Fall camp is officially underway in Harrisonburg, and Jack Fitzpatrick and Bennett Conlin are breaking down everything you need to know before the Dukes open the season.

They dig into the quarterback battle between Cam Coleman and JC Evans, unpack new offensive coordinator Cam Aiken's winding path from ETSU to a secret Ole Miss playoff stint, and sort through an unusually messy offseason of roster news — including the Mychal McMullin mystery, KD Mosley's dismissed charges, and Terell Thomas quietly leaving the team.

From there, it's a full preview of the Liberty showdown in Week 1: the spread, the running back room debate, pass-rush question marks around Amar Thomas, and why JMU's brutal early schedule could make or break their season.

Plus, the guys get into the Billy Napier–Florida "rivalry," a deep dive on Cam Aiken's fascinating backstory, and close things out with a new listener challenge: the Mount Rushmore of JMU One-Hit Wonders.

Send us your Mount Rushmore picks — DM, email, or text us your answers. And stay tuned for a big announcement next week about the full slate of JMU Sports News shows for the football season.

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In this conversation, Phil Steele joins Bennett Conlin to break down James Madison University Football's 2026 outlook, from JC Evans and the revamped offense to a deep defensive front and one of the Sun Belt’s most intriguing schedules.

Steele explains why JMU Football's supporting cast could help JC Evans (or whoever QB1 is) thrive, why the Dukes’ running back room looks built for Billy Napier’s style and which portal additions could make an immediate impact. He also digs into the secondary, linebackers, and special teams, while sizing up the rest of the Sun Belt East and West.

Beyond JMU Football, Steele shares his take on the Group of Six playoff race, highlighting teams like Navy, Boise State, Liberty, and App State, before offering his biggest national title contenders across the Power Four.

If you want a sharp, data-driven preview of JMU’s season and the broader college football landscape, this episode is packed with insight.

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It's a July news dump on the JMU Sports News podcast! Bennett Conlin and Jack Fitzpatrick dig into the offseason storylines that have been piling up! Starting with JMU quarterback Davi Belfort's surprising position switch to wide receiver (announced, of all places, on NFL Brazil), Billy Napier's ongoing media tour reflecting on his Florida tenure, and the new "five-for-five" eligibility rule and how it impacts JMU's roster.

They also break down ESPN's FPI rankings that have JMU tumbling from the 20s to the 70s. The duo discuss why the metric structurally undervalues Group of Six programs, and what it means for the Sunbelt's standing compared to the American Athletic Conference.

Plus: realignment speculation for 2030-2031, a sneaky big year shaping up for JMU men's basketball

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro & July news dump kickoff

02:23 – Billy Napier reflects on Florida tenure (again)

07:03 – Davi Belfort's move from QB to WR (via NFL Brazil)

11:54 – The "five-for-five" eligibility rule explained

16:05 – Five-for-five impact on JMU's roster (Wethersby, Simpson, Wislowski)

21:13 – Portal era eligibility debate & who benefits

23:02 – ESPN FPI rankings drop JMU from 27th to 75th

27:42 – Why FPI undervalues Group of Six programs

30:01 – Sunbelt vs. American Athletic Conference gap

33:48 – 2030-2031 realignment scenarios: P4 vs. bolstered G6

39:00 – JMU's non-conference stakes this season

40:12 – JMU's investment path toward a future P4 invite

41:38 – Men's & women's basketball outlook

42:24 – Jack Bonifant at the U.S. Adaptive Open

42:57 – Outro

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Jack Fitzpatrick and Bennett Conlin are back with one of their most fun offseason formats: a live draft of the Top 3 JMU Football underclassmen and Top 3 upperclassmen to watch heading into the 2026 season.

Phil Steele's preseason magazine just dropped, and it has JC Evans listed as the starting quarterback over Camden Coleman, a result that has Bennett spinning. The guys break down what Napier told Steele, what it means for the QB competition, why Camden's track record still makes him the logical starter, and where Davi Belfort and Arrington Maiden fit into the picture.

On the underclassmen side, picks include JC Evans at QB1, a rising safety in Seth Gathers and Deacon Rawls. On the upperclassmen side, Tyler Brown's wild career arc (Napier → Deion Sanders → back to Napier) makes him a surefire starter, Kells Bush looks like a Phil Steele preseason All-Sunbelt pick at defensive tackle, Gannon Wethersby is primed for 100+ tackles, Amar Thomas finally gets his every-down shot, and Corey Scott headlines a wide receiver room that might push JMU toward a 60-40 pass split.

The guys also dig deep on JMU's 2026 recruiting class under Billy Napier — what 117 offers actually means, the brutal reality of verbal commitments in the transfer portal era, and the cutthroat business behind the scenes that even beloved coaches like Bob Chesney were running. Plus: a quick update on tight end KD Mosley's legal situation, the FOIA'd non-conference contracts with conference-exit language baked in, and the Sunbelt exit fee drama with Keith Gill pushing for a $25 million barrier. Whether you're tracking the recruiting Big Board at buymeacoffee.com/jmusportsnews or just want to know who's going to ball out in 2026, this is your essential JMU Football offseason breakdown. ️

CHAPTER MARKERS

0:00 Intro & JMU Recruiting Big Board Update

1:05 Verbal Commitments Mean Nothing — The Reality of Modern Recruiting

2:28 117 Offers, 17 Commits: Breaking Down JMU's Class

5:00 NIL, Rev Share & How JMU Competes with P4 Schools

6:20 Transfer Portal Chaos: Revoked Offers

8:49 Podcast Schedule Update + Show Format Preview

10:15 The Draft Format Explained: Underclassmen vs. Upperclassmen

11:23 Pick 1 (Underclassmen): JC Evans — Phil Steele Says He's QB1

12:47 Phil Steele's QB Depth Chart Breakdown

14:05 JC Evans vs. Camden Coleman: Who Fits Napier's System?

17:00 Pick 2 (Underclassmen): Deacon Rawls

20:00 Pick 3 (Underclassmen)

24:00 Pick 4 (Underclassmen): Seth Gatherrs, Rising Star Safety

27:01 TJ McGill & the Safety Room — Reason for Optimism or Concern?

28:37 Flashback: Cignetti's Defense, Chauncey, and the UVA Game

30:54 Upperclassmen Draft Begins 31:05 Pick 1 (Upperclassmen): Tyler Brown — Napier to Deion to Back Again

32:31 Pick 2 (Upperclassmen): Kells Bush — Preseason All-Sunbelt?

34:33 Pick 3 (Upperclassmen): Gannon Wethersby, 100-Tackle Candidate

35:15 Pick 4 (Upperclassmen): Amar Thomas Gets His Every-Down Shot

36:05 Pick 5 (Upperclassmen): Corey Scott & the WR Corps

37:28 Could JMU Go 60-40 Pass Split in 2025?

40:00 Camden Coleman Revisited — Why Is He QB3?!

43:12 Phil Steele's Depth Chart Methodology & Surprises

44:51 KD Mosley Legal Update

47:05 FOIA'd Non-Conference Contracts — Exit Clause Language

47:57 Sunbelt Exit Fee Drama: Keith Gill Pushes $25M Barrier

49:48 Outro, ULM Chair Night, Earl Grey Debate

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It's June, which means it's time to get into the 2025 JMU football schedule — and we're doing it with a twist. Inspired by the Ringer Fantasy Football Podcast's schedule draft format, Jack and Bennett each draft games off the Dukes' schedule across five categories:

- Home Game You'd Most Want to Attend

- Home Game Worth Skipping

- Road Game Worth Attending

- Must-Watch TV Game

- Pumpkin Picking Day (the game you skip altogether to build relationship goodwill before championship season)

From the Troy rematch under the lights to a 10 PM kick at San Diego State on the CW, we break down every game worth circling on your calendar — and a few you should hand off entirely. Plus: a deep dive into the state of the Sun Belt Conference, why the league's national profile has slipped since JMU joined, what it would take for the Dukes to crack the College Football Playoff conversation, and whether the Sun Belt can still compete for G5 supremacy against a rising American Athletic Conference.

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CHAPTER MARKERS

0:00 – intro

1:37 – The Schedule Draft format explained (inspired by Ringer Fantasy Football)

2:33 – The five draft categories revealed

5:30 – Pick 1 | Bennett: Home Game Worth Skipping → Wagner (Sept. 12)

6:44 – Pick 2 | Jack: Home Game to Attend → Troy (Sunbelt title game rematch, Thursday night)

7:46 – Pick 3 | Bennett: Pumpkin Picking Day → Georgia State (Oct. 17)

9:34 – Pick 4 | Jack: Road Game Worth Attending → ODU

12:19 – Pick 5 | Bennett: Home Game to Attend → Marshall (Oct. 3)

15:00 – Pick 6 | Jack: Home Game Worth Skipping → Liberty opener (noon kick, ESPNU)

17:29 – UVA's Brazil game fallout & Virginia Tech's mystery $500M

20:39 – Pick 7 | Bennett: Must-Watch TV Game → App State (Thursday night, ESPNU)

22:43 – Pick 8 | Jack: Must-Watch TV Game → San Diego State (10 PM, CW)

23:13 – The San Diego State late-night crash-out potential

25:52 – Pick 9 | Bennett: Road Game Worth Attending → Georgia Southern (Statesboro)

27:16 – Pick 10 | Jack: Pumpkin Picking Day → UConn (Nov. 14, CBS Sports Network)

29:00 – Schedule strength & College Football Playoff hopes

33:17 – Bennett's real goal: tracking Sun Belt fan meltdowns

34:00 – How the Sun Belt Conference has fallen since JMU joined in 2022

36:24 – The American Athletic Conference narrative vs. the Sun Belt

37:00 – Coach drain: Chesney, Cignetti, Huff & more

38:33 – Why bowl game quantity is hurting the Sun Belt's national image

41:20 – Listener callout: JMU Sports News student contributors wanted

42:38 – Recruiting big board update & Class of 2028 additions

44:19 – The Nick DeGennaro GOAT take

45:05 – Cade Klubnik, Dabo, and Houston's career limbo

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JMU's spring sports season is officially in the books — and Jack and Bennett are handing out grades. They break down where JMU lacrosse, softball, and baseball stand heading into the offseason, why Virginia Tech and UVA have made life harder for JMU softball, and whether anyone should be fired (short answer: no, and here's why).

Then it's time for the thing JMU fans actually came for — FOOTBALL. Jack and Bennett dig into the new Class of 2027 recruiting Big Board (available now at buymeacoffee.com/jmusportsnews), break down the men's basketball transfer portal class, and debate whether Billy Napier's 2026 schedule sets JMU up for a 10-win season — or just makes the Sun Belt look soft.

Plus: listener mailbag questions, the Royal Rivalry debate nobody asked for, a rant on six-year college athletes, and more.

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Jack Fitzpatrick and Bennett Conlin break down everything happening in JMU Dukes athletics — starting with a deep dive into the men's basketball transfer portal class and whether Preston Spradlin has finally found the right mix of talent AND chemistry. Plus the JMU football O-line gets a boost, stadium expansion renderings/update, and spring sports check-ins on lacrosse, baseball, and softball.

In this episode:

Is JMU men's basketball's 2025–26 transfer class the best-constructed one yet?

Breaking down Cavan Reilly, KJ Windham, Gage Lattimore, Garrett Sundra, Jacob Hogarth & more

Justin McBride to Kentucky & Christian Brown to Ole Miss

Frankie Tinilau joining the football team this summer — O-line officially locked in?

JMU stadium expansion: master plan approved, but where did the renderings go?

NIL, coach retention & the real reason JMU keeps rebuilding its roster

Lacrosse AAC Championship game vs. USF -

Baseball season review — what went wrong?

Softball's pitching collapse in the Sunbelt

Bennett has never had Grammy's Ice Cream

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After a rained out Spring Game and a rain impacted live podcast, we decided to get back to the Richmond studios and crank out an in person pod!

We break down the five plays from the Spring Game and go position group by position group and share our thoughts and expectations heading into the summer ahead of Fall Camp.

Also, we want to send out a massive thank you to everyone that came out for the live podcast! It wasn't exactly what we thought it would be due to the weather and other factors, but we appreciate everyone for talking some Dukes football!

** Audio isn't the best, we apologize for the technical difficulties **

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It's a rapid-fire mailbag Friday on the JMU Sports News Podcast! Jack Fitzpatrick and Bennett Conlin tackle the biggest questions in James Madison University athletics!

From the mysteriously missing spring football roster to the quarterback competition heating up in Harrisonburg, a blunt assessment of Preston Spradlin's transfer portal strategy, and why JMU baseball's midweek upset of UVA has Dukes fans paying attention again.

Plus Jack breaks down why JMU men's basketball needs to rethink its recruiting model entirely.

And a post-Spring Game live show announcement is coming soon — stay locked to our socials! Have a question for the mailbag?

Email us: [email protected]

Big thank you as well to our sponsor, Sign Pro!

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This week, Bennett Conlin and Jack Fitzpatrick are joined by JMU Athletic Director Matt Roan. In this interview, JMU Athletic Director Matt Roan discusses the university's stadium expansion plans, strategic athletic development, and the future of college sports at JMU. Gain insights into infrastructure projects, revenue streams, and the vision for 2030 and beyond.

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