They’ve each waited for this opportunity – a one-on-one competition with a clear path to the starting quarterback job.

Redshirt senior Cole Johnson for the last four years and redshirt junior Gage Moloney for the last three.

“I feel good about the quarterback situation,” James Madison coach Curt Cignetti said. “I think both guys are extremely capable of having really good years for us and playing winning football. I have no doubt about it, to be honest with you. It’s not one of my concerns. I spend more time worrying about other positions.”

When the Dukes open training camp – assuming football is played in some capacity this year – on Aug. 7, Johnson and Moloney will have only a few weeks to try to separate from the other to win the competition and be the No. 1 signal-caller when JMU kicks off its season on Sept. 5 with a Colonial Athletic Association contest against Delaware. There was no spring practice and the players didn’t return to Harrisonburg until this past Monday for a truncated schedule of summer workouts due to the pandemic.

Between the pair, they have one career start and it came in 2016 when Johnson filled in against Elon during the regular-season finale for former JMU quarterback Bryan Schor, who suffered an injury a week earlier.

Here’s a closer look at Johnson, Moloney and the rest of the position unit:

Returning Starters: none

Other Returners On Roster: r-senior Cole Johnson, r-junior Patrick Bentley, r-junior Gage Moloney, r-freshman Jacob Knight

Newcomers: freshman Kyle Adams, freshman Chase Soper

Position Coach: Shane Montgomery (second season)

Synopsis: Though Johnson nor Moloney have become a full-time starter yet the two are no stranger to quarterback battles.

In each of the past few training camps, Johnson and Moloney competed with former standout Ben DiNucci, a seventh-round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys this past April. Though DiNucci eventually became the CAA Offensive Player of the Year last season, he had to earn the starting role upon arriving from Pittsburgh before 2018 and re-win the job when Cignetti opened it up after taking over as Dukes coach.

Johnson finished as the runner-up to DiNucci each time and served as the primary backup over the last four seasons. Moloney developed mostly behind the scenes until appearing as a wildcat quarterback in JMU’s FCS national championship game loss to North Dakota State this past January.

Against the Bison, Moloney displayed toughness as a running quarterback using a 7-yard carry while operating the read option well to spur a scoring drive. He’s got the athleticism to boost the Dukes’ rushing attack, which is already loaded.

Johnson is likely the better thrower of the two – having thrown for 398 yards in a loss two years ago at New Hampshire and for 274 yards with two touchdown passes in that start against Elon four seasons ago – and also is an underrated runner.

Beyond the likely favorites for the job, redshirt junior Patrick Bentley captured the Doug West Scout Team Offensive MVP award in each of the last two seasons for the Dukes since transferring to JMU from Division II Alderson-Broaddus. Other players and incoming recruits have spoken highly of Bentley in the past, so he has respect in the JMU locker room. He also has more collegiate starts (three) than Johnson and Moloney combined, though Bentley’s came at the D-II level.

Additionally, freshman Kyle Adams, a prized signee of JMU’s 2020 recruiting class, joins the group. He was a record-setting, All-State quarterback for West Lafayette High School (Ind.) where he threw for 3,940 yards and 55 touchdowns as a senior last fall. Before signing with the Dukes, Adams said one of the reasons why he chose JMU over offers from nine other schools was because he figured he could transition smoothly into the Dukes’ offense. He said JMU uses a similar offense to what his prep program ran.