If you’ve ever seen an On3 graphic on social media, you know some .. err .. much of their purpose is to drum up engagement. So when a graphic appears on X showing Andy Staples’ projected 12-team College Football Playoff field in late May, it would be smart to scroll past.

Bad news. I stopped and looked at the 12 teams. Engagement bait hooked yet another fish.

And this fish was rather intrigued to see the team Staples put at No. 12. The James Madison University Dukes. Staples, as of late May, thinks Bob Chesney’s boys are a playoff team.

I’m inclined to agree. Other Group of Five threats to make the playoff include Boise State, Tulane, Memphis, Navy and plenty of other solid programs, including a few in the Sun Belt. Still, JMU has as good a chance as any G5 team to qualify for the field.

JMU’s roster is that good.

The Dukes are better at quarterback than 2024, adding Matthew Sluka (Holy Cross/UNLV) and Camden Coleman (Richmond) via the transfer portal. Alonza Barnett is still on the team, although it’s unlikely he’s physically cleared for full contact until Week 1 or later, putting him behind in the competition.

The running back room brings everyone back and adds Holy Cross transfer Jordan Fuller (44 career rushing TDs).

At wide receiver, JMU added a handful of potential stars, including Richmond’s Nick DeGennaro (2,002 career receiving yards) and Landon Ellis. Villanova’s Jaylan Sanchez is a proven slot receiver, and Isaiah Alston (Army/Iowa State) is a bigger receiver with home-run ability. Tusculum’s Za’Ron Collins (22.8 yards per catch in 2024) is another big-play threat.

Don’t believe me that the Dukes are better and deeper at just about every position on offense? Ask coach Bob Chesney.

“The quarterback room, the receiver room, the running back room, there’s a whole lot more in here than we might have had a year ago,” Chesney recently told reporters.

As for the defense, the Dukes led the Sun Belt in scoring defense, allowing just 20.5 points per game. Can a unit losing DE Eric O’Neill, LB Jacob Dobbs, and CB Terrence Spence really be better in 2025?

It’s possible, given the notable defensive line additions of Xavier Holmes (Maine), Andrew Taddeo (Colgate), Aiden Gobaira (Notre Dame) and Turner Schmidt (Robert Morris).

Linebacker depth came in the spring window via rising junior Drew Spinogatti (Holy Cross) and rising sophomore Jayden Studio (Kent State).

“We added two younger guys that were pretty productive, that played a lot of snaps and a lot of football, even as younger guys,” Chesney said. “I think that’s important to not just have guys from higher levels with bigger stars next to their names, but actually have guys who have played football … that’s a room that needed a couple more additions to it.”

Even the secondary could be improved, with a bunch of respectable returners (safety Jacob Thomas and nickel DJ Barksdale are the headliners) joined by Maryland cornerback Chantz Harley, St. Francis cornerback Mekhi Rodgers, Charlotte cornerback Elijah Culp and Holy Cross safety Curtis Harris-Lopez.

“On paper, it looks really good,” Chesney said.

It’s fair to question the special teams unit, which loses kicker Noe Ruelas to UCF and punter Ryan Hanson to graduation. But Louisiana Tech transfer Patrick Rea should handle punting duties, and transfer kicker Morgan Suarez (FAU) is reliable (19-for-26 in his career on FGs), even if he lacks Ruelas’ leg strength.

As Chesney says, there’s a lot to like about JMU’s roster.

Now, the hard work begins. Boise State made the CFP in 2024, and while the Broncos were supremely talented compared to the average G5 team, they also had the right scheme and intangibles to secure a spot in the 12-team field. A team led by running back Ashton Jeanty — a Heisman finalist and a top-10 NFL draft pick — also ranked second in the Mountain West in scoring defense and fewest penalty yards per game. The Broncos were disciplined and didn’t beat themselves. 

The Broncos went 3-1 in one-possession games — the only loss coming to No. 1 seed Oregon — and they went 5-1 on the road. The Dukes were 3-3 on the road and 2-2 in one-score games last fall.

With JMU’s players now on campus for summer workouts, the Dukes begin three months of offseason preparation for the 2025 season. The roster looks like it rules, but a good-looking roster only matters if the wins follow in the fall.

To make the College Football Playoff, JMU needs to be elite on both sides of the ball. The Dukes can’t allow the blocked punts that plagued them late in the 2024 season, and they can’t go .500 on the road. When the Dukes take double-digit leads, they need to finish off those games. 

Can JMU take a collection of returners, transfers, and freshmen and build a consistently producing roster? The Dukes routed UNC, 70-50, last fall. They also lost to a 5-win ULM team in an ugly showing a few weeks later. JMU beat rival Old Dominion, but the Dukes squandered double-digit leads against App State and Marshall. The 2024 highs were extreme, but the team lacked the consistency needed to become a playoff team.

Chesney and company built an ideal roster to win the Sun Belt and threaten for a spot in College Football Playoff. The next three months will be spent fine-tuning the roster to maximize this team’s potential.

A successful summer out of the spotlight could lead to the Dukes earning a national spotlight come December.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications