SUN BELT FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 6 OF 14
2026 Season Snapshot • Harrisonburg, Virginia
12-1, Sun Belt Champions, CFP participant
SBC
Live schedule, lines and results for James Madison.
Loading schedule…
HEAD COACH
Billy Napier — 1st season at James Madison
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
62–35 (9 seasons, Louisiana & Florida)
Won two Sun Belt titles and four straight West Division crowns at Louisiana (2018-21) before a rocky four-year Florida tenure (6-7, 5-7, then improvement) ended in his Nov. 2025 firing. Hired by JMU just before the Dukes' historic first-ever CFP appearance, replacing Bob Chesney (who left for UCLA after a 12-1 season) — JMU's fifth head coach in 10 years.
JAMES MADISON ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
James Madison finished 2025 at 12-1 (8-0 Sun Belt) under Chesney, winning the Sun Belt Championship and becoming the conference's first-ever CFP participant (a road loss to No. 5 seed Oregon). One of the best seasons in Group of 5 history.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$965K (+ $2.65M from
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Highest revenue-share % in
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Florida) the Sun Belt Coach salary per ESPN (5-yr deal, $965K annually, top-5 in the Sun Belt) plus a $2.5M buyout if he leaves before 2029. Separately, Florida is still paying Napier a $2.65M annual base salary through 2029 as part of his firing settlement there — meaning virtually all of his JMU pay can flow straight back into the program. JMU has not disclosed a team NIL figure but says its revenue-sharing percentage is the highest in the conference.
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Kirby Moore • 1st season • Multiple
New staff installing around a genuine three-way QB competition (Camden Coleman, JC Evans, Arrington Maiden) after 2025 starter Alonza Barnett III transferred to UCF. Coleman previously started at Richmond (3,192 yds, 26 TD, 2023-24) before sitting behind Barnett in 2025 — real experience waiting in the wings.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Multiple • New staff
Also new under Napier, inheriting First-Team All-Sun Belt DL Kells Bush and Second-Team edge rusher Amar Thomas as returning building blocks on a defense that helped carry JMU to its historic 2025 season.
2025 RECORD
12–1, Sun Belt Champions, CFP participant
CFP First Round: L 34-51 vs. Oregon. James Madison's first-ever playoff appearance, capping the best season in program history and setting a new standard the Dukes now try to sustain under an entirely new coaching staff.
HOME FIELD
Bridgeforth Stadium
Artificial turf (FieldTurf), Harrisonburg. Host of the 2025 Sun Belt Championship Game; a program riding the highest national profile in its history into a critical transition season.
| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Camden Coleman | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Richmond transfer with real starting pedigree (3,192 yds, 26 TD across 2023-24) in a genuine three-way competition with JC Evans and Arrington Maiden after Alonza Barnett III's departure to UCF. |
| RB1 | George Pettaway | — | ★★★★★ | 2026 Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt; rushed for a team-leading 980 yds, 5 TD in 2024 before an injury-limited 2025 (195 yds on 34 carries). Fully healthy and the clear centerpiece of Napier's run-oriented offense. |
| WR1 | Corey Scott | — | ★★★★★ | 2026 Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt; arrives with real postseason pedigree from a previous stop, immediately the top target in JMU's retooled receiving corps. |
Richmond transfer with real starting pedigree (3,192 yds, 26 TD across 2023-24) in a genuine three-way competition with JC Evans and Arrington Maiden after Alonza Barnett III's departure to UCF.
2026 Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt; rushed for a team-leading 980 yds, 5 TD in 2024 before an injury-limited 2025 (195 yds on 34 carries). Fully healthy and the clear centerpiece of Napier's run-oriented offense.
2026 Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt; arrives with real postseason pedigree from a previous stop, immediately the top target in JMU's retooled receiving corps.
| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Brown | OL | — | ★★★★★ | 2026 Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt; brings real postseason pedigree from a previous stop into a genuinely strong returning offensive line. |
| Zach Greenberg | OL | — | ★★★★★ | 2026 Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt for the second straight season (also Second-Team All-Sun Belt after 2025) — one of the most decorated returning linemen in the conference. |
2026 Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt; brings real postseason pedigree from a previous stop into a genuinely strong returning offensive line.
2026 Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt for the second straight season (also Second-Team All-Sun Belt after 2025) — one of the most decorated returning linemen in the conference.
| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Kells Bush | DL | 2026 Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt; the clear anchor of a defensive front carrying real continuity into the coaching transition. |
| Amar Thomas | Edge | 2026 Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt (also Honorable Mention after 2025); a proven, ascending pass- rush threat off the edge. |
2026 Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt; the clear anchor of a defensive front carrying real continuity into the coaching transition.
2026 Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt (also Honorable Mention after 2025); a proven, ascending pass- rush threat off the edge.
| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Willis | CB | ★★★★★ | 2026 Preseason Third-Team All-Sun Belt; a proven returning piece in a secondary that helped anchor JMU's historic CFP season. |
2026 Preseason Third-Team All-Sun Belt; a proven returning piece in a secondary that helped anchor JMU's historic CFP season.
2025 ATS
9-5
64.3% cover rate — 15th of 82
2025 Straight up
12-2
Point differential +262
Scoring environment
55.4
Combined points per game — 23rd highest of 82
Home / road ATS
4-3 · 5-2
Totals 7-7 O/U (3-4 home, 4-3 road)
Points scored / allowed
37.1 per game scored (6th) · 18.4 allowed (9th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +18.7 (6th) · Strength of schedule -7.8
SRS power rating
+6.6
27th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+4.7
32nd of 82
Defensive SRS
+3.3
37th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
+18.7 · 6th of 82
Against the spread
9-5 (64.3%) · 15th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
55.4 · 23rd of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Saved Just J research for James Madison.
With Florida still paying Napier $2.65M/yr through 2029, his entire JMU salary and bonus structure is essentially free money for the program to redirect — a real, unusual advantage over every other Sun Belt roster-building budget.
JMU is defending its first-ever CFP berth with a brand-new head coach and OC after Chesney's UCLA departure — genuine installation risk on top of a standard the whole roster now has to live up to.
Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt RB George Pettaway returns (fully healthy after an injury-limited 2025) along with both starting O-line honorees (Brown, Greenberg) — a genuine foundation for Napier's run-heavy history to build on.
Two Preseason First-Team All-Sun Belt linemen returning is a genuine, elite foundation — among the best returning O-line situations anywhere in this guide.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.
