Every season there are always a few ready to play early in their careers.

James Madison freshman defensive end Mikail Kamara is likely to start Saturday in the program’s spring opener against Morehead State. Kamara is listed as a first-team defensive end on the depth chart released by the team on Monday.

“He’s got a lot of ability,” JMU coach Curt Cignetti said during a video conference Monday. “He’s a really smart player and studies a lot of tape. He’s very committed. He spends a lot of time in [defensive coordinator Corey] Hetherman’s office on his own, trying to learn what he can do better to be the best he can be.”

Kamara was a standout for Stone Bridge (Ashburn) in 2019, racking up 15 sacks and 34 tackles for loss to earn Virginia High School League Region 5C Defensive Player of the Year honors as a prep senior. He earned scholarship offers from FBS programs Charlotte and Kent State in addition to fellow Colonial Athletic Association schools Delaware, Richmond and Towson.

Cignetti said injuries to returning defensive ends Isaac Ukwu and Jalen Green gave room for Kamara to climb into a prominent role.

Freshman running back Kaelon Black as well as freshman wide receiver Antwane Wells were also members of JMU’s 2020 recruiting class and they could contribute this season, according to Cignetti.

Wells, a product of Fork Union Military Academy, initially emerged during fall practices and Black has impressed recently during spring preseason drills. Black, who starred at Salem (Virginia Beach) while rushing for 1,732 yards as a senior, had other offers from East Carolina, Toledo, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

“The biggest issue at running back is getting them all enough reps to be honest with you,” Cignetti said. “There are so many of them. But that’s a good thing, because that position can get nicked up especially when you run the ball as much as we do.

“But [Black has] been an extremely explosive player in the run game. He’s really quick, can make you miss. He’s got really good speed. He runs hard. He’s a smart guy with a great work ethic and I think he’s got a tremendous future.”

Other freshmen on the two-deep include ex-Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach) tackle Tyler Stephens, former Woodside (Newport News) linebacker Seth Naotala and former Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School (Cambridge, Mass.) defensive back Sammy Malignaggi.

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- Other noticeable takeaways from the initial depth chart include how the defensive line and safety positions have progressed.

The defensive tackle spots have ORs between Garrett Groulx and James Carpenter as well as Tony Thurston and Mason Cholewa. It’s possible all four see game action, especially early in the season if Cignetti and Hetherman want to see how the group develops or if anyone can separate from the rest of the unit. Cholewa only arrived last month, but has significant FBS experience from his time at Central Florida.

At safety, beyond the switch Wayne Davis is making from spur to strong safety, there are other swaps with MJ Hampton sliding from free safety to spur and Que Reid stepping into the free safety role.

- To see the full depth chart, click here.

- Cignetti said although JMU must to prepare for some offensive and defensive schemes it has not seen and that Morehead State uses, the Dukes likely won’t stray from the plays on offense that they’ve installed over the last three weeks of preseason practice.

“Same thing on defense,” Cignetti said. “Cut the package down and allow the guys to play fast.”

- Morehead State has a new defensive coordinator, Andrew Strobel, so Cignetti said a new coordinator can be tougher to prepare for because there’s an unknown about how much will change from year to year.

- About dealing with virus protocols, Cignetti outlined what’s altered his game day operations and what hasn’t.

“Everything that goes on between the white lines is the same,” he said. “Everything you have to do to be successful doesn’t change.

“Now, the way you travel. The adjustments you may have to make on a Friday after you get your COVID result, the number of guys you dress for the game and things like that, those things are different because you still have to space and social distance, so you can get through the game without any issues with the virus that could potentially knock you out of the next game.”

- JMU will not pump any artificial crowd noise into Bridgeforth Stadium on Saturday, assistant athletic director for communications Kevin Warner said.

According to Gov. Ralph Northam’s orders, capacity at sports and entertainment venues in the state are capped at 250 people currently. JMU is limiting attendance to families and guests of players and coaches.