JMU football opens fall camp this week, and the Dukes don’t have nearly as many questions as a season ago.

Bob Chesney enters his second season as the Dukes’ coach, so JMU’s returning players (and fans) know what to expect from the high-energy leader. He’s aggressive on fourth downs and willing to dial up trick plays. He’s also still adjusting to coaching at the FBS level, as he saw his team blow double-digit leads multiple times throughout the 2024 season.

What’s in store for Year 2? High expectations, at a minimum. The Dukes are the trendy pick to win the Sun Belt. Let’s peek at three storylines we’re monitoring this coming August for a team with big dreams.

Who starts at QB?

This is often a storyline at JMU football camp, and this fall is no different. There are three guys in the mix to start this season, and all three are considered potential All-Sun Belt players. Here’s the breakdown:

Matthew Sluka — A former Holy Cross and UNLV quarterback, Sluka might be the best scrambling quarterback JMU has seen since Vad Lee. He’s an elite designed runner, too, with an unusual ability to make defenders miss and run over them. He’s eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards twice on Bob Chesney-led teams. He also throws a great deep ball — posting a PFF grade above 83 on 20+ yard passes in 2022 and 2023 for Holy Cross. Buuut he’s not an elite passer when making shorter throws. He’s never completed 65% of his passes in a season.

Camden Coleman — The Richmond transfer thrived at the FCS level, going 13-1 as a starter. He’s mobile, but he’s not Sluka. He’s elite passing to all three levels of the field, though. He posted a PFF grade of 78.5 or higher (well above average, bordering elite) on passes from 0-9 yards, 10-19 yards, and 20+ yards. He can sling it.

Alonza Barnett — Coming off an ACL tear, Barnett has yet to be cleared for contact. When healthy, he’s one of the best QBs in the Sun Belt — he threw 26 touchdowns to only four interceptions last season, despite playing through an ankle injury. But will he be healthy enough to factor into the competition? Our sources indicate he might not be cleared for contact until Week 1 or Week 2.

The pass rush lost two superstars

Defensive ends Eric O’Neill (Rutgers) and Khairi Manns (graduated) are no longer with the Dukes. That leaves the Dukes trying to replace their 22 sacks from 2024.

Who will step up in their absence?

Maine transfer Xavier Holmes (6’3 and 238 lbs) is a name to monitor, as he finished with 72 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks. He also played over 700 snaps, as he’s known for his incredible motor and stamina. Expect him to play as often as the Dukes need him.

Notre Dame transfer Aiden Gobaira has high-level traits and he’s 6’5 and 255 lbs, but he barely played for the Fighting Irish as injuries derailed his time there. Sahir West, a redshirt freshman with great athleticism at 6’4 and 270 lbs, flashed in the bowl game. Perhaps he’s ready for a bigger role? Amar Thomas (6’1 and 240 lbs) returns after a few decent seasons in the program, but he might play more of a hybrid linebacker role rather than being a defensive end.

A late addition via the portal could be the next big star within the program. Robert Morris’ Turner Schmidt (6’4 and 245 lbs) received a Mississippi State offer late in his recruiting process, but he picked JMU. A source told JMU Sports News that Schmidt was a top priority in the spring portal.

There’s also potential that defensive tackles Immanuel Bush, Kells Bush, Andrew Taddeo, and Mychal McMullin add a pass rushing boost inside. Immanuel Bush came close to a few sacks last year that he whiffed on despite doing the hard part of beating the interior lineman. He could flash with a five-sack season inside. Taddeo and McMullin have larger bags of pass rush moves and figure to be on the field in obvious passing situations more than either Bush.

JMU’s defensive ends were game wreckers in 2024. Do the Dukes have that type of edge rushing talent this fall? They’ll need it to handle teams like Louisville, Liberty, Louisiana, and Georgia Southern, among others.

This team has high expectations. Are they valid?

Chesney leans on “coachspeak.” He’s not one to often give his unfiltered thoughts on his team — Curt Cignetti was the opposite.

That makes it hard to know if Chesney is high or low on his team in August. He spent all of 2024’s camp firing off positive quotes about the Dukes, only for the team to look sluggish in their first two games — they barely beat FCS Gardner-Webb in Week 2! The local media (and us) bought into much of that preseason hype, perhaps because we were used to Cignetti’s candor and took Chesney’s words as gospel. What followed was a wildly inconsistent 2024 campaign, including four SBC losses.

To make the College Football Playoff in 2025, JMU needs at least 10 wins in the regular season. Realistically, the Dukes need 11 or 12.

Is this roster that good? That’s the No. 1 question entering camp. Can this team contend for a playoff spot or will it go 8-4 again with a few heartbreaking losses? JMU’s floor seems like a competitive bowl team. What’s the ceiling? Based on last year’s camp interviews and media coverage, we might not have any idea about the team’s potential until the team actually takes the field in Week 2 against the ACC’s Louisville.

Want to know how good this team really is? Mark your calendar for Sept. 5.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications