dukes don’t have a ton of height at WR.

Best addition: Harrison. He’s a P4 talent with several years of eligibility left.

Tight ends

Thatcher Miller, TE (6’4 and 245 lbs), West Chester — The lower-level prospect has over 600 career receiving yards and nine career receiving touchdowns in 34 career games. He’s played a lot of football and is a solid addition to a room losing its top three players from a season ago.

KD Mosley, TE (6’3 and 235 lbs), Howard — Mosley has 16 career catches for 187 yards and four touchdowns over 15 career games. He has two years of eligibility left and adds needed depth to this position group. He’s a quality pass blocker. 

Cole Keller, TE (6’5 and 240 lbs), East Tennessee State — Keller spent 2025 with new JMU OC Cam Aiken, catching 22 passes for 226 yards and two scores. He previously played for D2 Washburn, before making the smooth transition to the FCS. He has one year of eligibility remaining. 

The verdict: JMU needed bodies at tight end. All three players have upside, and we’d guess Keller is the most likely TE1 in the passing game given his connection to the new OC. Mosley was arrested shortly after joining the program, making his status with the team unknown.

Best addition: Cole Keller. His experience within the system makes him an intriguing addition.

Offensive line

DJ Fox, OL (6’9 and 320 lbs), UW River Falls — One of our favorite portal additions, Fox is a D3 All-American who won a national title this past season. 

Noel Portnjagin, OL (6’5 and 305 lbs), Florida — The prospect from Germany played five offensive snaps over two seasons, and he has three years of eligibility left. 

Frankie Tinilau, OL (6’6, 325 lbs) ETSU — Tinilau began his career at Miami where he appeared in two games over two seasons. He spent 2025 with ETSU where he played in all games at LT. 

Kaedin Massey, OL (6’8 and 315 lbs), Kansas State — Massey didn’t play in two seasons with the Wildcats, but he has tremendous size and three years of eligibility left. 

Tyler Brown, OL (6’3 and 325 lbs), Colorado — He also played for Napier at Louisiana and spent another season at Jackson State. He’s logged over 1,800 career snaps, but didn’t play much in 2025 because of injury. He’s a plug-and-play starter at guard.

Josh Manecke, OL (6’7 and 310 lbs), Army — The massive lineman has three years of eligibility left after playing two snaps with Army over two seasons. 

Daniel Michel, OL (6’6, 328 lbs) FIU — Michel started 11 games at RT this past season at FIU. He came on late in the season, posting four straight games with a PFF grade of 62+. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Good first OL to commit for Billy Napier as the Dukes look to replace 4 of the 5 starters from last season. 

The verdict: These guys are big, and it’s a mix of production and potential. Fox, Tinilau, Brown, and Michel will be expected to either start or play meaningful snaps as a backup in 2026. The other three guys are projects. 

Best addition: Tyler Brown. He’s played a ton of snaps and should immediately fill a need at guard. He’s also a well-respected veteran who can help mentor some of the younger OL players.

Defensive additions

Defensive ends/edge rushers

Ernest Willor Jr., DE (6’4 and 255 lbs), Wisconsin — The Baltimore prospect didn’t play over two seasons with the Badgers, but he adds depth along the edge and has three years of eligibility left.

Terell Thomas, edge (6’5 and 240 lbs), from Washburn — He began his career at Emory & Henry. He has solid athleticism along the outside and should compete for playing time at edge.

Kei’Trone Simpson, DE (6’3 and 260 lbs), Lamar — Simpson fits what the Dukes might want to do in a 3-3-5 or 3-4 defensive setup. He’s a big edge defender with great run-stopping skills, posting a run defense grade and tackling grade over 80 on PFF in 2025. He had 47 tackles this past season for an 8-win FCS team. He has one year of eligibility left and should be among the guys who makes an impact along the defensive line.

Mason Purham, DE (6’6 and 250 lbs), Emory & Henry — He had 42 tackles, 7 TFLs and 3 sacks as a sophomore. Lots of G5 teams, including North Texas and Marshall, offered him. He also reportedly visited Missouri, but JMU kept the in-state player in Virginia. He’ll have a chance to compete for playing time immediately, and he has at least two seasons of eligibility left.

Danny Royster, DE (6’3 and 236 lbs), University of Indianapolis — Royster has one year of eligibility remaining. He began his career at Ball State then transferred down to DII for one season where he notched 36 tackles in 13 games with 13 TFLs and 7.5 sacks. Memphis also offered Royster, but he picked JMU.

The verdict: This is the position group with the most questions. There’s reason to like all five edge additions, but Simpson projects most clearly as a solid player because of his ability to stop the run. Purham and Royster seem to have sack potential based on their athleticism, while Thomas is a great athlete, and Willor has nice traits, too. 

This group is less proven than others, which makes the return of Amar Thomas all the more meaningful. Replacing Sahir West and Aiden Gobaira isn’t easy. Can the additions be as impactful off the edge? I’m not sold just yet, given the lack of prior FBS production.

Best addition: Purham. Simpson should make an immediate impact, but Purham’s traits are eye-popping. His size, strength, and speed make him perfect for JMU’s new-look defense.

Defensive tackles

Jakolbi Wilson, DT (6’3 and 315 lbs), Fort Hays State — A D2 standout, Wilson had 34 tackles and 7 TFLs as a junior in 2025. He’s a dominant presence in the running game and explosive for his size. 

Rasheed Lovelace, DT (6’3 and 310 lbs), Nicholls — The run-stuffer has 92 career tackles over 29 games. He’s an experienced player who earned preseason FCS All-American honors in 2025 but only played five games. When available, he’s a star. His 85.7 PFF run defense grade in 2024 was elite. He’s a potential starter in Harrisonburg. He seemingly has just one year of eligibility left.

Chukwunedu Okeke, DT (6’4 and 305 lbs), Western Kentucky — He only had one tackle in 2025 as a redshirt freshman, but he has three years of eligibility left and good traits. 

Kevin Roberts, DT (6’1 and 285 lbs), West Florida — He’s a potential starter in the trenches after posting 45 tackles, 18 TFLs and 9 sacks in 2025. Tulane, Houston, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest were among the other schools recruiting Roberts, but he’ll be a Duke in 2026. He has two years of eligibility left. 

The verdict: JMU added three massive run-stuffers, and a do-everything guy in Roberts. Okeke looks like a developmental piece, while Wilson, Lovelace, and Roberts are ready to play immediately. Lovelace and Wilson have the not-so-easy task of replacing Immanuel Bush.

Best addition: Roberts. He has All-Sun Belt tools and the most pass rushing upside among the group. 

Linebackers

Nakian Jackson, LB (6’1 and 237 lbs), Nevada — Jackson recorded 53 tackles in 2025, also scoring a defensive touchdown. He started his career at Sacramento State and has played nearly 1,000 career defensive snaps, per PFF. He’s at his best in the run game.

Lathan Croley, LB (6′ and 210 lbs), Holy Cross — Croley is a rising junior coming off a sophomore campaign where he racked up 80 tackles. The linebacker room should be a fairly deep one in 2026. 

JT Hooten, LB (6′ and 230 lbs), West Alabama — He finished the 2025 season with a team-high 73 tackles in just 10 games as a redshirt freshman. Lots of potential for Hooten, who has three years of eligibility left and was offered by a bunch of Sun Belt programs.

The verdict: These three guys, plus Gannon Weathersby and Jayden Studio? That’s a good G6 linebacker room. 

Best addition: All three are good, but Jackson’s size and experience make him my pick. The Dukes needed a physical, bigger-bodied linebacker to pair with Weathersby. Jackson can be that guy on Day 1, and he won’t need to adjust to G6 competition.

Defensive backs 

Javis Mynatt, DB (6′ and 200 lbs), Texas State — He finished 2025 with 32 tackles and a sack at the safety spot. He also spent three seasons at Wofford, playing quite well. Mynatt has eclipsed a 70 PFF grade in three consecutive seasons, playing over 350 snaps each year. That’s not easy to do. Given his positional versatility, we’d anticipate Mynatt seeing the field in 2026 in his final season of eligibility.

Damier Minkah, CB (6’2 and 190 lbs), Shepherd — Minkah was a top G5 target after breaking up 10 passes in 2025, and he also visited Iowa State. He has great speed and ball skills, and while he didn’t have an interception in 2025, he was close to getting about five. He’s constantly in the correct spot and should compete for immediate playing time as a starter.

Dwayne “DJ” Kelly, CB (6’1 and 185 lbs), Toledo — The Rockets were an elite defense in 2025, and Kelly cracked the lineup as a true freshman. He had 10 tackles and one interception over 138 snaps, posting a PFF grade of 76.5. He played at Maryland high school powerhouse St. Frances and could become a star in future seasons. He has great potential with three years of eligibility left.

Jayon Harvey, DB (5’11 and 190 lbs), Findlay — Over the past two seasons, he has 109 tackles and seven interceptions. He’s a highly productive DB who should compete for immediate playing time. He has two years of eligibility left.

Terrence Jones, DB (6’2 and 195 lbs), Fordham — A rising junior, Jones has game. He recorded 54 tackles a season ago and posted an 80.9 PFF grade in 849 snaps. Fordham struggled in 2025, going 1-11, but Jones was a bright spot defensively.

The verdict: Well done. The Dukes reloaded big time in the secondary. All five additions could be impactful in 2026.

Best addition: Give me Kelly, who earned playing time on an elite Toledo defense as a true freshman. His potential might be the highest of the group.

Special teams

Andrew Bennett, P (6’1 and 180 lbs), Charlotte — Bennett comes to JMU after spending two seasons with the 49ers. He didn’t punt during a game with Charlotte, and he has three years of eligibility left.

Baylen Woodman, K (6′ and 185 lbs), Middle Tennessee — Woodman will likely be the Dukes’ kickoff specialist in 2026 after holding that role for MTSU in 2025. He made CUSA’s All-Freshman team, with 32 of his 54 kickoffs going for touchbacks.

Hayden Ross, LS (6′ and 185 lbs), ETSU — Another long snapper! With three seasons of eligibility left, Ross adds depth to the special teams unit.

Mitchell Dietzel, LS (6’4 and 230 lbs), Eastern Michigan — The least sexy of positions, long snapper plays an important role on special teams. With 24 starts at EMU, Dietzel likely becomes a Day 1 starter for the Dukes. He has two years of eligibility remaining. 

The verdict: Woodman should be the new kickoff specialist, and Dietzel should start at long snapper. 

Best addition: Woodman. He fills an immediate need with Cristiano Rosa off to Penn State.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications