HARRISONBURG – This time around Antonio Colclough noticed the major difference when he was being recruited.
On Saturday, the Temple transfer defensive lineman said it’s one of the reasons he’s decided to continue his career at James Madison.
“Coaches didn’t beat around the bush,” Colclough said. “They got straight to the point, and when I talked to [JMU coach Curt] Cignetti, I got the vibe off of him that was like, ‘You know, we want you and we need you here, but if you don’t come here, that’s fine too,’ and that stood out to me.
“I really like that because that shows I can go there, compete and that nothing has been given to me. That’s what I want. I can respect that from a man.”
Colclough, who has four seasons of eligibility remaining, said he picked JMU over fellow Colonial Athletic Association members Elon, Maine, Stony Brook and Towson and the decision to play a season at the junior college level while trying to get back to the FBS.
“I was really thinking about going the JUCO route,” Colclough said. “… But I visited a bunch of CAA schools and when I got to JMU, the energy there was just different in all honesty.
“I felt like JMU should really be an FBS team, in my opinion, and I was like, ‘this school is crazy.’ I really felt like I had a good connection with the coaches. They have great facilities and great football, and I feel like I could really flourish by coming to JMU and handling my business.”
In addition to Cignetti, the Dukes had defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, defensive tackles coach Andrew Jackson and defensive end Ron’Dell Carter play a part in securing Colclough, according to the 6-foot-3½, 246-pound defensive lineman.
Colclough, a Bronx, N.Y., native, said he knew Jackson, another native New Yorker, previously when Jackson worked at Fordham and Colclough was in his senior season at Cardinal Hayes High School.
“It made the recruiting process much easier since I knew someone there,” Colclough said.
He said because he’s making a drastic move from New York City to Harrisonburg after living in Philadelphia for a year, Jackson can also provide a sense of familiarity.
“When I first got down here I was like, ‘Yo, where’s all the buildings at? Where’s all the skyscrapers?’” Colclough said with a laugh. “This is a huge change, but it’s going to be a great environment and I’m going to be happy here.”
On the field, Colclough has played defensive end throughout his entire football career, but said he can play defensive tackle since he knows JMU has needs on the interior of its defensive line.
Carter and fellow senior John Daka are locked into starting spots at end with Isaac Ukwu and Matt Terrell likely filling out the two-deep at that position. At tackle, there is little depth behind probable starters Mike Greene and Adeeb Atariwa.
Colclough didn’t play in any games at Temple, but was the program’s Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week ahead of its game against Boston College. In his senior year of high school, he registered 46 tackles, four tackles for loss and four sacks.
“I’m a go get ‘em kind of player,” Colclough said. “I played defensive end my entire life coming out of high school, so I rush the edge and get after the quarterback. I’m explosive and I’m real physical. I like to grab people and move ‘em out of my way if I have to, and that’s why I feel like if I end up playing inside, I’m going to do a great job. I feel like if you lineup in front of me, that’s just disrespectful, so I’m going to move you out of my way.”
The former member of the Owls said the last part of JMU’s pitch that sold him was the chance to play for national championships.
“Four years to ball out with this great program,” Colclough said. “I know Coach Cig is a great, winning coach and I’m excited to see what the future holds for this program.”
Colclough is the second transfer Madison has landed this week. This past Wednesday, former Penn State receiver Brandon Polk elected to join the Dukes.
