Twelve high school seniors put pen to paper as they signed their letters of intent to play football at JMU. It marked the end of the most peculiar recruiting period in college football history and began their transition to z ascollege football.
Normally, a few incoming prospects would graduate early and join the Dukes in January so they could participate in spring training. This year, though, none of the 12 signees will enroll early. Head coach Curt Cignetti said he’s encouraging the young athletes to take advantage of their senior year; and for those who’ll have a spring football season, to enjoy their last year as high school football players.
Eight signees are from Virginia, with three from Maryland and one from New Jersey. This year’s signing class consists of a quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, defensive lineman, two safeties, three offensive linemen and three linebackers.
Four recruits — linebackers Skylar Martin and Matt Binkowski, tight end Zach Horton and offensive lineman Josh Toner — are three-star players according to 247Sports. This pushes JMU to the No. 1 class in the CAA despite having to do most recruiting via Zoom.
“We were a little bit more aggressive early in the process,” Cignetti said in his National Signing Day press conference. “I think this is a really strong class. Almost every one of these guys had FBS offers and many of them had Ivy League offers, too. You’re getting the best combinations.”
Cignetti and his coaching staff had to be innovative as they couldn’t scout players in person. Relying solely on film only goes so far, with summer camps proving to be a coach’s opportunity to see how players practice.
Despite dealing with the negative effects that COVID-19 brought to the college football world, Cignetti remained steadfast on the attributes he looks for in players. He dissects every recruit’s transcripts to get an idea of what they’re like in the classroom.
Cignetti credited wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Mike Shanahan in adjusting to the restrictions the NCAA set, while also praising his staff for still garnering a highly-rated class in the FCS.
From the athlete’s perspective, no on-campus visits hindered the ability to get a true feeling of what campus life is like. Some still found a way to evaluate their potential to fit like incoming quarterback Billy Atkins, who drove to JMU with his family in order to get a feel of the Harrisonburg area.
In the spring months, Cignetti said there was hesitancy from prospects, meaning the Dukes had to put together a virtual pitch that showed recruits what JMU was like as a school, football team and overall brand.
“We’ll go up against the big boys. We’re not afraid to do that,” Cignetti said. “We had some guys that had Power-5 offers and chose James Madison … We’re really not gonna beg and plead. We’re just gonna do the best job we can of presenting James Madison University.”
The full list of JMU’s signing class along with each player’s high school and position can be found below.
Josh Toner
High school: Cherokee (Marlton, New Jersey)
Position: Offensive line
High school: Battlefield (Haymarket, Virginia)
Position: Linebacker
High school: Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore)
Position: Quarterback
Zach Horton
High school: Northside (Roanoke, Virginia)
Position: Tight end
Matei Fitz
High school: Tuscarora (Leesburg, Virginia)
Position: Defensive line
Messiah Russell
High school: Warwick (Newport News, Virginia)
Position: Safety
Jaelin Montgomery
High school: Prince George (Petersburg, Virginia)
Position: Offensive line
Jaelin Walker
High school: Varina (Richmond, Virginia)
Position: Linebacker
Skylar Martin
High school: Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Virginia)
Position: Linebacker
Scott Hummell
High school: Linganore (New Market, Maryland)
Position: Offensive line
Maxwell James
High school: Lake Braddock (Springfield, Virginia)
Position: Wide receiver
Kye Holmes
High school: Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)
Position: Safety
Contact Noah Ziegler at breezesports@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
