The pair already has a combined nine years of experience under their belts as members of James Madison’s football program.
Linebackers Kelvin Azanama, now a sixth-year senior, and Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, a fifth-year junior, provide JMU with stability at the position.
Tucker-Dorsey is considered one of the defense’s vocal leaders, and the two together are an ideal combo to guide an otherwise mostly inexperienced group of linebackers.
Here’s a closer look at the veteran duo and the rest of the position unit:
Returning Starters: Sixth-year senior Kelvin Azanama, r-junior Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey
Other Returners On Roster: r-junior Mateo Jackson, r-freshman Julio Ayamel, r-freshman Taurus Jones, r-freshman Seth Naotala,
Newcomers: r-junior Tate Beaver (Lenoir-Rhyne), freshman Skylar Martin, freshman Matt Binkowski, freshman Jailin Walker, freshman Logan Ortt, freshman Brandon Fique
Departures: r-freshman Chase Soper
Position Coach: Bryant Haines (third season)
Synopsis: Azanama and Tucker-Dorsey were the Dukes’ top- and second-leading tacklers, respectively, this past spring.
Azanama led the team with 54, and had six tackles for loss, four sacks and five quarterback hurries to go along with the tackles. Tucker-Dorsey added 51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.
With Azanama manning the MIKE spot and Tucker-Dorsey playing the WILL position, they’ll know the ins and outs of how each other operates from one snap to another considering they started the eight spring games in those same roles. There’s likely very little the two haven’t been exposed to, having developed into clear-cut starters and worked their way into those roles. They were both scout team players and special-teamers earlier in their careers before Azanama found his niche as a platoon linebacker in 2019 while Tucker-Dorsey was a fit for the Dukes’ nickel package that season.
They’re in their third year with the same position coach, Bryant Haines, too, which should allow them to execute anything he asks of them with ease.
A boost for Haines and the two veterans is the number of linebackers behind them has grown since the spring.
Dukes coach Curt Cignetti said redshirt freshman Taurus Jones, who likely would’ve been a contributor in the spring, is healthy again after suffering a knee injury during fall practices last year. Jones, a member of the Dukes’ 2019 recruiting class, had offers from FBS programs Appalachian State, Central Florida, Coastal Carolina and Old Dominion, before choosing JMU out of IC Norcom High School.
Julio Ayamel was part of that same recruiting class and, like Jones, was injured during the spring. He played in only two contests.
Jones and Ayamel should be in the mix with redshirt junior Mateo Jackson for playing time behind Azanama and Tucker-Dorsey. Redshirt freshman Seth Naotala can’t be ruled out either after he appeared in all eight games this past season with limited action coming at linebacker.
Two newcomers should certainly increase the competition level within the group as well. Division II Lenoir-Rhyne transfer Tate Beaver played in 24 games for the Bears as a linebacker and a running back. Then there’s freshman Skylar Martin, a Stone Bridge High School product, who had FBS – mostly Power Five – suitors Virginia, Vanderbilt, Louisville and Connecticut after him before committing to JMU.
