OL Wyatt Bolsters Strength Of Dukes' 2020 Class

He was one James Madison didn’t want to let get away.

Henrico (Richmond) offensive lineman Tyshawn Wyatt had an offer from the Dukes and others from multiple Group of Five schools.

“Tyshawn was a huge get for us,” JMU coach Curt Cignetti said Wednesday during his National Signing Day press conference at Bridgeforth Stadium. “A guy that we’ve liked all along.”

Wyatt committed to the Dukes over East Carolina, Kent State and Old Dominion early last week and signed his Letter of Intent Wednesday to become the finishing touch for the strength of JMU’s 2020 recruiting class.

The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder was a Virginia High School League Class 5 second-team all-state selection this past fall. He joins December offensive linemen signees Tyler Stephens of Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach), Cole Potts of St. Francis DeSales (Columbus, Ohio) and Stanley Hubbard, a Connecticut transfer.

Wyatt and Stephens are two-star prospects by Rivals.com.

“It all starts up front with the offensive line,” Cignetti said. “And if you have a good offensive line, you’ve got a chance to have a good football team, obviously. We lost a few seniors [on the offensive line] last season and we’re going to lose a few more next year.”

Cignetti said Wyatt could play a few different positions across the front.

“He’s a big guy with excellent athleticism,” Cignetti said. “Could be a tackle, could be a guard. Excited about that group.”

Hubbard, who started for Connecticut in its season finale against Temple, is already on campus in Harrisonburg and set to participate in spring practice. He’s likely to play guard or center.

“Hubbard is a guy we’re looking at for immediate, potential help,” Cignetti added.

Wyatt and the three other signees – Hayfield (Alexandria) quarterback/athlete Chase Soper, Sherando (Stephens City) linebacker Payne Bauer and Woodside (Newport News) linebacker Seth Naotala – to ink Wednesday are all Virginia natives, giving JMU 11 prospects from the Commonwealth in its 19-man class.

“We have a great recruiting base here in the state of Virginia,” Cignetti said. “There’s a bunch of top-notch football players in various parts of the state – FBS, FCS – a lot of the [players] we competed for had mid-major offers.”

Cignetti said when the team returned from the FCS national championship game last month, coaches left to recruit and prioritized the state to close this recruiting cycle and beyond.

“We wanted to make sure we saturated the state real good first and foremost,” Cignetti said, “looking for 2021 [prospects] and potential walk-ons in the 2020 class.”

Former Maine coach Joe Harasymiak didn’t mind helping out a former league opponent when he aided JMU in landing Minnesota transfer defensive lineman Abi N-Okonji, according to Cignetti.

Harasymiak is now the defensive backs coach with the Golden Gophers now, but Dukes defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman and cornerbacks coach Matt Birkett worked for Harasymiak at Maine.

“So there is maybe a little bit of a pipeline developing potentially there,” Cignetti said. “But [N-Okonji] was a really good player in high school, and [Minnesota] liked him, too, but they had a lot of guys at that position and it was a numbers game.

“So he’s come here and everyone has been impressed with what they’ve seen up to this point in the weight room and on the field running. He’s a defensive end and could also maybe slide inside.”

N-Okonji has three years of eligibility remaining.

The prospects in the signing class weren’t the only players JMU worked to add on Wednesday.

A source confirmed to the Daily News-Record, Duke transfer wide receiver Scott Bracey gave his verbal commitment to Madison on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Bracey announced his decision via Twitter.

Bracey started for the Blue Devils this past season and made 21 catches for 270 yards and two touchdowns.

Due to NCAA rules, Cignetti cannot comment on transfers until they’ve signed or are enrolled.