This unit shouldn’t be an afterthought and instead be viewed as one James Madison can use to win games this fall.

At least that’s the thought from Dukes coach Curt Cignetti.

“Absolutely,” Cignetti said. “Kyle Davis is as good as anybody in the country. Ethan Ratke is very accurate and Harry [O’Kelly] performs well in the clutch and has a lot of confidence, too, so we feel really good about that group of guys.”

Returning each specialist in addition to All-American punt returner D’Angelo Amos gives JMU reliable special teams experience not many programs around the country have. Here’s a closer look at what the Dukes can expect from their special teams this fall.

Returning Starters: r-senior punt returner D’Angelo Amos, r-senior place kicker Ethan Ratke, senior punter Harry O’Kelly, r-junior snapper Kyle Davis, r-junior holder Alex Miller, r-sophomore kickoff specialist Camden Wise

Other Returners On Roster: r-senior kick returner Jawon Hamilton, r-senior snapper Seth Weaver, r-freshman kicker/punter Justin Ritter, r-freshman snapper Aaron Whear

Newcomers: r-sophomore kicker Connor Madden (Bridgewater)

Coordinator: Grant Cain (second season)

Synopsis: The majority of specialists on the Dukes’ roster have had their own signature moments.

Kicker Ethan Ratke booted a game-winning field goal against Weber State in the 2017 postseason, and had three outings last year when he made all three of his field-goal attempts. Punter Harry O’Kelly pulled off fake punts numerous times, including against North Dakota State in the FCS title game three years ago. And punt returner D’Angelo Amos has returned at least one punt for a touchdown in each of the last three seasons, though his most impressive moment might’ve come in 2018 when he had punt-return scores at Villanova on back-to-back attempts.

Amos and Ratke have earned All-American honors in their careers. Amos holds the record for longest punt return in school history (89 yards) and Ratke tops the program in all-time field goals (58) and scoring (319).

Ratke enters 2020 with a career field goal conversion rate of 81 percent. O’Kelly averages 39.6 yards per punt and lands 43 percent of his kicks inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. And with another stellar year of making trying tacklers miss on punt-return attempts, Amos could find himself an NFL gig this time next August doing the same thing.

The long snapper, Davis, has played in 29 straight games serving on the field goal and punt teams. He hasn’t registered a bad snap yet.

Alex Miller, the team’s holder on field goals last fall, is back, too, as is Camden Wise, who handled kickoffs.

The one specialist role the Dukes need to figure out is a starting kick returner. In 2019, former receiver Brandon Polk was the team’s primary kick returner.

Of course Amos could do it, but that would assign another responsibility to his already full plate as the No. 1 punt returner and starting safety.

Running back Jawon Hamilton has done it in the past as well, with nine tries last year and as the starting kick returner the year before. Hamilton registered a 93-yard kickoff return against Richmond in 2018. Other players who could vie for kick-return opportunities include Devin Ravenel and Kris Thornton. Ravenel returned an onside kickoff for a touchdown last year in the Dukes’ win over Morgan State, and Thornton returned three kickoffs for touchdowns as a senior at Osbourn High School.