Dukes Return With Depth At Linebacker

Entering last fall, there were some unknowns with how James Madison’s linebackers would fare in the Sun Belt Conference with a pair of new starters.
But by the time the season kicked off, those question marks disappeared rather quickly as Taurus Jones and Jailin Walker settled in at the starting spots.
A year later, Jones and Walker are the quarterbacks of the Dukes’ defense and behind them, there’s a stable of linebackers eager to get on the field in 2023.
What We Know
Depth isn’t an issue.
The Dukes are led by Jones, a third team All-Sun Belt pick last fall and a preseason second team selection this week after he paced the Dukes’ defense with 82 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for a loss and one sack last fall.
While he excelled in his first year as a starter, he wasn’t alone.
Walker, a Richmond native, stepped into the shoes that Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey left after he transferred to Texas. And there wasn’t a dropoff in play, either.
Walker made 63 tackles last fall, including three tackles for a loss and one sack. He also recorded three interceptions, including the would-be game-winning pick at Appalachian State that allowed JMU to complete a 25-point comeback to begin league play.
“Jailin, he’s pretty much going to do the right thing out there,” JMU coach Curt Cignetti said during the Dukes’ spring practice slate in April.. “And Tarurus, he has so much athleticism, made a lot of big plays. [They’re] two good players.”
With Jones and Walker, JMU has one of the top linebacker duos in the Sun Belt Conference and behind those two are a pair of sophomores — Hendrick and Fisher — that showed flashes in their freshman campaigns.
Hendrick played in 10 games last season — made a start — and recorded 20 tackles with two tackles for a loss, while Fisher appeared in 10 games and made five tackles at Old Dominion.
Fisher, a Fredericksburg native, appeared to move up the depth chart after a solid spring practice.
Cignetti said there wasn’t much of a difference between Fisher and the starting duo during spring practice.
“He’s a reactive and instinctive player that plays fast,” Cignetti said of Fisher in April. “Very dependable, smart player and he’s in the right place. He’s where he’s supposed to be, which is what playing football is all about.”
What We Don’t
Well, linebacker might be one of the only positions on defense where there aren’t many unknown question marks heading into the 2023 season.
Not only do Hendrick and Fisher provide quality depth to the room, but so does Seth Naotala, who missed all of last season with an injury, and Julio Ayamel.
Naotala has logged 15 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and an interception across 19 career games in Harrisonburg, while Ayamel has been a special teams standout and has recorded five career tackles in 23 games with the Dukes.
The ‘X’ Factor
Fisher presents himself as an intriguing third option at linebacker and his skill set provides an opportunity for JMU to play with three linebackers at times in the fall.
While his defensive snaps were limited last fall, Fisher was a special teams standout in his freshman year and brought impactful depth when the unit needed it.
Fisher came on strong in spring practice and has a chance to make an impact on the team’s defense, like he did when second-team players entered the game at ODU.