A big factor for the James Madison Dukes’ success this year was their defensive unit. Led by multiple talent players, the JMU football team proved to excel on this side of the ball. We’ll dive into how the unit performed in 2024, and give our grades.
JMU Football Defensive Grades
Defensive Line: A
In 2023, JMU had one of the best run defenses in the entire country. Through 13 games, they allowed just 1,089 rushing yards, which was the fourth fewest of any team in the nation. In 2024, as of writing this, the only football team to allow less rushing yards through 13 games than JMU is Indiana. It’s ironic, considering the fact that Indiana’s head coach Curt Cignetti was JMU’s head coach last year.
While JMU wasn’t nearly as good at stopping the run in 2024, by no means were they bad. Despite almost an entirely new coaching staff, the Dukes still allowed the fewest rushing yards per game of any Sun Belt team, with 115.4, and the fewest rushing touchdowns on the season, with 13.
One player who played a major role in JMU’s defensive success was Eric O’Neill. O’Neill, a Long Island transfer, was causing havoc for opposing teams. In 2024, he led the Dukes in sacks (13) and tackles for loss (18.5). He also amassed one interception, to go along with 52.0 total tackles. In an interview with The League Winners prior to the Boca Raton Bowl, O’Neill stated that he “wasn’t as confident” in his game after transitioning from the FCS to the FBS. However, the Dukes’ coaching staff was continuously able to help him improve his game and build up his confidence as the season progressed. O’Neill racked up 10 total sacks throughout his last six games of the year.
With that said, O’Neill wasn’t the only defensive lineman to make a big impact for JMU. Khairi Manns, a 6-foot-3 senior, transferred from Colorado over the offseason. Manns racked up a total of 62.0 tackles, 9.0 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Some other notable defensive lineman for the Dukes in 2024 include Chris Fitzgerald, Immanuel Bush, Mychal McMullin, Amar Thomas and Darold DeNgohe. JMU’s front four led the Sun Belt in sacks this season, with 41.
Linebackers: B
Jacob Dobbs was the Dukes’ best linebacker this season. In 2023, at Holy Cross, Dobbs was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded linebacker (min. 100 snaps) across both the FCS and FBS last season, with a grade of 92.1. This meant that expectations were extremely high for the senior in 2024.
And it’s safe to say that Dobbs did not disappoint. However, he suffered an injury late in JMU’s game against Southern Mississippi on October 26. Dobbs missed all four of the Dukes’ games over the course of November, before returning for the bowl game. Throughout nine games, Dobbs accumulated a team-best 74.0 tackles, as well as 3.0 sacks and three fumble recoveries.
Other than Dobbs, JMU’s linebackers were good, but not great. Trent Hendrick, a junior, spent his first two collegiate season with the Dukes. In his third season, he had 54.0 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble.
Gannon Weathersby was impactful for the JMU football team, as well. Despite being just 5-foot-10, he had two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.The Dukes led all Sun Belt teams in fumble recoveries this season, with 12.
The Dukes’ linebacker core also was very effective when blitzing opposing teams. A prime example of that was against Costal Carolina.
The Dukes did a great job pressuring their quarterback, Ethan Vasko, into making some highly questionable decisions. Vasko threw two interceptions in that contest, as JMU pulled off a dominant 39-7 victory. There were also some situations where I thought that the Dukes could have utilized blitzing even more, like against UNC, when JMU’s secondary struggled to contain wideouts such as Kobe Paysour, J.J. Jones and Bryson Nesbit.
Cornerbacks: B
JMU had an underwhelming cornerback room in 2023, and the same story continued during the 2024 season. The Dukes allowed 206.5 passing yards per game, which was the fifth-fewest of any team in their conference. They also allowed 16 passing touchdowns, which was the sixth-fewest of any team in their conference.
Those numbers aren’t necessarily bad. However, they don’t particularly stand out, especially compared to their run defense. While there were some standouts, depth was a fairly big problem in my opinion. It felt as though the Dukes only had two cornerbacks that could consistently perform at a high level.
One of those corners was Terrence Spence, who was tied for the most interceptions of any Sun Belt player, with five. Spence also logged 38.0 total tackles and one forced fumble, and was a semifinalist for the 2024 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award. JMU went 4-0 in games where Spence had at least one interception, and scored 30+ points in each of those four games. In games where Spence didn’t get an interception, The Dukes went just 5-4.
The other cornerback on the Dukes who you could always rely on was DJ Barksdale. One concern when it came to Barksdale was his 5-foot-9 frame, and the fact that he weights just 177 pounds. Despite those minor setbacks, he finished the year with 42.0 total tackles, which was the most of any cornerback for JMU. He also collected 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Besides both Spence and Barksdale, JMU’s cornerback room was extremely thin.
Safeties: B
JMU’s safeties in 2024 were almost identical to their cornerbacks; two good options, followed by a bunch of non-factors. Jacob Thomas was not only the Dukes’ best safety this season, but arguably the best player in their entire secondary. In Thomas’ third season for JMU, he gathered a total of 72.0 tackles, including 8.0 tackles for loss. Thomas also hauled in three interceptions.
Thomas was the Dukes’ highest-graded defensive player (minimum 20 snaps) through the first two games of the season, with a PFF grade of 75.2 He continued to improve as the season continued, finishing the regular season with a grade of just over 80.
The other safety who played a big role in JMU’s success this season was Chris Shearin. Prior to Shearin’s time at JMU, he spent two seasons with both Missouri and UConn. Shearin accumulated a total of 58.0 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Shearin stated that his favorite season in his collegiate career was with the Dukes. He finished with the second highest PFF grade of anyone on the team this season. While he isn’t nearly as recognized as some other players, his on-field production speaks for itself. It’s also worth noting that JMU led all Sun Belt football teams with 17 interceptions.
On top of that, the Dukes added many cornerbacks and safeties through the transfer portal and National Signing Day during the month of December.
Matthew Heiserman
Matthew Heiserman is an up-and-coming sports reporter and journalist. As a 13 year old, Matthew has his own podcast, where he's interviewed people such as ESPN's Adam Schefter, CBS' Evan Washburn, and The Athletic's Stewart Mandel. Matthew covers JMU Football for The League Winners, as well as writing for his own personal website, https://matthewheiserman.substack.com.