Selling The Pass
Recruits Say JMU Will Throw More
Posted: January 26, 2013
HARRISONBURG — Judging by its recruiting pitches, the James Madison football team is serious about passing more.
Mickey Matthews has said that the Dukes, next season, will move away from the run-based, shotgun option spread offense they’ve used for much of the coach’s 14-year tenure at JMU and adopt an attack predicated on throwing.
Matthews has yet to hire an offensive coordinator to replace the fired Jeff Durden, but Madison is telling its recruits – especially incoming wide receivers – that the new offense will definitely lean toward the pass under quarterback Michael Birdsong, who will be a sophomore.
“We went on our official [visit], and [Matthews] brought us all in and he talked about how it’s going to be a big class of wide receivers, because the offense is changing,” said Jordan Brown, a recruit from Seneca Valley High School (Pa.), where he played quarterback.
Brown, the brother of Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown, likely will shift to receiver at JMU.
“Probably going to be about 60-40 pass, and [Matthews] was excited about the talent coming and the talent of Birdsong,” Brown said.
Beyond the sales pitches, JMU’s commitment to a more aerial offense is evident in the number of receivers it has recruited. As of Friday, the Dukes had five verbal commitments from wideouts.
Recruits said Friday that the philosophy, to varying degrees, has made JMU more attractive.
Charlottesville’s Rashard Davis verbally committed to JMU on Thursday, and Davis said Madison’s new offense was a significant factor in him selecting the school over scholarship offers from Liberty, Coastal Carolina, Norfolk State and VMI.
“It was a big deal, ’cause, I mean, a lot of schools run spread, but for them to want to bring you in on full scholarship and are really talking about getting you ready to play, that’s a big deal,” Davis said.
Davis – a 5-foot-9, 155-pounder who runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and the 100 meters in 10.8 seconds – played quarterback for the 4-7 Black Knights this season. As a junior, though, he played receiver in CHS’s shotgun triple option.
North Stafford’s Brandon Ravenel, the highest-rated of any of JMU’s current 13 verbal commitments (Rivals rates him as a three-star prospect on a scale from one to five), said the Dukes planned to open up the passing attack as far back as last summer, when he verballed to Madison over offers from I-A West Virginia, Boston College and Purdue.
The 6-foot, 170-pounder was aware of JMU’s reputation as a run-first team, but was told that wide receivers would become increasingly utilized moving forward.
“All they said is that they’re going to be throwing the ball a lot more,” Ravenel said. “So I could understand why they brought in more receivers. They haven’t really gotten into detail. From what I’ve seen, they’re going to keep the same kind of base offense, but they’re just going to add a lot more passing to it – from what I’ve heard.”
Ravenel, who began attending JMU camps at age 13, said he chose JMU more on his relationship with the coaching staff – he was recruited by former offensive line coach Chris Malone, who was fired in December – than the plays the Dukes ran. He trusted the coaches’ word when they told him that the passing game would grow.
“I’ve heard that before, that they were a run-first offense, and it did have an impact on my decision a little bit,” said Ravenel. “But, when I sat down and talked with the coaches, it didn’t seem like they were trying to B.S. me or anything. I’m a pretty smart person when it comes to talking to somebody about that kind of stuff, and they seemed really straightforward. … They were really upfront with me. Knowing them as friends, too, I believed them; I trusted them when they told me what the plan was.”
In 2012, JMU averaged 182.5 passing yards per game, which ranked 80th out of 121 Division I-AA teams. The Dukes’ leading receiver was tight end Brian Barlow, who had 425 yards. All-time, JMU has had only one 1,000-yard receiver: David McLeod. He gained 1,207 yards from passes in 1993. The best receiving season under Matthews belongs to Alan Harrison. He had 705 yards in 2002.
Lately, the Dukes’ run-first offense hasn’t translated into mounds of points. They’ve averaged less than 30 per game in each of the past four seasons. JMU averaged 38.1 in 2008 (it made the I-AA semifinals that year) and 28.8 in 2012. Between 2009 and 2011, the Dukes never averaged more than 22.2 per game.
So, is another 1,000-yard receiving season forthcoming? It certainly seems more likely now than before.
“On my visit, actually, all the offensive recruits met and we spoke about, yeah, definitely throwing the ball a little more,” said Morgantown (W.Va.) High’s Blaine Stewart, a 6-2, 185-pound wide receiver and the son of former WVU coach Bill Stewart. “You’ve obviously got to still run the ball, but they definitely talked about just opening it up a little bit more and trying to get guys in space and catch the ball and move the sticks. But that’s definitely something they said, and it was definitely intriguing to hear.”
Of JMU’s five wide receiver recruits, Ravenel and Brown committed before Durden’s firing, while Davis, Stewart and Loudoun County’s Brad Szoka committed after it. Only Davis said that the new offense was a major factor in his decision. Stewart and Szoka – whose only scholarship offers came from JMU – described more passing as a bonus.
“I had always wanted to go to the school, ever since I took my visit my sophomore year,” the 6-foot, 170-pound Szoka said. “… That’s where I wanted to end up, no matter what. The offense was almost like a bonus. It almost felt like it lined up perfect. The year I get to come is the year they start throwing the ball more, and I’m a receiver.”
Players can officially sign on Feb. 6, the NCAA’s national signing day.
Mickey Matthews has said that the Dukes, next season, will move away from the run-based, shotgun option spread offense they’ve used for much of the coach’s 14-year tenure at JMU and adopt an attack predicated on throwing.
Matthews has yet to hire an offensive coordinator to replace the fired Jeff Durden, but Madison is telling its recruits – especially incoming wide receivers – that the new offense will definitely lean toward the pass under quarterback Michael Birdsong, who will be a sophomore.
“We went on our official [visit], and [Matthews] brought us all in and he talked about how it’s going to be a big class of wide receivers, because the offense is changing,” said Jordan Brown, a recruit from Seneca Valley High School (Pa.), where he played quarterback.
Brown, the brother of Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown, likely will shift to receiver at JMU.
“Probably going to be about 60-40 pass, and [Matthews] was excited about the talent coming and the talent of Birdsong,” Brown said.
Beyond the sales pitches, JMU’s commitment to a more aerial offense is evident in the number of receivers it has recruited. As of Friday, the Dukes had five verbal commitments from wideouts.
Recruits said Friday that the philosophy, to varying degrees, has made JMU more attractive.
Charlottesville’s Rashard Davis verbally committed to JMU on Thursday, and Davis said Madison’s new offense was a significant factor in him selecting the school over scholarship offers from Liberty, Coastal Carolina, Norfolk State and VMI.
“It was a big deal, ’cause, I mean, a lot of schools run spread, but for them to want to bring you in on full scholarship and are really talking about getting you ready to play, that’s a big deal,” Davis said.
Davis – a 5-foot-9, 155-pounder who runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and the 100 meters in 10.8 seconds – played quarterback for the 4-7 Black Knights this season. As a junior, though, he played receiver in CHS’s shotgun triple option.
North Stafford’s Brandon Ravenel, the highest-rated of any of JMU’s current 13 verbal commitments (Rivals rates him as a three-star prospect on a scale from one to five), said the Dukes planned to open up the passing attack as far back as last summer, when he verballed to Madison over offers from I-A West Virginia, Boston College and Purdue.
The 6-foot, 170-pounder was aware of JMU’s reputation as a run-first team, but was told that wide receivers would become increasingly utilized moving forward.
“All they said is that they’re going to be throwing the ball a lot more,” Ravenel said. “So I could understand why they brought in more receivers. They haven’t really gotten into detail. From what I’ve seen, they’re going to keep the same kind of base offense, but they’re just going to add a lot more passing to it – from what I’ve heard.”
Ravenel, who began attending JMU camps at age 13, said he chose JMU more on his relationship with the coaching staff – he was recruited by former offensive line coach Chris Malone, who was fired in December – than the plays the Dukes ran. He trusted the coaches’ word when they told him that the passing game would grow.
“I’ve heard that before, that they were a run-first offense, and it did have an impact on my decision a little bit,” said Ravenel. “But, when I sat down and talked with the coaches, it didn’t seem like they were trying to B.S. me or anything. I’m a pretty smart person when it comes to talking to somebody about that kind of stuff, and they seemed really straightforward. … They were really upfront with me. Knowing them as friends, too, I believed them; I trusted them when they told me what the plan was.”
In 2012, JMU averaged 182.5 passing yards per game, which ranked 80th out of 121 Division I-AA teams. The Dukes’ leading receiver was tight end Brian Barlow, who had 425 yards. All-time, JMU has had only one 1,000-yard receiver: David McLeod. He gained 1,207 yards from passes in 1993. The best receiving season under Matthews belongs to Alan Harrison. He had 705 yards in 2002.
Lately, the Dukes’ run-first offense hasn’t translated into mounds of points. They’ve averaged less than 30 per game in each of the past four seasons. JMU averaged 38.1 in 2008 (it made the I-AA semifinals that year) and 28.8 in 2012. Between 2009 and 2011, the Dukes never averaged more than 22.2 per game.
So, is another 1,000-yard receiving season forthcoming? It certainly seems more likely now than before.
“On my visit, actually, all the offensive recruits met and we spoke about, yeah, definitely throwing the ball a little more,” said Morgantown (W.Va.) High’s Blaine Stewart, a 6-2, 185-pound wide receiver and the son of former WVU coach Bill Stewart. “You’ve obviously got to still run the ball, but they definitely talked about just opening it up a little bit more and trying to get guys in space and catch the ball and move the sticks. But that’s definitely something they said, and it was definitely intriguing to hear.”
Of JMU’s five wide receiver recruits, Ravenel and Brown committed before Durden’s firing, while Davis, Stewart and Loudoun County’s Brad Szoka committed after it. Only Davis said that the new offense was a major factor in his decision. Stewart and Szoka – whose only scholarship offers came from JMU – described more passing as a bonus.
“I had always wanted to go to the school, ever since I took my visit my sophomore year,” the 6-foot, 170-pound Szoka said. “… That’s where I wanted to end up, no matter what. The offense was almost like a bonus. It almost felt like it lined up perfect. The year I get to come is the year they start throwing the ball more, and I’m a receiver.”
Players can officially sign on Feb. 6, the NCAA’s national signing day.