Published Aug 27, 2016
Dukes Have Duke Flavor
Greg Madia
Publisher

HARRISONBURG — It hasn’t taken long for Terrence Alls to get caught up.

Despite missing the first five days of preseason camp in Harrisonburg while finishing his classes at Duke, the graduate transfer learned enough of the offense over two weeks of preseason practice to secure a role within JMU’s deep wide receiver position group entering the team’s Sept. 3 opener against Morehead State.

“We’ve tried to be smart about not giving him too much,” offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick said. “Right now he’s playing the Y-receiver when we go to four-receiver sets, and then he’s also rotating at the X-receiver with [senior] Domo Taylor when we use three receivers.”

Alls made eight catches for 70 yards in 17 career games at Duke where he played for coach David Cutcliffe. One of Cutcliffe’s offensive graduate assistants who worked closely with the wide receivers during the past two seasons was Drew Dudzik — JMU’s new wide receivers coach.

“When I got to Duke a couple of years ago and I was helping the receivers, Scottie Montgomery, our offensive coordinator pulled me aside and told me that there are two guys that he really wanted me to look out for,” Dudzik said. “One was Jamison Crowder, who’s now with the Washington Redskins, and the other was Terrence Alls. Terrence was a redshirt freshman at that point, so it’s always been in the back of my mind that Terrence had the potential to be a big time player.”

Dudzik said when he initially learned that Alls wanted to transfer, he reached out to the receiver and there was an interest to make the move to JMU. Alls first visited campus during the spring and made the decision to follow Dudzik.

The ex-Duke turned Dukes pass-catcher adds size to his position group — he is the second tallest receiver on the two-deep, only shorter than Taylor — standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 195 pounds. He also brings a “speed element,” Dudzik said.

Alls had interest from other programs like Buffalo, Eastern Kentucky and Portland State, he said.

“I just wanted to go to a place where I felt I could maximize my ability. I feel like that was the deciding factor,” Alls said.

The difference between the offensive scheme at Duke and JMU isn’t too different. Both offenses use similar elements and play out of like formations.

“The playbook is a little different with the wording, but the concepts are similar,” Alls said.

Dudzik agreed.

“A lot of the terminology is different, but the concepts are very similar to what we did at Duke, which does make it a little easier for Terrence,” Dudzik said. “The fact that he is playing two positions and has eliminated mental mistakes this quickly is very impressive to me.

“I think it goes to show the way that Coach Cutcliffe runs the program at Duke and that the offense we had there definitely helps Terrence for what we’re running here.”

Throughout his two weeks in camp, Alls also showed he could contribute on special teams. He auditioned to catch punts and kicks and is still alive in both competitions along with Rashard Davis, John Miller, Brandon Ravenel and Charles Tutt. He also ran with JMU’s hands team when the Dukes practiced recovering onside kicks.

Alls has two years of eligibility remaining.

“With the two years, in my first year I can get acclimated with the scheme and my teammates,” Alls said. “Then next year I can make an even bigger jump. That’s my goal.”

James Madison
2026Commitment List
Updated:
athlete
position
stars
jamesmadison
FOOTBALL
Scores / Schedule
footballfootball
9 - 4
Overall Record
4 - 4
Conference Record
2024 schedule not available.
football
Rivals250 Logo
2026 PROSPECT RANKINGS