JMU Commits, Targets To Play For Team USA
HARRISONBURG — When incoming quarterback Jake O’Donnell arrives at James Madison next week for summer workouts, he’ll only stay a month before he’s excused to leave.
O’Donnell is set to play for Team USA’s U-19 squad at the world championships in Mexico City.
“[JMU Coach Mike] Houston was the first person I called after receiving the invite,” O’Donnell said. “I called Coach Houston immediately to get it verified by him.
“He was 100 percent for it.”
Team USA will practice at Northern Arizona University beginning July 4 and then travel to Mexico City eight days later to begin the event. O’Donnell said the Americans open with Australia, before meeting either Japan or Mexico to set up a possible third game with Canada.
Two years ago, Canada beat the USA for gold when the championships were held in Harbin, China.
“I haven’t had to sell too many kids [on playing] and I don’t know why,” said Aaron Ingram, the senior manager of the U.S. National Team. Ingram spent seven seasons as the running backs coach at Sacramento State and then a year as an offensive assistant at Nevada before joining USA Football.
“Maybe it’s the pride of fixing it,” Ingram said, “because we tell them, ‘Hey we’re number two,’ and if you tell that to an American football player who’s good, they get kind of offended.
“The other one is that our profile has been raised with USA Football.”
Notable Team USA alumni include Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley, Houston Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu and current Ohio State signal-caller Dwayne Haskins.
O’Donnell is not the only JMU-bound player on the roster as class of 2019 verbal commit cornerback Dorian Davis pledged to play in Mexico via Twitter on Wednesday night. There are also other class of 2019 prospects with scholarship offers from the Dukes that will play alongside O’Donnell and Davis.
Thomas Dale defensive lineman/linebacker Rick D’Abreu, Highland Springs wide receiver Ali Jennings and Manchester offensive lineman Will Pritchard all hold scholarship offers from JMU and will all suit up for the games in Mexico City.
“It’s a totally different experience and it’s really an honor when you’re playing for your country,” D’Abreu said. “It’s something you dream about and I was really excited when I got the message. It was just different because of the magnitude of the opportunity.”
“This team is comprised of kids in the 2019 class, the 2018 class and some 2017s who are younger, so it’s a little bit of everything,” Ingram said. “So what we look for is those who are gritty and can fight through some adversity and are mentally tough and talented, of course.
“But anytime you’re going to play international competition, it’s a little different. It’s physical football, so you got to be tough and it’s not playing in utopia. It’s not a perfect setting and some of the other countries aren’t on our level with facilities, so we’ve got to work through adversity to get things to go our way.”
Ingram said O’Donnell was one of the first to commit to playing. In the past, O’Donnell had participated in developmental games with Team USA and the program’s regional camps.
Before deciding to walk-on at JMU, O’Donnell — a Tampa, Fla., native and Sickles High School product — earned scholarship offers from Lafayette, Division II Tusculum and West Florida.
“We’ve seen him mature and grow,” Ingram said. “Jake is really one of those magnetic personalities as a quarterback and people gravitate toward him.
“Jake is the spark plug in this whole thing, in a lot of ways. He’s been a catalyst and you’d be amazed at how many guys have called and said, ‘I know Jake O’Donnell and I want to play.’ And I’ve had to turn guys down. It’s amazing how many guys want to play with the kid. I think he is a steal for JMU.”
O’Donnell said he’s eager to get to Mexico City to help Team USA try for gold, in addition to gaining some extra prep for August training camp at JMU. When O’Donnell returns from Mexico City, he’ll join a position group in Harrisonburg that features Ben DiNucci, Cole Johnson, Gage Moloney and Hunter Etheridge.
O’Donnell added the offense Team USA runs is a version of the spread with run-pass option concepts, similar to what the Dukes do.
“It’s going to help knock off some of the rust that I have,” O’Donnell said. “I’ll be a little more fresh coming into fall camp because the last time I put on pads and played in a game was in October, so it’s been a while and I’m itching to get back at it.
“I’ll be in Arizona for nine days and Mexico for 11, so it’s going to be a good amount of football. Hopefully I can get myself back on track.”
He said he’s also looking forward to playing with prospects that he could end up playing with again at JMU.
D’Abreu holds a mix of FBS and FCS offers from 16 different schools.
“I love JMU,” D’Abreu said. “I really like Coach Houston and I love [defensive line coach Jeff] Hanson. Coach Hanson is my guy and I’d be playing for him if I went to JMU.”
Ingram said O’Donnell and the JMU targets in the 2019 class should help Team USA this summer.
“Will Pritchard is special and it’s a big man’s game,” Ingram said. “Ali brings big-game potential anytime the ball is in the air … And Rick, I’d hate to be a quarterback and play against Rick. I really would. He will hit you and he’s great off the edge.”