Advertisement
football Edit

LIVE BLOG: National Signing Day At JMU

James Madison players take the field prior to the Dukes' win over Weber State in the FCS semifinals in December at Bridgeforth Stadium.
James Madison players take the field prior to the Dukes' win over Weber State in the FCS semifinals in December at Bridgeforth Stadium. (Daniel Lin / DN-R)

The heavy lifting was done in December, but the finishing touches will be complete today.

James Madison is officially adding to its 2020 signing class this morning, and when verbal commits become signees this page will keep track of the Letters of Intent that have reached the offices inside the Dukes’ Athletic Performance Center.

For reference, JMU inked 14 prospects during the early signing period in December, added a transfer at the start of the semester last month and have taken four verbal commitments since. Bios for the 14 signees are below, and as the verbal commitments send their LOIs in today their bios will be added.

The first LOI of the Day came in from Sherando linebacker Payne Bauer.

Payne Bauer - LB

Advertisement

Sherando (Stephens City)

LOI in at 7:17 a.m.

The Northwestern District Defensive Player of the Year this past fall, Payne Bauer, joins the Dukes after racking up 93 tackles, 41 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a senior. He had options of offers at Alabama A&M, Duquesne, Georgetown, New Hampshire, St. Francis and VMI before taking JMU up on its opportunity. His lead recruiters were wide receivers coach Mike Shanahan and linebackers coach Bryant Haines. Shortly after making his verbal commitment on Tuesday, Bauer said, “It was close to home and they play big-time football.”

Chase Soper - QB/ATH

Hayfield (Alexandria)

LOI in at 7:21 a.m.

A 6-foot, 205-pounder, Chase Soper played quarterback throughout his prep career and will try to do so at JMU even though he could end playing elsewhere on the field. Recruited as an athlete by the Dukes, Soper garnered offers elsewhere from Cornell, Davidson, Fordham, New Hampshire, Valparaiso and VMI. His lead recruiter was JMU defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. Soper racked up 4,784 offensive yards across his junior and senior seasons while setting Hayfield Records for career rushing yards by a quarterback, career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and career passing completions.

Tyshawn Wyatt - OL

Henrico (Richmond)

LOI in at 7:42 a.m.

The Virginia High School League Class 5 All-State second-team choice, Tyshawn Wyatt, had his pick of where he wanted to go to college. But in the end, the Dukes won out because JMU “mixes the culture, a winning program, the students and great fans,” Wyatt said last month after making his verbal commitment. “It’s rare that you have all those things in one unless you go to Clemson.” Wyatt picked JMU from a final four that also included East Carolina, Kent State and Old Dominion. A target of former safeties coach Ryan Smith, Wyatt, had a strong enough relationship with offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski that he kept is connection with the Dukes even after Smith’s departure for Virginia Tech.

Seth Naotala - LB

Woodside (Newport News)

LOI in at 7:46 a.m.

As a senior at Woodside, Seth Naotala, racked up all the stats and accolades he could while registering 162 total tackles to go along with 26 tackles for loss, three sacks and three interceptions to become the Peninsula District Defensive Player of the Year and a Virginia High School Class 5 first-team All-State choice. Naotala earned offers from Delaware State and Howard before deciding on the Dukes.

DECEMBER SIGNEES

Kyle Adams – QB

West Lafayette (West Lafayette, Ind.)

Kyle Adams is the first prep quarterback JMU has signed in its last three recruiting classes. A star from the Hoosier state, Adams topped his record-setting junior year with a strong senior campaign. This past fall, Adams completed 73 percent of his throws for 3,940 yards and 55 touchdowns to lead the Red Devils to a 9-3 mark after guiding the team to a 15-0 finish and a state title the year before. Recruited to JMU by offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery, Adams was named an Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 All-State Team selection. He had others offers from Bryant, Eastern Kentucky, Furman, Indiana State, Morehead State, Southeastern Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois and Wofford.

Kaelon Black – RB

Salem (Virginia Beach)

Patience paid off for the Dukes in their pursuit of running back Kaelon Black, who garnered offers from East Carolina, Howard, Sacred Heart, Toledo, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and William & Mary before JMU offered him a scholarship in November. Black said, “I respected the fact they waited late to offer,” after he committed in December. Dukes cornerbacks coach Matt Birkett and running backs coach Matt Merritt were the lead recruiters on Black, the Beach District Offensive Player of the Year and All-Beach District first-team running back selection. He rushed for 1,732 yards as a senior while leading Salem to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the Virginia High School Class 5A regional final.

Xavier Cokley – CB

Franklin (Reisterstown, Md.)

A 6-foot cornerback, Xavier Cokley, made the most of the position change his high school team needed him to make. Prior to his junior season Cokley had exclusively played wide receiver, but when he made the switch he did it with ease and earned scholarship offers from Fordham, Howard, Maine, Morgan State and New Hampshire in addition the one he accepted from JMU while Army, Connecticut, Delaware and Temple all had showed strong interest before he committed to the Dukes. As a senior, Cokley racked up four interceptions and 20 pass deflections while leading Franklin to a 9-3 mark. His lead recruiter was offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski.

Stanley Hubbard – OL

University of Connecticut (Capitol Heights, Md.)

The 6-foot-3, 293-pound transfer offensive lineman, Stanley Hubbard, will fit at either guard or center for the Dukes’ offensive front when JMU begins spring practice. Already on campus, Hubbard was recruited by defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski and coach Curt Cignetti. After he pledged in December, he said, “there was just a mutual interest from the start” between him and the JMU coaching staff. Hubbard started once and appeared in 10 games over three seasons with the Huskies. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Mikail Kamara – DL

Stone Bridge (Ashburn)

With 15 sacks and 34 tackles for loss, it was a no-brainer for Mikail Kamara to be named the Virginia High School League Region 5C Defensive Player of the Year after leading Stone Bridge to the Class 5 state championship game this past season. Kamara, the first verbal commit for the Dukes’ 2020 recruiting class, was also one of the first to arrive as an early enrollee. He had offers from Charlotte, Delaware, Furman, Howard, Kent State, Lafayette, Morgan State, Richmond and Towson. His lead recruiter was wide receivers coach Mike Shanahan.

Sam Malignaggi – CB

Buckingham, Browne & Nichols (Cambridge, Mass.)

A two-way star for Buckingham Browne & Nichols, Sam Malignaggi played running back and defensive back for the school to earn All-New England Preparation School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class A honorable mention honors. A target of cornerbacks coach Matt Birkett, Malignaggi had other offers from Army, Bryant, Fordham, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Howard, Merrimack College, New Hampshire, Old Dominion, Rhode Island, Sacred Heart and William & Mary. He is two-star prospect who could play either safety or cornerback in college.

Kelly Mitchell – TE

Hidden Valley (Roanoke)

Before Kelly Mitchell made his decision to commit to JMU in December, the 6-foot-4, 222-pound tight end, was torn on the scholarship offers he had from the Dukes and Elon. “But I always wanted to go to JMU,” he said, so the in-state school won out and so did his lead recruiters tight ends coach Grant Cain and offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery. As a senior, Mitchell made 35 catches for 414 yards and seven touchdowns to help the Titans reach the Virginia High School League Class 3B regional semifinals.

Tyler Negron – DL

Patriot (Nokesville)

Tyler Negron played guard, tight end and defensive end during his time with Patriot High School, but will play on the defensive line once he arrives in Harrisonburg. An All-Cedar Run District first-team pick at defensive end, he compiled 61 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks and forced four fumbles for a 10-2 squad that got as far as the Virginia High School League Class 6B regional semifinals. A target of former Dukes defensive tackles coach Andrew Jackson, Negron earned 18 offers on top the one he got from JMU. Other schools to offer Negron were Army, Buffalo, Charlotte, Duquesne, Georgetown, Harvard, Kent State, Lehigh, Monmouth, Old Dominion, Penn, Princeton, Richmond, Temple, Towson, Villanova, William & Mary and Yale.

Joe Joe Norwood – S

University of Massachusetts (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Having already established himself at the college level, Joe Joe Norwood, will try to provide immediate impact in the defensive backfield for the Dukes. During his time with the Minutemen, Norwood played in 12 games, started twice and tallied 46 tackles to go along with two tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries in his true freshman season. He’ll have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Cole Potts – OL

St. Frances DeSales (Columbus, Ohio)

It isn’t often JMU dips into Ohio, but offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski and running backs coach Matt Merritt had to enter Mid-American Conference territory to land the commitment of Cole Potts, an offensive lineman who earned every accolade he could during his senior season. He started on both the offensive and defensive fronts for St. Francis Desales, which finished 9-3 this past fall and reached the regional semifinals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association postseason. Potts was a Division II first-team All-Ohio choice and a Columbus Dispatch first-team All-Metro selection in addition to earning first-team all-district and first-team all-league honors. He had other offers from Air Force, Akron, Bowling Green, Brown, Buffalo, Colgate, Elon, Fordham, Furman, Holy Cross, Kent State, Navy, Robert Morris and Youngstown State.

Khurram Simpson – DL

Mater Dei Prep (Middletown, N.J.)

The Mater Dei Prep standout, Khurram Simpson, racked up 56 tackles, 20 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in his senior campaign for the parochial program that finished 8-4 in 2019. He had offers from Bryant, Maine and Wagner before he decided on JMU because of the relationship he built with his future defensive coordinator and position coach, Corey Hetherman. The bond started when Hetherman met Simpson during a camp over the summer at Rutgers and continued when Simpson took a visit to Harrisonburg.

Tyler Stephens – OL

Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach)

Tyler Stephens narrowed down his list of 10 scholarship offers to four finalists – Appalachian State, East Carolina, JMU and Liberty – before committing to the Dukes in July. The offensive lineman was a target of JMU cornerbacks coach Matt Birkett and offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski. Ahead of the early signing date, Stephens said he was excited to join an offensive line like the Dukes have. “You see the rushing yards and barely any sacks,” he said. Stephens was a first-team All-Beach District selection while helping Ocean Lakes to the Virginia School League Class 6A regional semifinals.

AJ Webb – CB

Life Christian Academy (Chester)

Formerly committed to Virginia, Life Christian Academy cornerback AJ Webb became one of the headliners in the class when he pledged in June. With offers from Appalachian State, Florida Atlantic, Liberty, Massachusetts, Old Dominion, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Southern Miss and Virginia, the Dukes had to hold off FBS programs to keep Webb. Before the early signing period, he said Appalachian State, Old Dominion and Rutgers all made a last-minute push while trying to convince to flip his commitment. Webb’s lead recruiters were cornerbacks coach Matt Birkett and former safeties coach Ryan Smith.

Antwane Wells Jr. – WR

Fork Union Military Academy (Richmond)

The decision to spend a fall at Fork Union Military Academy to improve his GPA and SAT scores was a wise one for wide receiver Antwane Wells, who gained even more interest from college coaches after this season than he did following his senior year at Highland Springs High School. Maine, Merrimack College and Robert Morris all offered the 6-foot-1, 195-pound post-graduate pass-catcher prior to the Dukes doing so. Wells will enroll early at JMU. Dukes wide receivers coach Mike Shanahan and former safeties coach Ryan Smith were Wells’ lead recruiters.

Advertisement