JMU Gets Creative To Assemble Class Of '21

There were tactics James Madison coaches used throughout this cycle to give themselves an edge.

And with in-person recruiting banned by the NCAA since March due to the pandemic, their creativity was necessary.

“I had not FaceTimed with many head coaches before, actually probably none before [Dukes coach Curt] Cignetti,” JMU offensive line signee Josh Toner, of Cherokee High School (N.J.), said.

Toner was one of 12 prospects, all of who were previously committed to JMU entering National Signing Day, to ink a National Letter of Intent with the Dukes at the start of the early signing period on Wednesday.

JMU signed six offensive players and six defensive players for its 2021 recruiting class. Eight of the 12 signees are from Virginia, three are Maryland natives and Toner is the lone resident of the Garden State.

Toner said Cignetti offered a scholarship over a June video chat between them, which Toner thought was special. When prospects can visit schools or attend a one-day camp, it’s not uncommon for coaches to extend an offer face-to-face. In 2020, though, FaceTime or Zoom is as close to the former way of doing business as Cignetti and his staff could get.

“That’s how we did it this year with the majority of ‘em,” Cignetti said, “because the opportunity to visit campus we knew wasn’t going to be there. So we sort of had a pecking order with a lot of film evaluation involved and it was a process, but I talked to the guys we were serious about and did most of the offering.”

Cignetti said Dukes recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach Mike Shanahan did a strong job of organizing how JMU’s recruiting operations would work during the pandemic. Beyond the primary assessing of prospects via game film, the lead recruiters, positions coaches, strength staff and academic staff all got to know the athletes before Cignetti would offer.

“I thought we did as good of a job as we could given the circumstances,” Cignetti said.

Said Toner: “It was cool to see how JMU did it and they’re obviously one of the best FCS teams in the country. So it felt reassuring that this is a great program, great team and that they really take this thing seriously. And they took a while to offer me a scholarship, which is a very attractive thing because they’re not going to just fire out an offer. They really evaluate the person.”

Toner is one of three offensive linemen in the group along with Linganore’s (Frederick, Md.) Scott Hummel and Prince George’s Jaelin Montgomery.

Cignetti said he and his staff prioritized the offensive line, linebackers and safeties.

Stone Bridge (Ashburn) linebacker Skylar Martin was the prize of the class, with JMU beating out FBS suitors Connecticut, Louisville, Vanderbilt and Virginia to land the 2019 Virginia High School League Class 5 All-State selection.

“I recognize we have a great brand,” Cignetti said. “It’s one of the strongest in the country, and we’re going to present it as honestly and professionally as possible. And, I think, for the right people it will appeal to.

“So we’ll go up against the big boys. We’re not afraid to do that. We had some guys that had Power Five offers and chose James Madison. … We’re not going to beg and plead [to prospects]. We’ll just do the best job we can presenting JMU.”

Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) safety Kye Holmes, who netted scholarship offers from eight FBS schools and picked the Dukes over Army and Buffalo, said he trusted the JMU assistants more than others. His lead recruiters were offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski and safeties coach Eddie Whitley.

“It was tough,” Holmes said about going through the recruiting process during the pandemic. “A lot of times I’d have to take the coaches’ words for it and the things they would show me over Zoom and things like that. It was a challenging time, but I stayed down with it, trusted my coaches with everything they told me to do and it worked out and I’m very happy with my decision.”

Cignetti also signed a quarterback for the second straight year, adding Mount St. Joseph’s (Baltimore) Billy Atkins. He’s been committed to JMU since May and thrived as a member of the Gaels while throwing for 7,252 yards and 92 touchdowns over the course of his career.

“What he’s accomplished without a senior season in a great conference is really pretty incredible,” Cignetti said. “He has great skills.”

Martin, Toner, Lord Botetourt (Daleville) tight end Zach Horton and Battlefield (Haymarket) linebacker Matt Binkowski are all three-star prospects by Rivals.com, and Holmes and Hummel are two-star recruits.

“We’re going to ball out. I already know,” Holmes said of the recruiting class.