Salem RB Black Pledges To JMU

Kaelon Black didn’t care that James Madison wasn’t the first to offer him a scholarship.

In fact, of the eight opportunities the Salem (Virginia Beach) running back garnered from a mix of FBS and FCS programs, the eighth was from JMU.

“I respected the fact they waited late to offer,” Black, who joined the Dukes’ 2020 recruiting class on Monday, said. “I knew that it was a process.”

He’s the first running back in the group and the 12th verbal commitment in the class overall.

Black said his relationship with the school began in the spring when JMU cornerbacks coach Matt Birkett initiated interest. At the time, Black already held offers from East Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and William & Mary.

JMU didn’t make its offer to the Rivals.com two-star prospect until last month.

“I talked to Coach Birkett and it was brief then,” Black said, “but we didn’t cut the line of communication. We kept communicating and kept communicating.”

And that was different from his experiences with those schools that prioritized him earlier in his prep career, according to the running back.

He capped his time at Salem with 1,732 rushing yards this season while leading the Sun Devils to a 12-1 mark and the Virginia High School League Class 5A finals before falling to Maury, which will play in the Class 5 state title game on Saturday.

“You know how recruiting goes and when [schools] get their commits, the communication goes dead,” Black said. “So the ones that stuck out were JMU and the University of Toledo.”

Black, a 5-foot-10, 185-pounder, said his relationships with Birkett and Dukes running backs coach Matt Merritt helped in the decision to commit to JMU on the heels of an official visit this past weekend.

“Coach Merritt will be the one to make me a better player,” Black said, “so I can get to the next level. And Coach Birkett was just there from the first time I met him until now.”

On the trip to Harrisonburg, which included watching the Dukes throttle Monmouth 66-21 in the second round of the FCS playoffs, Black learned all he needed to know about the program from coaches, players and other members of the recruiting class.

Black said he enjoyed conversations with his host Austin Douglas, a freshman running back, and that JMU coach Curt Cignetti even took time to speak with him and his parents during a hectic playoff-game weekend.

“It meant a lot,” Black said about the one-on-one time with Cignetti. “He’s a really cool dude and really honest, and was happy to have us. … And he did say I have the speed, the athleticism and the ability to make plays on the field.”

It doesn’t bother Black that the Dukes use a rotation of running backs instead of a featured back. He said he’s anxious to join the group of rushers JMU has on its roster considering Percy Agyei-Obese, Jawon Hamilton, Solomon Vanhorse, Latrele Palmer, Douglas and CJ Jackson will all be back for next season.

“It’s just really the family atmosphere,” Black said, “the education and how I see the program going upward. I know they’ve won championships before, but the way Coach Cignetti has the players riled up, they’re ready to keep on winning and I just want to be part of that program.”