The defeat was fresh, but it didn’t dampen Curt Cignetti’s optimism regarding the immediate future.

“We have a really strong junior class here,” Cignetti, the James Madison coach, said after the Dukes’ loss to North Dakota State earlier this month in the FCS national championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

“In recruiting we have a strong brand,” he continued. “We’re able to attract quality student-athletes. And if there’s immediate needs, we have had pretty good success with transfers, so we’ll have a good team coming back.”

In total, JMU is slated to return 13 starters from this past season across the offense, defense and special teams — and even more who contributed during the national runner-up campaign.

Here’s a position-by-position examination of the roster as the Dukes begin their offseason and start gearing toward the spring.

Returning Starters: None

Returning Contributors: None

Notables Or Newcomers: Cole Johnson, Gage Moloney

Though Cole Johnson and Gage Moloney have combined for only one career start – Johnson’s nod in the 2016 regular-season finale against Elon – the two have plenty of experience within the program. Johnson, the primary backup to former starters Bryan Schor and Ben DiNucci, enters his fifth year with the Dukes, and Moloney is preparing for his redshirt junior season.

Both Johnson and Moloney saw limited action this past fall, with Moloney playing meaningful snaps in a designed wildcat package against North Dakota State. The two signal-callers will each have the next eight months to prove why they deserve to be the starter.

Returning Starters: Jawon Hamilton

Returning Contributors: Percy Agyei-Obese, Latrele Palmer, Solomon Vanhorse

Notables Or Newcomers: Austin Douglas

This position is the deepest for JMU entering 2020.

Jawon Hamilton started the final eight games of the 2019 season, but Percy Agyei-Obese was just as valuable in his role as the first running back off the bench. The superb pair enters their senior season after Agyei-Obese led the Dukes with 1,216 rushing yards and 19 rushing scores this past fall and Hamilton added 919 yards and five scores on the ground.

Beyond the two rising upperclassmen, Latrele Palmer and Solomon Vanhorse will be sophomores. Palmer, at 5-foot-11, 228 pounds, uses his size to his advantage and is the toughest to tackle of the bunch. Austin Douglas played in four games as a freshman but didn’t burn his redshirt.

Returning Starters: Jake Brown

Returning Contributors: Devin Ravenel

Notables Or Newcomers: Kyndel Dean, Kris Thornton, Kevin Curry Jr.

Jake Brown will enter his senior year with 20 career starts to his name and be one of the most seasoned players on offense for the Dukes. All of those starts have come in the slot as Brown racked up 68 grabs for 776 yards and two scores over the past two seasons.

He can be reliable there, but in the past he’s spoken about his willingness to play anywhere the team needs him. And with the departures of Riley Stapleton and Brandon Polk, the Dukes could try Brown as a wide receiver if they wanted to. Devin Ravenel served as a solid understudy to Brown in the slot this past fall.

Kyndel Dean started at wide receiver in 2018 and early during this past season, but also didn’t record a catch in six of JMU’s last seven games in 2019 while disappearing behind Stapleton and Polk on the depth chart.

VMI transfer Kris Thornton was a 1,000-yard receiver for the Keydets before sitting out due to NCAA rules and will be eligible this coming season. Kevin Curry Jr. rejoined the team as a walk-on last week after leaving the Dukes in October due to personal reasons.

Returning Starters: None

Returning Contributors: Drew Painter

Notables Or Newcomers: Clayton Cheatham

The decision Cignetti made to move Drew Painter from defensive tackle to tight end last spring paid off for the Dukes throughout the 2019 season.

Painter was the perfect complement to former starter Dylan Stapleton and is now in prime position to take over the full-time role entering his junior year. Painter had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore and didn’t have any problems blocking.

How JMU fills the position behind Painter isn’t clear, with Clayton Cheatham and Hunter Bullock both coming off of injuries.

Returning Starters: Liam Fornadel, Truvell Wilson

Returning Contributors: Zaire Bethea

Notables Or Newcomers: Stanley Hubbard

Losing three offensive line starters is difficult, but having All-American Liam Fornadel back to serve as the leader and best player up front makes the task easier. Truvell Wilson played his way into All-Colonial Athletic Association honors this past season and Zaire Bethea was used in a rotation at tackle, though, he started previously in his career.

Connecticut transfer Stanley Hubbard is likely to impact the group at guard or center quickly.

Returning Starters: Adeeb Atariwa, Mike Greene

Returning Contributors: Jalen Green, Garrett Groulx

Notables Or Newcomers: Isaac Ukwu, Abi N-Okonji

The two mighty defensive tackles – Adeeb Atariwa and Mike Greene – will possibly go into their senior years viewed as the most-feared pair of interior linemen in all of FCS.

Prior to the championship game, North Dakota State offensive line coach AJ Blazek said Greene “gets overlooked as athletic as he is.”

The presence of Atariwa and Greene should aid in JMU’s effort to replace All-American defensive ends Ron’Dell Carter and John Daka. Jalen Green goes into his sophomore year with 11 tackles and two tackles for loss after playing behind Carter and Daka.

If Isaac Ukwu returns from injury playing the way he did in August training camp before his season-ending knee injury, he’ll provide a boost. Minnesota transfer defensive lineman Abi N-Okonji can play end or tackle.

Returning Starters: None

Returning Contributors: Kelvin Azanama, Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey

Notables Or Newcomers: None

Both Kelvin Azanama and Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey earned enough significant reps this past fall that they should carry confidence going into the spring. Azanama will be a fifth-year senior and Tucker-Dorsey will be a fourth-year junior.

Azanama registered 46 tackles in a reserve role behind former starters Dimitri Holloway and Landan Word. Tucker-Dorsey made 32 stops as a mainstay in the Dukes’ nickel package in 2019. They’ll have a jump on earning starting jobs, but after that, the competition for backup spots is wide open.

Returning Starters: D’Angelo Amos, Wayne Davis

Returning Contributors: MJ Hampton, Que Reid

Notables Or Newcomers: Chris Chukwuneke, Joseph Norwood

In spite of Adam Smith’s graduation, JMU has a slew of talented safeties returning for 2020.

D’Angelo Amos and Wayne Davis will each have two seasons of starting experience heading into their senior seasons. MJ Hampton has made only one start at safety, but with his 83-yard game-winning interception return for a touchdown against Villanova in October he showed he is capable of making a high-level play as he enters his last year in the program.

Both Que Reid and Chris Chukwuneke will be sophomores and should add depth along with UMass transfer Joseph Norwood. Reid had 21 tackles over 16 games and Chukwuneke had 16 tackles over 10 games.

Returning Starters: Wesley McCormick

Returning Contributors: Taurus Carroll

Notables Or Newcomers: AJ Webb

Of all the position groups, this is probably the most concerning for JMU ahead of the spring.

Wesley McCormick made 11 starts at cornerback. Taurus Carroll played in 11 games behind McCormick and former starter Rashad Robinson, but North Dakota State managed to successfully draw pass interference calls against McCormick, and Carroll hasn’t proven to be anything more than a contributor over his first three years with the program.

Early enrollee freshman AJ Webb, a former Virginia commit, had Power Five scholarship offers from Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and the Cavaliers, before pledging and signing with the Dukes.

Returning Starters: Kyle Davis, Harry O’Kelly, Ethan Ratke, Camden Wise

Returning Contributors: None

Notables Or Newcomers: None

Punter Harry O’Kelly will enter his senior season as one of the most experienced punters in the FCS, and the same goes for placekicker Ethan Ratke at his position. O’Kelly landed 21 punts inside the opponent 20-yard line this past season and Ratke made 27-of-34 field-goal attempts.