Picture courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications
By Daniel Merriman
Bob Chesney's James Madison workforce has a totally overhauled roster forward of the 2024 soccer season.
Curt Cignetti and firm left for Indiana on the finish of 2023. An energetic switch portal cycle and commencement left the Dukes with out 11 All-Convention performers, plus a number of different key gamers.
This leaves immense quantities of alternative for these returning to become both beginning gamers or star gamers for JMU. Listed below are just a few candidates arising for a serious breakout when soccer season will get again into full swing.
Offensively, I see essentially the most potential for a breakout participant within the vast receiver room. The 2023 catching corps had two 1,000-yard receivers who mixed for 17 TDs. Each Elijah Sarratt (Indiana) and Reggie Brown (commencement) are off the JMU roster.
The Dukes additionally misplaced senior slot receiver Phoenix Sproles, who had 442 yards and 5 TDs. This creates a gap for JMU's go catchers to shine in 2024.
The receiver I feel will get away subsequent fall is Yamir Knight. The 5'eight”, 182-pound speedster is a Swiss military knife of an offensive weapon. He performed a hybrid position of receiver and operating again at Smyrna Excessive College, the place he was named the Delaware Gatorade Participant of the Yr throughout his senior season.
He caught 56 passes for 870 yards and 10 TDs whereas dashing for 787 yards and 16 touchdowns that yr. Due to his manufacturing, Knight obtained a proposal from Bob Chesney's workers at Holy Cross out of highschool.
Nonetheless, he determined to affix his older brother Wayne Knight on the JMU roster and made a right away influence. Listed as the autumn camp backup receiver, Yamir made some good performs all through the season. He totaled eight catches for 73 yards whereas exhibiting off his explosive yards after the catch potential.
Offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy can have an absolute blast getting Knight into open house. Search for Knight to be the Dukes beginning slot receiver in 2024.
I’ve two breakout candidates on the defensive facet of the ball that might be key to the success of the Dukes defensive entrance. The primary participant is Tyrique Tucker.
He’s one in all two JMU brothers to make this checklist. His older brother, Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, was an All-American linebacker for the Dukes and ended up ending his collegiate profession at Texas.
Tyrique Tucker improved quickly this previous offseason. He didn't journey with the Dukes as a freshman in 2022, however turned a key rotation participant for a lot of the 2023 season on a dominant defensive position. Tucker is an excellent inside defensive lineman, particularly contemplating his age.
He was one of many youngest contributors on JMU's historic defensive position since 2023. Tucker plugged the A and B gaps within the operating sport for the Dukes all yr.
Tucker contributed 29 tackles, four.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the course of the Dukes' 11-2 marketing campaign. Throughout that point, he discovered from probably the greatest DTs within the SBC, James Carpenter (who transferred to Indiana), and now appears to be like to have an enormous alternative for elevated manufacturing in 2024.
Editor's Observe: Due to Christopher William Jewelers for promoting assist.
Trent Hendrick, LB
The second potential breakout candidate from the Dukes protection comes from the again room. Trent Hendrick turned an integral a part of JMU's protection in a number of huge performs final fall. When two All-SBC caliber linebackers, Taurus Jones and Jailin Walker, went down with accidents in the course of the UVA sport, the younger backups needed to step up. They had been completely as much as the duty.
In opposition to the defending convention champions and eventual back-to-back convention champions, Trent Hendrick and Aiden Fisher produced when their numbers had been referred to as. The protection (largely because of the defensive position) placed on an absolute clinic towards Troy. They held the Trojans to 14 factors. Troy went on to win 10 straight video games following that loss.
All that to say, Hendrick is stepping up in large moments, however he's been buried in an elite depth chart for 2 straight years. After posting 29 tackles throughout his true sophomore marketing campaign, the three linebackers forward of Hendrick are gone on the depth chart. Two starters left for Indiana, and within the case of Taurus Jones, he’s within the portal, however has not introduced the switch vacation spot.
It’s value noting that Jacob Dobbs has transferred from Holy Cross and there might be stiff competitors for the beginning LB spots. Nonetheless, Hendrick must see his expertise and laborious work repay. At 6'zero” and 228 lbs, Hendrick can probably bulk up in the course of the offseason as nicely. In 2024, he has a great opportunity to develop into a starter and rack up 50+ tackles.
Honorable mentions
Tons of unheralded JMU gamers have proven flashes all through the 2023 season. Given the quantity of roster turnover, there could also be extra returners making leaps into extra productive roles that we haven't talked about above.
Honorable mentions for this checklist embody DE Amar Thomas, OL Carter Sweazie, DT Immanuel Bush, WR Taji Hudson, WR Max Moss, TE Taylor Thompson and LS Jack Mowrey. D'Angelo Ponds was closely thought of for this checklist, nonetheless, incomes All-SBC Second Group honors means a participant has already “damaged out.” Ponds was simply the very best true freshman to swimsuit up for JMU final yr. The freshman All-American is ready for a monster season in 2024.
Share your ideas within the feedback! Inform me which gamers I've underestimated and who I've utterly left off the roster that might have an impactful future for the Dukes.