It would’ve been extremely difficult to do this prior to the start of James Madison’s fall practices.

After all, the Dukes had lost 15 starters across offense and defense from their 2019 team and hadn’t practiced in nine months because of the pandemic. So any attempt to create an unofficial depth chart would’ve involved plenty of guessing.

But now with five weeks of drills completed, putting together one comes with more education.

This fall provided plenty of opportunities to learn about JMU as returning players began filling larger roles over the last month and a half while transfers and true freshmen started to figure out how they fit in with the Dukes.

The process for doing this wasn’t all that scientific, but it was based on what I saw during the open portion of their practices as well as the comments coach Curt Cignetti and his players made throughout the fall. As a note, I only included players who participated in fall practices, so you won’t see any incoming mid-year enrollees listed.

Anyway, onto the depth chart:

Quarterback – Cole Johnson or Gage Moloney

Cignetti said the fifth-year senior Johnson and the fourth-year junior Moloney had strong performances during the fall to stay in contention for the job. The second-year coach even pointed out that they both deserve to earn the starting gig. So this competition will play out through training camp in January, and expect it do so in similar fashion, with the pair of signal-callers alternating practices running the first-team offense.

Running Back – Percy Agyei-Obese or Jawon Hamilton, Latrele Palmer, Solomon Vanhorse

This group is as good as it gets in FCS, and the tandem of seniors Agyei-Obese and Hamilton lead the way. Those two will likely get the bulk of the carries like they did last year, but sophomore Palmer is a bruiser and can punish opposing defenses as those units get tired in the later stages of games. Vanhorse is a threat to run the ball and catch the ball out of the backfield, too. Those four will all have a role.

Left Outside Receiver – Antwane Wells, Daniel Adu

Right Outside Receiver – Scott Bracey or Kyndel Dean, Reggie Brown

Inside Receiver – Kris Thornton or Devin Ravenel, Solomon Vanhorse

JMU has no returning starters at receiver, but this remade unit left Cignetti encouraged at the end of the spring. “I feel a lot better about that group right now,” Cignetti said this past Saturday. Highland Springs High School and Fork Union Military Academy product Wells’ stock jumped more than any other player on the roster this fall while junior Dean reemerged after his game reps were down last year from the 2018 season. Dean and Duke transfer Bracey fought for a No. 1 job. VMI import Thornton showed speed, according to Cignetti, and he has FCS experience from his 87-catch campaign with the Keydets two years ago. Him or Ravenel could step into that starting slot role, and it’s likely Vanhorse plays some in the slot, too, bouncing between there and his running back role.

Tight End – Drew Painter or Clayton Cheatham or Noah Turner

“Those three guys I suspect will all play [this spring],” Cignetti said about junior Painter, senior Cheatham and North Carolina transfer Turner. Having three that could play is a positive, even though JMU, which uses two-tight end sets at times, will have to sort through a pecking order. Painter missed some of the fall with a minor knee injury while Cheatham, who has a history of foot injuries, stayed healthy.

Left Tackle – Ray Gillespie, Kyle Smith

Left Guard – Truvell Wilson, Jake Glavin

Center – J.T. Timming or Stanley Hubbard

Right Guard – Nick Kidwell, Tanner Morris

Right Tackle – Liam Fornadel, Henry Schroeder

All-American senior Fornadel, All-Colonial Athletic Association pick senior Wilson and senior left tackle Gillespie gives JMU three starters back on its offensive line. Kidwell, a 6-foot-5, 315 pounder, seems like a safe bet to claim the right guard spot while senior Timming has an early lead in the battle for the center spot over Connecticut transfer Hubbard. “It’s great to have someone here and someone working,” Timming said of the competition with Hubbard. “Stanley is a great player and it’s going to push us both and make us both better players. And whoever ends up starting, it’s going to be for the right reason.” Schroeder, a redshirt sophomore, is a candidate to be a swing tackle, backing up both Gillespie and Fornadel.

Defensive End – Jalen Green, Abi N-Okonji

Defensive Tackle – Garrett Groulx or James Carpenter

Defensive Tackle – Tony Thurston or James Carpenter

Defensive End – Mike Greene, Antonio Colclough

A lot changed for the Dukes’ D-Line when junior Isaac Ukwu suffered a knee injury, which will keep him out of spring. Ukwu was projected to start at defensive end, so JMU had to shuffle personnel around the front and moved its best defensive player, Greene, from defensive tackle to defensive end in the process. Cignetti thinks Greene “could be a force” at defensive end while filling former CAA Defensive Player of the Year Ron’Dell Carter’s old spot. Sophomore Green will step in for ex-standout John Daka, who led the FCS in sacks last year, at the other defensive end spot. Any of three – Carpenter, Groulx or Thurston – could win a starting D-Tackle job after improving this fall.

Linebacker – Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, Julio Ayamel

Linebacker – Kelvin Azanama, Mateo Jackson

The linebackers were also impacted by injury with the Dukes losing redshirt freshman Taurus Jones. But they do have depth, so senior Azanama and junior Tucker-Dorsey are capable of stepping into starting responsibilities. Azanama played some last year in a rotation and Tucker-Dorsey was a nickel-package linebacker in 2019. Then there’s redshirt freshman Ayamel, who Cignetti is excited about, and Jackson, who Cignetti said dropped weight and looked faster during practice.

Rover – Joe Joe Norwood, MJ Hampton

Free Safety – MJ Hampton, Que Reid

Strong Safety – Wayne Davis, Sam Kidd

Many of these safeties are interchangeable, having learned or already played one of the other safety spots. But the first line of safeties will probably include Massachusetts transfer Norwood, senior Hampton and senior Davis. Davis, sliding from rover to strong safety, is one of only three returning starters to the defense. Beyond those three, Reid is destined to be the first safety off the bench, and Hampton called Kidd, “a baller” and someone who can help the defense this spring. Kidd missed the back half of last season with an injury.

Cornerback – Wesley McCormick, AJ Webb

Cornerback – Taurus Carroll, Jamari Currence or Xavier Cokley

At cornerback, it’s possible multiple freshmen play behind seniors McCormick, a returning starter, and Carroll, who started at times earlier in his career. Cignetti said freshmen, “Cokley and Webb have good futures.” Webb practiced this fall as McCormick’s backup at boundary cornerback, and Cokley and redshirt sophomore Currence took reps as a field cornerback behind Carroll.

Place Kicker – Ethan Ratke, Connor Madden

Kickoff Specialist – Connor Madden, Camden Wise

Punter – Harry O’Kelly, Justin Ritter

Long Snapper – Kyle Davis, Seth Weaver

Holder – Alex Miller

The familiar names here are seniors Ratke, O’Kelly, Davis and Miller while Madden is new to the group. A transfer from nearby Division III Bridgewater College, Madden has a strong leg, Cignetti said, and is a candidate to kick off and serve as a field goal kicker from long range.