Interesting article on our 10 best returning players. I believe an at least equally interesting question is how many newcomers crack the starting lineup. Anyone got a guess?....

JMU's Top Ten Returning Players

SMH! Dukes finish 6th in the Belt East behind ODU.... https://thegamehaus.com/college-football...022/08/03/

More bulletin board material. Another prediction for a 2022 losing record for JMU, our only "free win" being Norfolk State.... https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/coll...dison-more

Hey...at least it's a good analysis and write up!

(08-05-2022 05:47 PM)Purple Wrote:  Interesting article on our 10 best returning players. I believe an at least equally interesting question is how many newcomers crack the starting lineup. Anyone got a guess?....

JMU's Top Ten Returning Players

A lot of people might know James Carpenter and Kaelon Black after this year if they can stay healthy….

(08-05-2022 11:01 PM)Jmufan2018 Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 05:47 PM)Purple Wrote:  Interesting article on our 10 best returning players. I believe an at least equally interesting question is how many newcomers crack the starting lineup. Anyone got a guess?....

JMU's Top Ten Returning Players

A lot of people might know James Carpenter and Kaelon Black after this year if they can stay healthy….

I agree. Both are underrated. Kaelon only had 27 totes last year, but averaged 6.1 yards per. Also under the radar was Austin Douglas with 27 totes of his own for 6.8 YPC (good OL play can't be undervalued).

Latrele had a relatively quiet 941 yards last year. I expect him and Percy to carry the majority of the load. We are very rich at the RB position. May they all stay healthy!

Our OL is not only going to be good AGAIN, I believe they are going to dominate and be the shining star of the team. With only a single upperclassman in junior (and leader) Nick Kidwell (6'6/316), watch the youngsters shine again. 6'6/302 sophomore Tyler Stephens is among my favorites. With another class of big, nasty sunblockers and a couple of FBS transfers, look for Cig to sub a lot there, keeping fresh bodies on the line.

I will also be watching with interest the development of 6'6/235-pound freshman TE Cooper Thunell. With senior vets Painter and Turner at TE, will he be redshirted?

Lol Percy didn't crack the top ten

(08-06-2022 12:05 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  Lol Percy didn't crack the top ten

Percy only played four games before the injury. Even though he had a respectable 16 carries per game, his YPC average was only 3.4.

Yeah makes me wonder if the writer thinks Percy will be underwhelming compared to our other backs or if he just looked at stats and wasn't aware that Percy is likely #1 on the depth chart and was injured a lot last year.

I think Kaelon Black might break out as the top guy though, last year he looked like he's gonna be a superstar for us. I do wonder if his injury was as serious as we feared though, it looked bad but then I never saw anything actually reported on it. Then I noticed Phil Steele said something like "he showed promise in the first three games before being benched to preserve his redshirt" and realized maybe it wasn't actually that serious. Might have just taken him out of the Weber State game and then that was gonna be his last game anyway.

Kaelon Black is our best RB. I hope he stays healthy and gets the most carries.

(08-06-2022 04:48 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  Yeah makes me wonder if the writer thinks Percy will be underwhelming compared to our other backs or if he just looked at stats and wasn't aware that Percy is likely #1 on the depth chart and was injured a lot last year.

I think Kaelon Black might break out as the top guy though, last year he looked like he's gonna be a superstar for us. I do wonder if his injury was as serious as we feared though, it looked bad but then I never saw anything actually reported on it. Then I noticed Phil Steele said something like "he showed promise in the first three games before being benched to preserve his redshirt" and realized maybe it wasn't actually that serious. Might have just taken him out of the Weber State game and then that was gonna be his last game anyway.

Yeah, I believe the writer saw Percy's number of carries and YPC and figured he was a bench warmer. They don't dig very deep for the details and extenuating circumstances.

Kaelon is going to be a great one, but I think Latrele is our best RB. He is an absolute beast! If Cig had run him more against the smellies in Frisco, I believe we would have won that game hands down. Latrele had only 8 carries, but for 44 yards (5.5 YPC). He was running the ball down the Bisons' throat (shades of Abdullah). Instead, Cig had Nooch slinging the ball all over the field (33 passes) and then that last play of the game still haunts me. With two downs to get a yard or two, we throw into a congested endzone for a pick instead of relying on the 60 MPH bulldozer.

Then, the semi against those same smelly Bisons in the Fargodump a year later, Latrele punches a very good rush defense in the mouth for 89 yards on 18 carries (4.9 YPC), but Cole winds up passing 34 times for a couple of crucial picks.

I love Cig and I am so glad he is ours, but I will never understand his reliance on the passing game when the running game is working so well.

I believe Latrele will be playing on Sundays.

(08-06-2022 04:48 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  Yeah makes me wonder if the writer thinks Percy will be underwhelming compared to our other backs or if he just looked at stats and wasn't aware that Percy is likely #1 on the depth chart and was injured a lot last year.

I think Kaelon Black might break out as the top guy though, last year he looked like he's gonna be a superstar for us. I do wonder if his injury was as serious as we feared though, it looked bad but then I never saw anything actually reported on it. Then I noticed Phil Steele said something like "he showed promise in the first three games before being benched to preserve his redshirt" and realized maybe it wasn't actually that serious. Might have just taken him out of the Weber State game and then that was gonna be his last game anyway.

Black had a knee injury that required surgery and extensive rehab. Because he played so little pre-injury last season he would have been eligible for a red-shirt. Hopefully he’ll make it all the way back, because I agree with you I think he’s potentially JMU’s best RB.

(08-06-2022 11:56 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(08-06-2022 04:48 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  Yeah makes me wonder if the writer thinks Percy will be underwhelming compared to our other backs or if he just looked at stats and wasn't aware that Percy is likely #1 on the depth chart and was injured a lot last year.

I think Kaelon Black might break out as the top guy though, last year he looked like he's gonna be a superstar for us. I do wonder if his injury was as serious as we feared though, it looked bad but then I never saw anything actually reported on it. Then I noticed Phil Steele said something like "he showed promise in the first three games before being benched to preserve his redshirt" and realized maybe it wasn't actually that serious. Might have just taken him out of the Weber State game and then that was gonna be his last game anyway.

Black had a knee injury that required surgery and extensive rehab. Because he played so little pre-injury last season he would have been eligible for a red-shirt. Hopefully he’ll make it all the way back, because I agree with you I think he’s potentially JMU’s best RB.

If he’s healthy I don’t think he’s potentially the best RB. I think he is the best RB on the team. But, there’s a DNR article that talks about his two previous knee injuries in high school. His coach is quoted as saying he would’ve committed to Tech, but a lot of schools pulled offers after the second knee injury. If he’s healthy for a season, look out…….. he’s legit. Record setting good.

(08-06-2022 11:56 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(08-06-2022 04:48 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  Yeah makes me wonder if the writer thinks Percy will be underwhelming compared to our other backs or if he just looked at stats and wasn't aware that Percy is likely #1 on the depth chart and was injured a lot last year.

I think Kaelon Black might break out as the top guy though, last year he looked like he's gonna be a superstar for us. I do wonder if his injury was as serious as we feared though, it looked bad but then I never saw anything actually reported on it. Then I noticed Phil Steele said something like "he showed promise in the first three games before being benched to preserve his redshirt" and realized maybe it wasn't actually that serious. Might have just taken him out of the Weber State game and then that was gonna be his last game anyway.

Black had a knee injury that required surgery and extensive rehab. Because he played so little pre-injury last season he would have been eligible for a red-shirt. Hopefully he’ll make it all the way back, because I agree with you I think he’s potentially JMU’s best RB.

Gotcha thanks. Yeah I remember it looked like that'd be the case but I never saw any report from Mettlen or anything.

I think Percy is our best RB if he's 100%. I don't think he was anywhere close to that last year in the handful of games he played in. Kaelon looked really good too. No disrespect towards Latrele, but I think he's solidly behind those two. I feel like he's more of a situational guy vs an all around back. He's strong with the north-south running but he's not a guy I'd look towards in terms of shifting to create space and get more yards. When he's tried it seems like he's gotten bogged down in the hole.

There's been a heavy focus on how the QB situation is developing (understandably so), but hopefully we'll get an article from Noah or Shane on how the RB room is shaping up (hint, hint). There was a general one about the Sun Belt a few days ago, but it didn't say much about JMU specifically.

(08-07-2022 01:07 PM)DooX Wrote:  I think Percy is our best RB if he's 100%. I don't think he was anywhere close to that last year in the handful of games he played in. Kaelon looked really good too. No disrespect towards Latrele, but I think he's solidly behind those two. I feel like he's more of a situational guy vs an all around back. He's strong with the north-south running but he's not a guy I'd look towards in terms of shifting to create space and get more yards. When he's tried it seems like he's gotten bogged down in the hole.

There's been a heavy focus on how the QB situation is developing (understandably so), but hopefully we'll get an article from Noah or Shane on how the RB room is shaping up (hint, hint). There was a general one about the Sun Belt a few days ago, but it didn't say much about JMU specifically.

I agree, Latele is behind those two if they’re all healthy. But, Latrele is one hell of a change of pace if he can get to the line with a full head of steam. He’s going to fall forward for a few extra yards. This is all not even mentioning Vanhorse who seems more of a third down back.

I’m more interested in the secondary. We have to have two CBs step up without Ross and McCormick. It’s going to have to be a transfer or a young guy. Going against an Air Raid offense to start off the season vs Middle Tennessee State should be a good measuring stick for them. The LBs will be young, but good. Much, much more concerned(?) about the secondary.

(08-06-2022 09:53 AM)Purple Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 11:01 PM)Jmufan2018 Wrote:  

(08-05-2022 05:47 PM)Purple Wrote:  Interesting article on our 10 best returning players. I believe an at least equally interesting question is how many newcomers crack the starting lineup. Anyone got a guess?....

JMU's Top Ten Returning Players

A lot of people might know James Carpenter and Kaelon Black after this year if they can stay healthy….

I agree. Both are underrated. Kaelon only had 27 totes last year, but averaged 6.1 yards per. Also under the radar was Austin Douglas with 27 totes of his own for 6.8 YPC (good OL play can't be undervalued).

Latrele had a relatively quiet 941 yards last year. I expect him and Percy to carry the majority of the load. We are very rich at the RB position. May they all stay healthy!

Our OL is not only going to be good AGAIN, I believe they are going to dominate and be the shining star of the team. With only a single upperclassman in junior (and leader) Nick Kidwell (6'6/316), watch the youngsters shine again. 6'6/302 sophomore Tyler Stephens is among my favorites. With another class of big, nasty sunblockers and a couple of FBS transfers, look for Cig to sub a lot there, keeping fresh bodies on the line.

I will also be watching with interest the development of 6'6/235-pound freshman TE Cooper Thunell. With senior vets Painter and Turner at TE, will he be redshirted?

Austin douglas transferred to Mercer