HARRISONBURG – Cardon Johnson gave James Madison a pick-me-up when it needed one at the midpoint of training camp.

The Dukes’ senior running back has returned to full speed this week after recovering from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the final six games of the 2016 season.

“I think he electrified practice [Monday] when he ripped off about a 70-yard touchdown catch during our team period,” JMU coach Mike Houston said. “For all of us to see him turn on the juice down the sideline running for that, it reminded me of the touchdown at North Carolina last year.

“That certainly got everyone kind of going yesterday. It was nice to see.”

For the first 12 sessions, Johnson wore a medical-red jersey for precaution, but Tuesday he was spotted in the full-go gold jersey that the rest of the offense wears.

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- Here’s a video clip of Johnson going through drills with the rest of the running backs and position coach De’Rail Sims.

- Houston said if all four running backs – Johnson, senior Taylor Woods, junior Marcus Marshall and junior Trai Sharp – stay healthy, the potential for the group is “unlimited.” The second-year coach added that he’s willing to use the four on special teams and in different situations that he wouldn’t have used the graduated Khalid Abdullah in last year. Houston said JMU didn’t have the depth to use Abdullah on special teams last fall.

- Toward the end of Tuesday’s practice, when the first-team offense was working against the first-team defense in a 2-minute drill, Woods hauled in swing pass from quarterback Bryan Schor, and took it about 35 yards into the end zone for a touchdown.

- As deep as the running back position seems to be entering the season, the group of middle linebackers might be deeper. Position coach Byron Thweatt said he’s not sure who will start at MIKE or WILL linebacker for JMU when it opens at East Carolina.

- There are four guys – senior Kyre Hawkins, junior Dimitri Holloway, sophomore Gus Little and sophomore Landan Word – in the mix for two starting spots. There are even more in the position group. Little said there are 16 total middle linebackers.

- Thweatt said he’s searching for a linebacker “that’ll take control” of the unit. He said JMU had that last year with the graduated Gage Steele.

- Thweatt said Holloway has shown an ability to take a leadership role, but since he’s been limited as he’s still recovering from an injury, others have earned reps during the team period. Holloway is practicing, but is still in the medical-red jersey.

- Little, who transferred from Maryland to join the Dukes in January, said he understands more than when he first jumped into practice during the spring. He said he now knows exactly what the secondary is doing behind him and what the defensive line is doing in front of him on each play. “I know where I fit a little better,” he said.