HARRISONBURG — The defending FCS national champion doesn’t have much to replace from its 2016 team, but James Madison’s program bolstered its roster by landing 25 signees Wednesday on National Signing Day.

JMU brings back six starters on offense headlined by quarterback Bryan Schor, who was the Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year and the Dudley Award winner. Nine starters are back from a defense that led the country in interceptions, also.

The 2017 recruiting class includes two FBS transfers that are already on campus, one early enrollee and the 22 high school prospects that faxed in their letters of intent. From the group of new Dukes, here are a few with the best chance to see the field in their first seasons at JMU:

Marcus Marshall, RB, Georgia Tech: On the eve of JMU’s playoff win over North Dakota State, Georgia Tech running back Marcus Marshall announced his plans to transfer to JMU.

Marshall is already in Harrisonburg taking classes and will practice with the team this spring. Marshall led Georgia Tech in rushing in each of the past two seasons.

Madison has talent in the backfield — Cardon Johnson, Trai Sharp and Taylor Woods return — but the graduation of Khalid Abdullah leaves carries to be had.

Abdullah ran the ball 298 times — 184 more times than any other JMU running back in 2016 — for 1,809 yards and 22 touchdowns. His yards and touchdowns led the country.

In December, Marshall said he could see himself having success right away in the Dukes’ offense. He said he left Georgia Tech because he didn’t want to play in the triple option anymore.

“I felt like the offense wasn’t my best fit,” Marshall said. “I felt like I could be more productive in a different system, something where I’d have a little more space to work in.

“With James Madison, I looked at their offense and I had the chance to see it first-hand against Sam Houston State. I really liked what I saw. I felt I could fit perfectly.”

Liam Fornadel, OG, Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.): Any college coach would say the toughest position for a true freshman to crack the two-deep at is on the offensive line.

Liam Fornadel, who had FBS offers from Buffalo, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Colorado State, Connecticut, Florida Atlantic, Old Dominion, Rutgers and San Diego State, could be one freshman that tempts the Madison coaching staff into playing him early.

Standing at 6-foot-3, 305 pounds, Fornadel could play on the interior of the offensive line. JMU loses two starters — guard Matt Frank and center Kyle Rigney to graduation — from the interior of its line.

Fornadel also comes from a high school team that is run more like a college program, which he said should help him adjust to college football smoothly.

“At Bosco, they preach a lot about being tough, so a lot of the things that we did exceeded standards,” Fornadel said last month. “They wanted to make you tougher and better. It definitely does make it easier to transition to college football because there’s a little more demand and expectation at Don Bosco.”

Marcus Hawkins, DT, Freedom High School (Morganton, N.C.): There are benefits for both the program and player when the player decides to enroll early as a true freshman. The athlete gets to adjust to life in college without the rigorous regular-season schedule and also is able to practice with the team throughout the spring.

The coaching staff gets to teach the player its system over the course of 15 spring practices.

Marcus Hawkins is on campus and will participate in spring practice as a true freshman.

“When you come out of high school, especially up front, the strength numbers with the guys you’re playing against have been strength training for four or five years,” cornerbacks coach Tripp Weaver, who recruited Hawkins, said. “That’s an advantage to him to be able to develop his body to be able to compete when fall camp comes around.”

Hawkins will get a jump on learning the playbook and understanding Madison’s defense before the rest of the recruiting class.

JMU returns Simeyon Robinson and Cornell Urquhart at the defensive tackle spots, but in 2016, defensive line coach Jeff Hanson used a three-man rotation that included senior Martez Stone. Hanson will have to replace Stone’s spot in the rotation and Hawkins could get the nod.

Harry O’Kelly, P, Iona College (Queensland, Australia): This one isn’t too complicated.

JMU loses Gunnar Kane, its punter for the past three seasons, to graduation, so the team needs to find his replacement.

JMU coach Mike Houston signed a prospect from more than 10,000 miles away in Queensland, Australia.

“[Pittsburgh special teams coordinator] Andre Powell, my close friend at Pitt, he has known a kicking coach in Australia for many years,” Houston said. “Last summer, when we knew we’d be looking for this, I had a conversation with him and he introduced me to the kicking coach from Australia. We had been working to get this young man for the bulk of the fall in preparation for this and it just worked out to where we were able to sign him today.”

Houston said O’Kelly would try for the starting punting job as soon as he gets to Harrisonburg.

“That’s the plan,” Houston said. “There are other specialists coming in to compete this fall and there are some on our roster that will compete this fall, but obviously Harry is a very talented young man and we wouldn’t have signed him on National Signing Day if he was not.”