JMU football is halfway through its regular season, and the Dukes are a perfect 6-0. Let’s check in on the program with a stock report. Whose stock is rising and whose is falling through six games?

Stock up

Billy Napier

Florida started the year 4-0, blowing out Ole Miss in the process. Jon Sumrall was hailed as a hero, while national media and fans blamed Billy Napier for all of Florida’s recent woes.

How’s that working out?

The Gators have since been blown out by Missouri and South Carolina, dropping to 4-2 and proving they’re closer to a .500 SEC team than a College Football Playoff team.

Meanwhile, Billy Napier and JMU are a perfect 6-0. He retooled JMU’s roster after massive offseason attrition, and they’re the heavy favorite to win the Sun Belt. A College Football Playoff appearance is possible.

Napier’s stock is rising. Fast.

George Pettaway

Pettaway had 181 rushing yards in the Dukes’ opening three games. He has 467 in the three games since.

With 648 yards on the season, he’s become one of the most productive backs in college football. Only Pettaway and UCLA’s Wayne Knight (remember him?) have six runs of 30 or more yards this season.

If Pettaway plays like this down the stretch, JMU will be brutally tough to beat in conference play.

Sun Belt title chances

ESPN’s analytics give JMU a 62% chance to win the Sun Belt. That’s the fifth-highest percentage of any team in the country to win their respective league.

Not only that, but JMU could feasibly clinch home-field advantage in the conference title game by early November. The Dukes can reach 7-0 in the SBC by Nov. 5. It’s quite possible that the Dukes know for a month that they’ll be hosting the league title game.

Still, winning the league isn’t a given. Saturday’s game against Georgia State is a stiff test, as the Panthers look much improved this fall.

Stock down

Pass rush

JMU generated nine sacks against an abysmal Old Dominion offensive front. That’s not worth throwing out because it’s a conference game, but taking it out puts the pass rush into better perspective.

The Dukes had nine sacks against the Monarchs. In their other five games, they have six.

JMU’s pass rush isn’t consistent because the Dukes don’t seem to have a dominant pass rusher. Halfway through the regular season, no defensive lineman has more than 1.5 sacks, and no player has more than 2.5 sacks. There’s no Sahir West or Aiden Gobaira on this roster, and the Dukes haven’t found a consistent answer at edge rusher.

Last season, JMU had at least two sacks in 10 of 14 games. This year, the Dukes have two or more sacks in just three of six games.

JMU needs to create more consistent chaos in the backfield. Otherwise, its inconsistent secondary will be under increased pressure.

WR Braeden Wisloski

Let me preface this by saying I’m high on Wisloski. I think he’s a fantastic player, and he was massive in key wins last season. He was huge in wins over ODU and San Diego State, too.

But he’s been inconsistent. He leads the team with four drops, and he didn’t have a catch against Marshall. He had just three catches for 15 yards in Saturday’s win over Georgia Southern. 

He’s too good to be a nonfactor in consecutive weeks.

On the season, he has 16 catches for 180 yards. He hasn’t reached the end zone yet. He’s on pace for similar reception and yardage totals as a season ago, but with Corey Scott battling injury, I’m surprised we didn’t see larger output against the Eagles. Perhaps Saturday could be his breakout game this season, as he played his best football in 2025 late in the year.

Some of the issue is quarterback play, as Camden Coleman has missed a few open deep throws to Wisloski in recent weeks. The wide receiver looks very close to hitting a few deep plays.

Buy stock now?

Strength of schedule

Undefeated JMU isn’t a lock to make the College Football Playoff. A crappy strength of schedule is why.

The Dukes’ strength of schedule currently ranks 133rd nationally out of 138 teams, per ESPN. The remaining schedule is 110th. Boise State, seemingly the favorite to make the College Football Playoff, has a strength of schedule that ranks 51st nationally.

You can only beat the teams on your schedule. It looks like many of the teams on JMU’s schedule stink.

And it’s part of why the Dukes are moving to the American Conference.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications