Position Battles To Note Midway Through Dukes' Fall

Second-year Dukes coach Curt Cignetti has plenty of time to evaluate quarterbacks Cole Johnson and Gage Moloney. And if three weeks worth of fall practice indicate anything, it’s that Cignetti may need the long look at each signal-caller.

“I don’t see a lot of separation and I think they’re both doing a lot of good things,” Cignetti said.

Johnson and Moloney have waited their turns to earn the starting gig. Johnson is in his fifth year with the program and Moloney is in his fourth. Moloney played some as a wildcat quarterback in JMU’s FCS national championship game loss to North Dakota State in January and Johnson served as the primary backup to ex-Dukes starters Ben DiNucci and Bryan Schor in each of the last four seasons.

“Walking off the field I felt it was pretty much like every other day where it’s pretty even,” Cignetti said about the performances of Johnson and Moloney during the team’s first scrimmage of the fall this past Saturday.

Ahead of the Dukes starting their practices Cignetti said he planned to distribute reps evenly to Johnson and Moloney much like he did in his first year with the program when DiNucci, Johnson and Moloney took an equal number of reps with the first-team offense in the spring of 2019. DiNucci and Johnson did the same in training camp before last season.

A slight difference, though, between the battle DiNucci and Johnson had and the one Johnson and Moloney are having is this race involves a right-handed quarterback and a left-handed quarterback. Moloney is a lefty and that’s not as common at his position – just look at the NFL. This past Sunday, Miami Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa became the first left-handed quarterback to start an NFL game since Jan. 3, 2016.

But Cignetti said whatever arm a quarterback throws from shouldn’t drastically alter the Dukes’ offense.

“I don’t think so,” he said, “because, you know, most good quarterbacks can throw to the right and left equally well. I’ll be interested to watch the tape. They’ve both done a lot of good things.”

Cignetti said he’s hoping once freshman Kyle Adams gets out of quarantine that Adams can take some third-string quarterback reps. Junior Patrick Bentley is taking those No. 3 snaps now.

Here are two other position battles of note:

Linebacker

Former mainstays Dimitri Holloway and Landan Word have graduated, so JMU has two linebacker jobs to fill.

And there are more than two candidates, according to Cignetti.

“We’ve got really good depth at linebacker,” he said even after noting redshirt freshman Taurus Jones suffered a knee injury on Saturday. Cignetti said Jones was playing ‘lights out’ prior to getting hurt.

Senior Kelvin Azanama and junior Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey were role players last season. Azanama saw action mostly in a rotation with Word, and Tucker-Dorsey fit JMU’s nickel package well.

Redshirt freshman Julio Ayamel was the Doug West Scout Team Defensive MVP last year and junior Mateo Jackson earned more meaningful game reps as a freshman than he did as a sophomore. Jackson had five tackles in his college debut against N.C. State in 2018.

“Tucker-Dorsey has been really consistent,” Cignetti said. “… You’ve got Kelvin in that mix. The other guy playing really well is Mateo Jackson. He’s dropped 10 pounds and has been playing really well. Running better, moving better and has always been very instinctive and smart. Then you’ve got Julio in that mix, who is a good young player. Then you’ve got [freshman] Seth Naotala, who has caught our eye.”

Center

There are two in competition for one starting center responsibility.

“Got J.T. Timming and Stanley Hubbard at center playing well,” Cignetti said.

Timming was the understudy to former three-year starter Mac Patrick, who graduated after last season. Hubbard transferred from Connecticut to James Madison in January and has starting experience. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder appeared in 10 games over three seasons for the Huskies and started in their 2019 regular-season finale against Temple.