Ten days into preseason practice is when it’ll hit, if it hasn’t already.
The early mornings become long, sweaty days under the thick humidity and relentless August sun.
Saturdays in September can feel so far away.
“But that’s when you push harder and your true colors show how great you are,” James Madison running back Kaelon Black said last week as the Dukes’ training camp reached just beyond its midway point.
Black and other members of the JMU football program know – even if they won’t say it aloud – that the expectation is never-ending hours practicing, weightlifting and watching film this time of year are only the first steps they must conquer if they want to play in January.
The Dukes reached the FCS national semifinals in four of the last five seasons. And had they avoided a second-half collapse at Sam Houston this past spring, they would’ve reached the title game for the fourth time in the last five campaigns.
Almost every key contributor from the spring team returns and JMU has upgraded its roster through the healing of those who were injured during the spring as well as adding nine transfers and a freshman class of 12. Third-year JMU coach Curt Cignetti said his team has more than the typically-allowed 63 scholarship athletes this season, thanks to the NCAA granting all players an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic.
“We’re pretty deep,” Cignetti said.
Those around the country understand the Dukes’ advantageous situation, too.
After their 7-1 spring finish, they’ve been tabbed at No. 2 only behind defending champion Sam Houston in both the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Poll as well as the American Football Coaches Association Preseason Top 25. JMU is the favorite to win the Colonial Athletic Association, a league the Dukes are 33-2 in since 2016.
“I think the mindset, though, is where it should be,” fifth-year senior offensive tackle and All-American Liam Fornadel said. “Nobody has really gotten caught up with the noise. We’re in the here and now and we’re worried about each day, trying to get better and working with each other to get the little things right.”
Fornadel along with sixth-year quarterback Cole Johnson, CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and running back Percy Agyei-Obese and CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and defensive lineman Mike Greene are all upperclassmen who took advantage of the extra eligibility to return to JMU.
The Dukes bring back 10 starters on offense, 10 starters on defense and all three specialists.
“One of the biggest reasons I came back is because I saw how many returners we have,” Johnson said. “I just thought we were going to have a really loaded team this year. So, in talking with our coaches, obviously, that last game left a bitter taste in our mouths and so I thought it was the right idea to come back.”
Johnson has a more-than-adequate backfield and talented receivers to work with. Agyei-Obese averaged 102 yards on the ground per game in the spring. He’ll be the lead back with Black and Latrele Palmer working behind him. Wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr., who had four catches for touchdowns in the postseason, is likely to be Johnson’s go-to target with Kris Thornton providing catches out of the slot.
Fornadel has shifted from right tackle to left tackle in his return after missing the last six games of the spring with a shoulder injury, and he is one of the team’s top two pro prospects heading into the fall along with Greene.
On defense, Greene is the unit’s standout while entering his fifth year with 27 tackles for loss and 13 sacks for his career. But Towson transfer Bryce Carter and fifth-year junior Isaac Ukwu, who missed the last two seasons with separate knee injuries, will boost the depth of the defensive front. Spring All-CAA performers safety MJ Hampton and linebackers Kelvin Azanama and Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey are all veterans and were the team’s top three-leading tacklers this past season.
“It’s a really great chemistry we have here,” Fornadel said, “especially when you have so many guys returning. Obviously, the year [2020] that presented itself allowed for so many of us to return, but it’ll only benefit us to have the guys we have because you understand what you’re getting from each other. It’s good to gel with this group for another year.”
Said Cignetti: “I think everyone is excited to get going.”
JMU kicks off its season with consecutive home games, a non-conference contest against Morehead State on Sept. 4 and a CAA meeting with Maine on Sept. 11, before making the trek to Ogden, Utah to face four-time defending Big Sky champion Weber State in non-league play on Sept. 18.
