2022 JMU football season preview
A new level
The Breeze September 1, 2022
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A preview of the Dukes’ 2022 offense
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By GRANT JOHNSON The Breeze Put bluntly — JMU’s offense will look different in 2022. Starting quarterback of two years, Cole Johnson (2016-21), is gone. His top target last year, redshirt freshman wide receiver Antwane Wells, transferred to South Carolina in January after hauling in 83 catches for JMU records 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2021. The fourth-leading target from 2021, Scott Bracy (2020-21), is also out of the picture. Head coach Curt Cignetti hasn’t announced a new starting quarterback yet. JMU does return Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team wide receiver Kris Thornton, who looks to take over as the clear-cut No. 1 weapon in the pass game after catching the same number of balls as Wells last fall, 83, for over 1,000 yards. But with the personnel overhaul, Cignetti said the identity of this year’s offense might change.“Offensively, we’d normally been a downhill, punch-in-the-mouth running football team, but because of injuries on the offensive line and at running back … we had an experienced quarterback with some skill on the outside, we probably threw the ball more than I’ve ever thrown it and [were] in 10 personnel more than I've ever been,” Cignetti said. “But that's what we got to do as a coach. You got to adjust to your personnel and put them in places where they have the best chance to be successful.”
Out of the backfield, redshirt junior running back Solomon Vanhorse caught the third-most balls from Johnson last fall, 33, and looks to be the third-down running back on passing downs.
For the 2022 rendition of JMU’s offense, a run-heavy scheme currently looks like it’ll get the most out of the Dukes’ personnel. JMU, on the surface, is stacked at running back. Graduate Percy Agyei-Obese returns from a season-ending ankle injury last season — from all indications, he’s fully healthy. AgyeiObese has practiced full-go for most of the spring and all of fall camp, and in 2022, he’s looking to get back to his 2019 production — his last full season, save for the COVID-19 spring year — of 1,239 yards and 19 touchdowns. Joining Agyei-Obese is the starter from most of last year, redshirt junior Latrele Palmer, who in 2021 rushed for 975 yards and three touchdowns on 5.0 yards per carry.
Percy; we got Solomon … We’re gonna do it together.” There were 12 running backs from the Sun Belt on the Preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List, which goes to the best running back in the FBS. Multiple Sun Belt teams had two running backs on the 74-player list but, despite the Dukes’ depth, none made it. Guys up front Cignetti also said he likes where the offensive line is at. Recently, redshirt sophomore Tyshawn Wyatt moved to left tackle, while redshirt sophomore Tyler Stevens slid to left guard. Last year, Wyatt, listed at 6-foot-4, 334 pounds, started all 14 games at left guard, but Cignetti said a move to tackle was something he’s eyed for a while.
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Redshirt junior Latrele Palmer will complement Percy Agyei-Obese at running back in 2022. Photos by Savannah Reger / The Breeze
new look In-depth
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loaded backfield
Redshirt freshman running back Kaelon Black said he enjoys competeing against the other JMU running backs because they make each other better.
Cignetti said he liked the way Centeio had played leading up to the mock game.
Photos by Savannah Reger / The Breeze Graduate transfer quarterback Todd Centeio is battling to be JMU’s starting QB after two years at Colorado State.
“He's been in a lot of different situations,” Cignetti said. “Not too many things are new to him, and he's playing like a veteran."
During the spring game April 23, Ravenel caught the opening pass of the game, a quick bubble screen, from redshirt freshman quarterback Billy Atkins and took it 75 yards to the house, akin to his long touchdown in the FCS quarterfinals versus Montana last season. Greene Jr. has made eye-popping catches throughout camp, as shown in a video JMU Athletics posted to Twitter of the Monmouth transfer snagging a one-handed grab during JMU’s closed scrimmage Aug. 13. “I mean, it's different not having Antwane [Wells] and Scott [Bracy] out there,” Thornton said in the spring. “Terrence can kind of take the top off the defense … I think I'll complement well with him.”
Rounding out the rest of the offensive line will likely be
“He’s a really good athlete,” Cignetti said. “He played well in the scrimmage [Aug.13], and we said, ‘Let's take a look at this.’ Right now, we like it.”
Veteran-laden tight ends
“Tanner’s really taken control,” Kidwell said. “He’s probably more of a JT role now. JT was very vocal, Tanner’s trying to become more vocal — he’s becoming more comfortable with it, but he's got a lot stronger in those areas.”
Now, shortly before the Middle Tennessee opener, Cignetti said Aug. 26 that he has a “pretty good idea” of who the starter will be at quarterback and that the team does, too, but he didn’t reveal the Regardlessname.of who’s the starting quarterback, a 2022 offense that leans on a running game feels imminent after Cignetti’s comments at media day and the running back depth. For Black, he said, the thought of a power-running attack “makes you smile, for“It’ssure.”great to compete with [the other JMU running backs] knowing that every day, I’m competing for a spot,” Black said. “They’re gonna make me better, I’m gonna try to make them better and we’re just going to do it together as a group.”
graduate Noah Turner and redshirt senior Drew Painter. Turner, a UNC transfer from two years ago, was used sparingly last season, hauling in seven catches for 52 yards across 12 games and five starts. He’s spent some of fall camp in a shoulder splint; Cignetti said that there were no “significant” injuries suffered during fall camp.Painter has appeared in at least seven games each season over the last four years but has never caught more than four passes in a season. Going into 2022, however, he said he’s been working with all three quarterbacks battling for the starting position as well as bettering his change-of-direction ability and breaking out of routes.“Ifeelpretty fluent running routes,” Painter said. “I feel like I'm moving quicker, moving better.”
redshirt junior Nick Kidwell at right tackle, redshirt sophomore Tanner Morris at center and redshit frehsman Cole Potts at right guard. Kidwell started all 14 games at right tackle last year and was a First-Team All-CAA lineman. He’ll have a new center on the inside of him — Morris currently — who’s replacing former center JT Timming (2016-21).
The first tight end Painter pointed to stepping up was sophomore Zach Horton. Kidwell described the Roanoke, Virginia, native as a “little pitbull” because of the edge he brings in the run game. “I'm really excited to see Horton,” Kidwell said. “I remember the spring game: First play of the spring game, he put a guy on his butt.”
New-look receiving core Out wide, there are two receivers who could be complements to Thornton: Terrence Greene Jr., a graduate transfer from Monmouth, and redshirt senior Devin Ravenel.
Uncertainty at quarterback
Atkins appeared in just four games last season in relief of Johnson, which allowed him to retain his freshman eligibility. He completed 9-of-14 passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Barnett III came to JMU early in the spring ahead of his freshman year. As a junior and senior at Grimsley High School in North Carolina, Barnett was the Metro 4A Player of the Year and Metro 4A All Conference as a sophomore, junior and senior.
CONTACT Grant Johnson at breezesports@gmail.com. For more sports coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
The most Cignetti said about any one quarterback was regarding Centeio after the Aug. 13 scrimmage. Centeio played at Colorado State for the last two years and at Temple from 2017-19. He started 13 of 15 career games for the Rams, going 3-10 and throwing 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Last season, he started all 12 games and threw for 2,960 yards on 60.5% completion and added 437 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The elephant in the room with JMU’s offense: Who will play quarterback? Cignetti has been mostly tight-lipped and complimentary of all three options: Todd Centeio, a graduate transfer from Colorado State, redshirt freshman Billy Atkins and true freshman Alonza Barnett III. Whenever asked about the quarterbacks, Cignetti usually says he has to “watch the tape.”
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The tight end group is highlighted by two upperclassmen:
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see SPECIAL TEAMS, page 8 Dukes look to replace record-setting
match chemistry with
Redshirt junior Connor Madden is vying to be the Dukes’ starting kicker in 2022. Breeze file photo
special
RevampPost-Ratke
Ritter hasn’t played in the last two years but did perform two kickoffs as a freshman in 2019. Wise, even when Ratke was on the roster, served as JMU’s kickoff specialist two of the last three years. In 110 kickoffs last year, Wise registered eight touchbacks; JMU’s coverage unit ranked seventh in the FCS in kick-return defense. Cignetti said at Sun Belt Media Day that when combining FCS and FBS teams in special teams statistics, JMU would’ve been No. 2 in the country. kicker, 2022’s teams
By GRANT JOHNSON The Breeze 2021 ended maybe the most illustrious era in JMU special teams history. It was the last season with kicker Ethan Ratke (201721), who currently holds the record for most points scored by a college football kicker at any level. It was also the last year with his holder, Alex Miller (2018-21), who manned the job for the last three years, and the starting punter for five seasons, Harry O’Kelly (2017-21).Now,the snap-hold-kick operation only has one familiar face from JMU’s final years in the FCS: graduate long snapper Kyle Davis. JMU head coach Curt Cignetti hasn’t announced a starting kicker, punter or holder yet. He said in the spring that the punter competition is between senior Sacramento State transfer Sam Clark and redshirt sophomore Justin Ritter, while redshirt juniors Connor Madden and Camden Wise are vying to be the starting kicker. Davis is tasked with leading this crop of special teamers that, admittedly, will take some time to get used to, he said, but he also said the talent of the next-in-line specialists is on par with Ratke and co. “I think the difference is, it’s not ‘roll out of bed, and I know exactly what the guys I’m snapping to like,’” Davis said. “Now, we’ve gotten probably over 500 reps this summer, if not more, maybe close to 1,000 reps, so it’s getting to that stage, but you’re talking about with Harry and Ethan and Alex, almost 5,000, 6,000 reps in the last two or three years.” Cignetti said during the spring that the punter competition specifically “looks pretty tight.” Clark, like O’Kelly, is from Australia. He’s a three-year starter at Sacramento State, averaging 41.9 yards on 97 punts in his collegiate career. In 2021, he was a ThirdTeam All-Big Sky punter.
RevampPost-Ratke
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Justin Rittervs. Connor Madden Camden Wisevs.
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CONTACT Grant Johnson at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
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Kyle Davis leads this year’s special teams crew
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Redshirt junior running back Solomon Vanhorse led the CAA last year with 27.6 average yards per kickoff return. Breeze file photo
Madden was the team’s kickoff specialist in JMU’s spring 2021 season after transferring from nearby Bridgewater College. In 52 kickoffs, 25 — almost half of them — resulted in touchbacks. He missed last fall with an injury.With four kickers fighting for three spots — kickoff specialist, field goal kicker and punter — Cignetti said Aug. 19 that he wanted to get better at special teams during fall camp, and he thinks JMU did.
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On kickoff returns, expect another year of redshirt junior running back Solomon Vanhorse. Last year he was a Third-Team All-CAA kick returner; he took the Nov. 20 opening kickoff versus Towson 94 yards to the house. It was his lone special teams touchdown, but he led the CAA with 27.6 average yards per return. Davis said he isn’t too concerned about stepping up as the leader of the whole specialist group; it’s something he’s mostly done already, even with O’Kelly, Miller and Ratke by his side. It helps that the new cohort is all friends, too, he said. Still, Davis said the connection with his punters and holders needs to become second-nature because the margin of error is so thin from snap, to hold, to kick. A few split seconds too slow, and the defense can easily blockTheit.connection’s close, though. “The job is something you need to be perfect at,” Davis said. “It’s just getting that camaraderie and knowing exactly [what they want]. That’s kind of what we’re getting towards now.”
“Our special teams made a big, big step since day one,” Cignetti said. Back deep, Cignetti said Aug. 13 that he liked the way redshirt junior safety Josh Sarratt has been catching punts. Last year was his first at JMU after spending 2019-20 at VMI — he didn’t return any punts in 2021, but he has experience breaking out into the open field after recovering a fumble and returning it for an 88-yard touchdown versus Weber State.
By MADISON HRICIK The Breeze
One thing after another
JMU defense’s new look retains
Second-leveldevelopment
Then, Cignetti said defensive linemen Tony Thurston and Tyler Negron were retiring from the sport. The news came as a surprise to the head coach, Cignetti said, but it’s another element his team needs to overcome to keep preparing for the season.
Kamara said he feels he’s grown a lot since coming back and playing like himself again, particularly with how he’s feeling stronger and faster since making his return.
Two weeks out from JMU football’s season opener against Middle Tennessee, head coach Curt Cignetti said he wasn’t too pleased hearing his team couldn’t play with much contact.
The defense was already in the middle of rebuilding its front four and parts of the secondary as well. But having to switch different players in and out of the the rotation, JMU’s backups got more reps than projected starters at times, some of the players said, and the lack of playing time
“Just because you haven’t been in that situation before know they feel the difference.”
“I feel like we started strong on defense in camp, then when [COVID-19] hit, we were sort of playing catch up,” Cignetti said. “But I really like what I’ve seen the last couple of days there on that side of the ball.”
With the depth in safety this season, JMU has the ability to deploy more zone defense rather than man-to-man coverage, depending on the opponent — especially with Kidd’s experience as a rover in previous seasons.While the Dukes may not have had the best training camp on paper, Cignetti said his roster is still looking forward to what this season will bring. His hard hitting, explosive secondary is what the head coach wants to see out of the team, but regardless of how JMU lines up, it’ll look different from years past. “I feel the buzz out there a little bit right now as the game is approaching,” Cignetti said, “but there’s still so much work to be done.”
n’Downdirty core
Finally, redshirt sophomore nose guard James Carpenter is expected to play his “true position” and be an impact player this season, Cignetti said.
values after multiple changes in offseason PhotosbySavannahReger/ TheBreeze 20221,SeptemberThursday,
CONTACT Madison Hricik at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
JMU lost a number of players to the transfer portal during the offseason, including former FCS All-American linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey and cornerback Wesley McCormick. While these losses might’ve been surprising to JMU fans, the new transfer portal regulations are becoming a big reason why the Dukes saw so many players come and go this year. And JMU isn’t the only team suffering “Every team has injuries, every team has people who leave, people who graduate,” redshirt senior defensive lineman Isaac Ukwu said. “So everyone’s dealing with it, it’s nothing new. So it’s not a situation where it’s foreign — it’s college football.”
The Dukes were hit with another round of COVID-19, sweeping through the players and a few coaches. It took nearly an entire week away from Cignetti’s ability to practice “‘Dog days’ takes on a new definition now with [COVID-19],” Cignetti said, “because you never know who’s available and who isn’t. As a head coach, you feel like you’re
Changes on the line Fast forward to game week, and Cignetti said he’s felt better about the defense’s progression since the COVID-19 outbreak. With the majority of the defense back and practicing again, the Dukes’ defensive line has a new look.
There have been some bumps and bruises in the defensive unit — both physical and mental. While in previous years the JMU defense has inflicted those bumps and bruises, the Dukes faced a more unpleasant training camp this year. Defense took some hits in the last seven months, including losing a teammates is making a play and we’re all over there to celebrate.”
It didn’t take long for Cignetti to list off a few linebackers to watch this season. While the linebackers didn’t suffer as hard of a hit as the defensive line during training camp, the next-man-up mentality is still on the minds of the new Dukes stepping up to the plate this season. “I think it’s just getting more comfortable with the defense because we have a lot of new faces in there,” Ukwu said. “So, getting used to the way people communicate and how people react to certain situations has allowed us to play off of one another, more in a better way.” Cignetti said he’s been impressed with redshirt sophomore linebacker Taurus Jones and sophomore linebacker Jailin Walker. He described them as “willing to learn,” and both have experience playing very popular and has good leadership qualities.”Rounding out the defense, the cornerbacks and safeties hold some of the most familiar and mature faces for JMU this season. Redshirt senior safety Sam Kidd is expected to continue his trajectory from last season, as well as redshirt junior Que Reid, who’ Cignetti said is reaching similar expectations after his performance last year, as well. “We have four or five guys back there that have the ability,” Cignetti said. “Now some of them are gonna get thrown in the fire pretty quick, but it is what it is.”
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When Kris got the chance to play football, he said he loved it. He played varsity football at Osbourn High School for three years but got playing time as a running back for the latter two, and he wore No. 1 — the same number Keith wore at JMU. In his two years, Kris had 718 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns and 138 carries, according to his profile on MaxPreps.
“It’s hard to catch [94] balls in a year in high school,” Wachenheim said. “There’s usually not that many quarterbacks that can throw you like that. So, just his production was unique.”Krisstayed with the Keydets for two seasons. Wachenheim said he had a breakout year as a sophomore, and in his second season, he switched his jersey back to No. 1. But playing at VMI wasn’t what he envisioned for college. Kris said he wanted to play college football and, after his first season, he stuck it out in Lexington, Virginia.“Inever really looked [at] Military School,” Kris said. “I never wanted to do anything like that. They gave me a full scholarship coming out of high school. I didn’t want to have my parents pay for college.”
see THORNTON, page 12
20221,SeptemberThursday, From the stands to the field, Kris
Breeze file photos
The military aspect of VMI wasn’t for him, Kris said, and either way, he wanted a change of scenery — so, he entered the transfer portal.
As a senior, Kris had 1,601 receiving yards on 94 receptions in 10 games played. That’s what drew Virginia Military Institute (VMI) head coach Scott Wachenheim to him.
“I’ve been to a lot of games,” Thornton said. “I grew up with JMU my whole life.” Now, he’s the first-ever JMU Preseason AllSun Belt Conference selection. Born and raised Keith played football at JMU from 1986-90. He was a split end receiver. He played under head coach Joe Purzycki (1985-90) and was on the first-ever JMU team to take on now-Sun Belt foe Marshall. He was a four-year letter winner.Keith and Juana settled in Manassas, Virginia, and Kris has two brothers — Corey andGrowingCaden. up, Kris said, it wasn’t just Keith who got him into football. It was largely Corey. “I’ve really had a football in my hand since I can remember,” Kris said. “[Corey’s] three years older than me. I was always trying to compete with him. He [started] playing football [at] like 5 or 6, and I was like 2 or 3 years old at that time. So I’m looking up to him, ready for my chance to play.”
A change in pace Kris’ new environment happened to be just up I-81 from his old stomping grounds.“JMU is amazing,” Kris said. “[The] winning culture, winning championships is, is what we try to do here.” After the 2018 season, Kris came to JMU. Because of transfer portal rules, he had to sit out the 2019 season. Then came COVID-19, and the ripple effect pushed JMU’s 2020 season to the spring. “That was the first time I hadn’t really been able to play football since I was 5,” Kris said. “It was definitely rough.” But in that time, Kris said, he turned into the player he is today. Wachenheim said that after leaving VMI, Kris got bigger physically.
Choosing VMI
Kris said he learned the ins and outs of theHeplaybook.saidhedid anything he could to make sure that when football came back, he was prepared.
Kris Thornton remembers the Duke Dog stuffed animal he kept in his bedroom growing up. Of course, then, he said, he thought it was a bulldog. Thornton later realized bulldogs don’t have crowns or purple capes draped across their backs. Only Duke Dogs do.
Thornton remembers the drives to Harrisonburg. He grew up going to games, raised by JMU alumni Keith and Juana Thornton. He was here before the Godwin parking lot was paved, before the home side of Bridgeforth Stadium was renovated and before JMU beat Virginia Tech in 2010. Kris said he remembers the drives along Interstate-81 like it was yesterday.
Rise StardomStardomtoRiseto Thornton’s path to the Sun Belt comes full circle
Wachenheim said Kris had little offers out of high school. VMI took the chance. “Everybody’s always a little too small,” Wachenheim said. “We saw a guy that wasn’t getting caught from behind, so it didn’t really care what his 40[-yard dash] time was because he was fast Wachenheim,enough.”in his interview with The Breeze, always circled back to Kris’ receptions in his senior year. He caught 94 balls in high school, according to MaxPreps.
By SAVANNAH REGER The Breeze
When asked about being the first-ever JMU Preseason All-Sun Belt selection, Kris was humble. The light tone never left his voice.But when asked about how his younger self would look at him now — after going to VMI, finding his path, ending up at the same place his parents went to school and shattering the record books — the deep breath told it all.
“I didn’t take the usual route that somebody would take,” Kris said. “Now I’m at animalyoungbeforestood,excitement,HeandbackStadiumtouchdownendzone.whoseasontouchdownopener.10Moreheadaccomplished.”howprouddefinitelyselfmyschool.wasgowantedprobablywhereJMU,ItowhenIinhighIthinkyounger[would]beinseeingmuchI’veJMUbeatState68-inlastseason’sThefirstofthewenttoKris,scoredinthenorthItwasthefirstinBridgeforthwithstudentsafterthepandemicthefirststreamerthrowKrisstoodintheendzone,lookedupattheaplaceheonceandtookthemomentinhisteamcaughtuptohim.Andsomewhereinthestands,akidwithaDukeDogstuffedstoodandwatched.
20221,SeptemberThursday,
Savannah Reger at thebreezeweb@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
Breeze file photo
From stands to sidelines
Thornton’s journey to JMU helps lives out childhood dream
from THORNTON, page 11 The comeback Last fall, Kris made history. He and former Duke Antwane Wells Jr. (2020-21) set the JMU single-season receptions record with 83 catches and Kris had the single-game touchdown record with four against Campbell. Kris finished 2021 third in single-season touchdowns (13) and fourth in receiving yards (1,097). He’s also sixth in JMU history for career receiving touchdowns.Andjustlike with Corey, Kris was pushed to be great, this time by Wells Jr. — Kris’ roommate.“Weboth wanted to do great,” Kris said. “We’ve always joked around, who’s going to have more yards. It was just really a friendly, competitive thing.” In an email to The Breeze, Wells Jr. talked about Kris as a roommate. On the field, they were together. Off the field, they were together. Like brothers. “We did everything together,” Wells Jr. said in the email. “He helped me through a lot of things.”Wells Jr. and Kris were the first duo in JMU history to have two receivers reach 1,000 receiving yards on the season. Wachenheim said Kris is an “unbelievably deceptive route runner” and that he doesn’t look as fast as he really is. The combination of Wells Jr. on the left and Kris in the slot were linchpins in the 2021 offense that averaged 38.3 points per game. “Kris is my dawg,” Wells Jr. said. “He’s a hard worker.” [sic] field. That’s really what I’ve been trying to do throughout the spring ball and throughout fall camp.” The legacy Kris said he wants to be one of the best receivers to play at JMU. This offseason, the first real one since 2019, Kris said he mastered the playbook. He said he’s gotten bigger, stronger and faster. “When you know what you’re doing on the field, you can just go out there and play,” Kris “Isaid.think that’s gonna be a big thing for me this year, I’m just gonna be able to just go out there and read and react.” In his final year of eligibility, Kris said he wants to leave his mark on JMU. Growing up, he came to games. He remembers sitting in the stands, he said, so leading his team into the first-ever Sun Belt season means all the more. “When you really think about [the Sun Belt], it’s [a] really big deal,” Kris said. “It means a lot to me, and I’m gonna give it my all this year. This is a whole historic season, so it’s really special to be a part of it.”
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14 SEASON Breeze file photos 20221,SeptemberThursday,
15 SNAPSHOTS 20221,SeptemberThursday,
Logo
1. Appalachian State It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the Mountaineers take the crown. Although it didn’t win the Sun Belt championship, the expectations for App State were already high with its sold out season ticket packages and redshirt senior quarterback Chase Brice at the helm. What makes this team so dangerous, though, is the weapons Brice has to use. After having four wide receivers make it to the NFL in the offseason, Brice is working with a fairly young receiving core but a mature running back room. Defensively, senior inside linebacker Trey Comb comes in as one of the top defenseman in the conference, earning 72 total tackles last season.
By MADISON HRICIK The Breeze
CONTACT Madison Hricik at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
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Predicting the East
The Chanticleers earn the No. 2 spot for two reasons. To start, the return of the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year and redshirt senior quarterback Grayson McCall at the helm is enough to put CCU at the top of the conference. Should McCall have another productive season at QB, he could be a highly sought after NFL prospect in the 2023 draft. Now, CCU has lost a few big names on defense since the end of the regular season — some of which have been a Chanticleer since the school’s FCS-to-FBS turnover in 2017. Head coach Jamey Chadwell said that because of this, he’s expecting to coach a young defensive unit, but he added it hasn’t changed his team’s potential.
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The Herd is another team entering this season with a lot of potential. After a successful final season in Conference USA, including a trip to the New Orleans Bowl against Louisiana, Marshall has 50 new players in 2022. Without redshirt sophomore running back Rasheem Ali playing to start the season, Marshall will have to rely on other running backs and its passing game. And, while it’s a big hole to fill with Ali rushing for 23 touchdowns last season, head coach Charles Huff said he’s not worried about his team’s ability to score while Ali is out.
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Logo courtesy of Marshall Athletics courtesy of Old Dominion Athletics courtesy of JMU Athletics courtesy of Coastal Carolina Athletics courtesy of Georgia Southern Athletics courtesy of Appalachian State Athletics
One of the teams had to be last, and Georgia Southern drew the short straw this time. Even so, head coach Clay Helton is approaching the new season with a lot of positivity, particularly around redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Vantrease. The Eagles have a particularly difficult schedule this season with Nebraska, Ball State, Coastal Carolina and Georgia State scattered throughout the season. Helton’s reputation precedes him after finding success at USC, so Georgia Southern could still prove Sun Belt fans wrong.
The Breeze picks the Sun Belt East Division file photo
5. JMU Yes, the Dukes will probably struggle in their first season in the Sun Belt. However, it doesn’t change JMU’s outlook this season. JMU took a big hit with the transfer portal in the offseason, after graduating a large number of players. JMU has the opportunity to surprise a few teams this season, particularly if the roster remains healthy later into the season. It wouldn’t be the first time a new FBS team reaches five or six games in a debut season, but any number of wins is history this season.
6. ODU Sixth and seventh in these rankings can be interchangeable. ODU, like JMU, is working through a three-way quarterback battle; two of the contenders played last season as well. The Monarchs ended last season on a five-game streak to qualify for a bowl game, but after having so many players graduate and hit the transfer portal, ODU could struggle to reach the same heights as last season in the Sun Belt. The three-way quarterback battle including two players from last season, both saw playing time throughout the 2021 schedule.
Logo courtesy of Georgia State Athletics
Breeze
3. Georgia State Probably the most underrated team in the east division this season, Georgia State could be a team to watch — especially at home. The Panthers have the potential to go undefeated at home this season, if they win their most difficult match against UNC in WeekHowever,2. the Panthers have a lot of “ifs” that can change the outcome of their season. If they can improve on third down, if they use the passing game more and if they pick up necessary wins along the way, then expect Georgia State to make some waves across the Sun Belt.
4. Marshall
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7. Georgia Southern
2. Coastal Carolina
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By GRANT JOHNSON The Breeze JMU football played 22 games in one calendar year between a pandemic-impacted spring and fall season in 2021. So for head coach Curt Cignetti, he said at Sun Belt Media Day in July, it felt like he was on vacation for three months in the 2022 offseason. For the players, on the other hand, it’s been anything but a vacation as they train for JMU’s first-ever full FBS schedule.
see PREPARATION, page 18 ‘Bigger,faster,stronger’
Texts sent to The Breeze from a JMU Athletics spokesman indicate multiple players have gained around 20 pounds and have lowered their bodyfat percentages this offseason. More players have said they’ve topped their bench press and squat personal-bests this offseason, some by over 50 pounds since their freshmen years.
JMU football trains to take on elevated FBS opponents Graduate running back Percy Agyei-Obese said he observed a different dynamic among his teammates in anticipation for the team’s first season against a full FBS schedule. Breeze file photo
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Redshirt junior defensive end Abi NwabuokuOkonji spent the offseason developing a “money move” when pressuring the quarterback — a pass-rush move he can go to every time off the edge — a stab-club combo. Graduate defensive end Isaac Ukwu honed in his diet, switching to more baked chicken instead of fried chicken, he said in the spring. He was inspired by the body transformation of his former roommate, defensive lineman Mike Greene (2018-22), who’s currently fighting for a practice squad spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sophomore running back Kaelon Black used blood-flow restriction (BFR) training three times a week in the initial stages of his torn ACL recovery, which he suffered last fall versus Weber State. BFR, Black said, makes him feel like he’s doing a max-capacity workout when he really isn’t and “definitely pushes your buttons.”
Cignetti, who’s coached at the FBS’ cream of the crop, Alabama, from 2007-10, said JMU’s weight room exercises haven’t drastically changed in preparation for the better competition. If there were a better way to work out, he said, JMU would’ve been doing it already. Players maintained that workouts are mostly the same but said they feel faster-paced. They said there’s less rest time between running and weight room sets. In addition, graduate running back Percy Agyei-Obese said in the spring that there’s a different vibe around his teammates as they brace for the step up. “You can see by the way everyone is working out,” Agyei-Obese said. “They’re on the field or getting extra work in the film room — there’s more people doing that — there’s more people taking care of their bodies in the training room. Like, everyone is focused, and everyone really wants to come out in the fall and play their best football.”JMUfootball’s strength and conditioning coordinator Derek Owings wasn’t made available to interview. Cignetti said players look bigger and stronger — “a lot of goodlooking bodies” are on the practice field — as a result of the summer training program that Owings and his strength staff put the team through
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While this spring and summer might not have been as demanding for Cignetti as it was in 2021, he said after practice Aug. 26 that there’s now a heightened sense of urgency for coaches and players alike as JMU’s first game as an FBS program“You’relooms.playing better teams — bigger, faster, stronger guys,” Cignetti said. “You got to play your A game to be successful. Your C+ game’s not going to get it done, so your consistency and standard [of] performance, your commitment level needs to be ramped up.”
increase explosiveness. After the full offseason, Thornton said, “I feel better than I was before.”
However, former JMU defensive lineman Tony Thurston — who retired from football last week but spoke to media Aug. 19 — said the running was also position-specific, meaning the linemen started runs in three-point stances. The emphasis is bursting out of the stance, Thurston said, not running down field. “Really, just the intensity of it [is different], not necessarily like how much we do, but how quickly we transition from one rep to the next,” Thurston said. “We’ve kind of done similar to that; probably not as heavy as [Owings] had us doing this Owings’year.”workouts
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Nick Kidwell said Owings led more position-specific drills this offseason. For the O-line, this meant doing the “wave drill,” where they’d slide their feet in pass sets in alternating directions down the field for varying periods of time in order to get their conditioning up. Kidwell, like most Dukes, said the workouts felt faster.
Head coach Curt Cignetti praised reports on the team's summer conditioning program at media day. Cambria Lee / The Breeze
“Inrelentless.termsof intensity and the feel for the room, I feel like we’ve had the same as we’ve always had,” Painter said. “No matter who we’re playing, we’re going to treat it like it’s a Super Bowl.”
CONTACT Grant Johnson at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
18 20221,SeptemberThursday, T A Y L O R D O W N U N D E R R O O M 1 1 2 I N T H E U N I O N P L A C E A N A N O N Y M O U S O R D E R A N D P I C K U P E I T H E R C H E C K O U T M O R E R E S O U R C E S @ T H E S T U D E N T S U P P O R T H U B T H E P A N T R Y what to expect Shopin person Order on the app F L A S H Y O U R J A C C A R D W E I G H G R O C E R I E S @ G R A C E S T P A R K I N G D E C K S H O P OR what we offer F O O D B A S I C S C H O O L S U P P L I E HS Y G I E N E I T E M S S A F E R S E X C E N T E R O N T H E R A P I D P I C K U P S H E L F @ T H E P A N T R Y C U R B S I D EOR J M U E D U / S S H from PREPARATION, page 17 Cignetti said after the first spring practice March 24 that Owings had seven weeks to work with JMU’s players before spring ball. It was the first full offseason training regimen any player younger than the incoming class in 2019 has had because of COVID-19 in 2020 and the altered spring season in 2021. As spring practices commenced, Cignetti said, Owings’ lifting and running program produced “great results” among players.
Most players also said Owings conducted more running workouts than past years.
According to texts sent to The Breeze by a JMU spokesman, redshirt sophomore linebacker
squat exercises — back squats, front squats and isometric lifts — to
Agyei-Obese, who also spent much of the offseason rehabbing from a season-ending ankle injury he suffered versus Delaware on Oct. 23, told The Breeze at media day that he’s gained 23 pounds during the rehab process but still feels thefatiguedinandofincorporationwelloffseason,increasedtheObeseregimens.players’appliedhishasAgyei-Obesehiscreditsrunningaskwhatgettingbiggersaid.Agyei-Obeseplace“I’mfaster.inahappyrightnow,”“I’mgettingandI’mfaster,like,morecanIfor?”ThegraduatebackOwingsforprogress,who,said,“reallydoneresearch”andittothetrainingAgyei-saidrunloadthisasasmoretemposquatsbenchpress,ordertobelessduringseason.Butwhat’s
“Every little thing can make a difference,” Ukwu said. “So then that discipline being implemented in workouts, it’s gonna translate to the JMUfield.”hasfound moderate success against FBS competition recently, going 3-7 against it since 2010, but now, those teams litter the schedule in 2022. The Dukes get relieved from the gauntlet Week 2 versus Norfolk State but then play nine straight FBS teams to close the year — eight from the Sun Belt and the ACC’s Louisville on Nov.Players5. acknowledged the increased opponent quality but overwhelmingly said they’re not deterring from how they played at the FCS level — from what has made JMU successful for two decades. For redshirt senior tight end Drew Painter, that means sticking to JMU football’s script: playing fast, physical and
more noticeable, Ukwu said, is intangible.
Four months later, Cignetti said at media day that the positive reports he got from JMU’s summer conditioning program were unlike any other he’s received in his 11-year head coaching career.
It’s the culture Owings has cultivated in the weight room ahead of the Sun Belt jump. “He’s locking in a little bit more on discipline,” Ukwu said, “and [telling us to do] what you’re supposed to do in an efficient manner and getting in and getting out and not being so lackadaisical with your workout, having a purpose and knowing what you’re there to work on and getting better each and every day.” Ukwu said the demeanor is a byproduct of how JMU’s season ended in the Fargo Dome versus North Dakota State last year. There were too many lapses of discipline in that game, Ukwu said, which JMU can ill afford at the FBS level.
— both on-field running and in the weight room — catalyzed drastic results in players from multiple position groups.
Taurus Jones dropped 11% body fat, as he looks to replace former JMU linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, who transferred to Texas in May. Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Tyler Stephens gained 25 pounds and lost 2.5% body fat this offseason as he looks to start at right guard this fall.
inoffseason,poundsaroundsaidKrisBeltTeamtheknowteammateslinemenmy“IKamaraphenomenal,”…differencefeelingandweightasbodybodydropped20injury,lastmissedfreshman2021playedKamara,freshmanRedshirtMikailwhoinspringasatruebutalloffallwithangainedpoundsand2.5%fat.“Ichangedmycompletelyfarasintheroom,[I’m]reallyahugeIt’sbeensaid.feellikealloffensive—Itheyfeeldifference.”PreseasonFirstAll-SunwidereceiverThorntonhe’sgained10thisduelargeparttomore
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WHAT ESPN GETS YOU
ESPN2 is the secondary network to the main ESPN channel. It’s a linear network, so it’s available on the majority of cable networks. Most nationally televised Sun Belt games have previously been available on ESPN2, with College GameDay or Saturday Night Football on ESPN. There are three Sun Belt games listed to air on ESPN2 at this time.
DECISIONBROADCASTISMADEHOW THE DECISIONBROADCASTISMADE
EXPLAINING ESPN3 WHAT IS ESPN2? WHAT ESPN GETS YOU HOW THE
WHAT IS ESPN2?
Decisions on where a game is televised is based on multiple factors — some of which have nothing to do with JMU. However, the jump from a streaming platform to a linear channel can be made depending on national rankings or the importance of a game, as well as the start time of each game. Football start times are announced 12 days before kickoff, so the ESPN platform each one is televised on can vary at that 12-day mark, and occasionally beyond.
ESPN3, put simply, is the online network for all ESPN content. Unlike ESPN+, the online network is free as long as a viewer signs into their TV provider. Some football games, as well as basketball or Olympic sports across multiple conferences, are available through ESPN3, including multiple Sun Belt football games this season — both conference and nonconference matchups.
INTRODUCING ESPN+
EXPLAINING ESPN3
The main network, ESPN, is linear and available nationwide. Typically, ESPN has its own set list of on-air talent when broadcasting on it. This channel is available with most cable networks and occasionally can be viewed on ESPN+ or espn.com. Currently, Appalachian State vs. Coastal Carolina on Nov. 3 is scheduled to air on ESPN.
INTRODUCING ESPN+ Now, the platform JMU Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne said he was the most excited about. ESPN+ is the main hub of all sports across the Sun Belt and other conferences for all sports. Not every sport will make it on linear ESPN, but it will at the very least be available on ESPN+. In addition, JMU Sports Network, the host network exclusively for JMU Athletics, will have its broadcasters for each sport. This network is a paid subscription only, at $9.99 per month.
EXPLAINED CONTACT Madison Hricik at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter
@TheBreezeSports.SavannahReger/TheBreezeHERE’S WHAT THE NEW HOME OF THE DUKES PROVIDES By MADISON HRICIK The Breeze 20221,SeptemberThursday,
20 NOW THAT YOU’RE OFFICIALLY The best place for banking isn’t a bank at all! CommonWealth One is JMU’s trusted, full-service credit union, and student banking is better here. We’re conveniently located on campus and offer everything you might need financially as a student. What we don’t have? Excessive and unnecessary fees. When it comes to handling your finances as a student, we’ve got your back with: The secret is out – CommonWealth One is here to help you thrive financially at JMU. To open an account or learn more about JMU Student Perks, which include special events, free food and prizes, visit cofcu.org/JMU or stop by our branch in The Union (next to the post office) CommonWealth@COFCUJMU One @commonwealthoneCommonWealthOneFederalCreditUnion YouthAccountSavings FreeAccountChecking Online & Mobile Banking The Union (Next to the Post Office) Monday – Thursday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Friday: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm ResourcesFinancialLow-Rate Loans
