New Dukes Adapting
HARRISONBURG — James Madison’s two newest defenders are adapting as expected.
They’re just doing it differently.
Maryland transfer linebacker Gus Little said his goal is to play this fall while early-enrollee freshman defensive tackle Marcus Hawkins said he’s just learning the distinction between high school and college as each spring session flies by.
“I’m still in that moment,” Hawkins said. “I’m still trying to figure everything out. I’m still trying to get on the right speed.
“I’ve never worked like this and you think you work hard in high school, but it’s not enough. Once you get here, you really got to buy into it and it’s a lot of hard work and everything is so fast.”
Hawkins, a product of Freedom High School in Morganton, N.C., earned other scholarship offers, which included one from East Carolina — where JMU opens its 2017 season — before selecting the Dukes.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pounder said his first reality check in practice came as soon as the defensive line worked against the offensive line. JMU’s offensive front features a couple of seasoned starters like 335-pound left guard A.J. Bolden and 290-pound left tackle Aaron Stinnie.
“You can tell the difference once they get their hands on you,” Hawkins said. “You’re not going up against high school athletes anymore and I’m out here at 18 years old going up against grown men and men that have been doing this for years.
“There’s a difference between a boy and a man and college football proves that on a daily basis.”
When Hawkins arrived in January, he gave himself a jump on the freshmen that will show up come May and June.
Hawkins said he’s managed to find balance between football and school. The two biggest advantages to showing up for the spring semester is he’s able learn the defense and get in the weight room with strength coach John Williams.
Hawkins said he’s embraced the extra time with Williams.
“It’s a whole lot of hard work with lifts I haven’t done before, but the support here is great, so I should be up to par in no time,” Hawkins added.
Little, on the other hand, seems to be transitioning to his new program smoothly. He’s in contention to help Madison fill the void of graduated linebacker Gage Steele.
Steele led the team with 104 tackles this past season.
“The tempo of practice is very similar. We’re moving non-stop the whole time,” Little said.
JMU coach Mike Houston said Little is off to a strong start this spring.
“I’m pleased with Gus Little thus far, I really am,” Houston said. “He’s going to be a good football player.”
Little was recruited to Maryland by ex-Terrapins coach Randy Edsall and his staff. Little said he had a strong relationship with his former linebackers coach, Keith Dudzinski, who initially offered Little a scholarship at a prospect camp in College Park, Md.
When Edsall was fired in 2015 and Dudzinski, who’s now at the University of Albany, wasn’t brought back by now second-year coach D.J. Durkin, Little decided it was time to move on.
He said choosing JMU as his landing spot was easy.
“I’m an in-state kid. I’m from Virginia. I liked JMU a lot in high school,” Little said. “I just see JMU and there are people walking around just happy to be here from all aspects — students, faculty — and that’s what I saw when I came here four years ago. I just remember that my mom was with me and she has a lot of good intuition on stuff like that and she knows. She told me back then, even at that time, that this is the place for me.”
The Fredericksburg native and Massaponax High School grad’s task this spring is simply to learn the defense.
“I really like the way it’s run,” he said. “I really like [defensive coordinator Bob] Trott and the way he teaches it. I’m learning it pretty well and as I’m doing it, I’m seeing it’s a lot of reaction and a lot of instincts.”