JMU Football Made the Playoffs — and Still Lost Its Team

James Madison University football just delivered the greatest season in program history — and yet, as the calendar turns toward 2026, the Dukes may be almost unrecognizable.

JMU finished 12–2, won the Sun Belt Championship, and earned a College Football Playoff berth before falling to Oregon Ducks. For a Group of Five program, it was a statement season — proof that JMU belonged on the national stage.

But success in modern college football now comes with a price. And for fans, that price is steep.

From Playoff Glory to Portal Chaos

Shortly after the season ended, head coach Bob Chesney accepted the head coaching job at UCLA. JMU moved quickly, hiring Billy Napier to stabilize the program.

The problem? Speed doesn’t stop momentum — and momentum in today’s sport runs straight into the transfer portal.

Despite Napier’s arrival, JMU has seen a wave of departures that now borders on a roster collapse. According to JMU Sports News, approximately 20 Dukes players have entered the transfer portal, and roughly 90 percent of them would have projected as starters or key contributors in 2026. The outlet further reported that it is likely at least a dozen JMU players will land at Power 4 programs.

For a team coming off a playoff appearance, that level of attrition is staggering.

The Faces Fans Just Learned to Love — Gone

Among the notable departures:

• Alonza Barnett III (QB) — Sun Belt Player of the Year; over 2,800 passing yards, more than 500 rushing yards, and 38 total touchdowns.
• Wayne Knight (RB) — All-American; nearly 1,800 scrimmage yards.
• Lacota Dippre (TE) — Red-zone contributor.
• Braeden Wisloski (WR) — Reliable target with four touchdowns.
• Joseph Simmons (OL) — Starting left tackle.
• Tyler Brown (S) — Sophomore starter with 80 tackles.
• DJ Barksdale (CB) — Veteran defensive back with four career interceptions.

And the list continues to grow as the special transfer window for CFP teams remains open.

For fans, this is the brutal irony: just as the nation finally learned these names, they disappeared.

Good for the Players — Hard on the Fans

Let’s be clear: no one should begrudge these players for chasing better opportunities.

If Power 4 schools can offer national exposure, NFL pipelines, and NIL money JMU simply cannot match, it makes sense — especially for players with only one year left. College football has become a marketplace, and rational actors follow incentives.

But acknowledging reality doesn’t make it easier to stomach.

For JMU fans, this cycle makes it almost impossible to build long-term emotional investment. Jerseys become obsolete overnight. Breakout stars become footnotes. Team identity resets every December.

You cheer for a season — not a program.

The Identity Crisis of Modern College Football

This isn’t just a JMU problem. It’s a structural one.

The combination of:

• unrestricted transfers,
• NIL disparities,
• and relentless coaching churn

has turned successful Group of Five programs into development pipelines for the Power 4.

Win too much, and your coach leaves.
Win anyway, and your roster follows.

For fans who grew up on tradition, continuity, and shared memory, the sport is losing something essential. Rivalries matter less. Development arcs vanish. Loyalty feels naïve.

At some point, fans stop asking “Who’s our quarterback?” and start asking “Why bother learning?”

Can Billy Napier Rebuild? Probably.

JMU has rebuilt before. It did after Curt Cignetti left. It did again under Chesney. Napier will bring in transfers, recruit talent, and field a competitive roster.

But it will not be this team.

The 2025 Dukes — the playoff Dukes — are already history.

And while the scoreboard will reset next fall, the emotional toll on fans keeps accumulating.

JMU proved it belongs at the highest level of college football. The lingering question is whether college football, as currently structured, still belongs to the fans who made programs like JMU matter in the first place.

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