Since their CFP exit, plenty of the offensive side, have announced they will be entering the Transfer Portal
Life as a G5: how JMU’s CFP run cost them their entire offense originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Making the College Football Playoff is supposed to change a program forever. For James Madison, it did just not in the way many fans expected.
After their historic CFP appearance, JMU is now dealing with the harsh reality of life as a Group of Five program in the transfer portal era. Nearly the entire starting offense from that playoff run is gone, either through graduation or the transfer portal, forcing the Dukes into a major rebuild just months after the best season in school history.
At quarterback, JMU will lose Alonza Barnett III, who has announced his plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Barnett was the leader of the offense all season and played a huge role in the Dukes’ Sun Belt Championship and CFP berth. Alongside him, starting running back Wayne Knight is also entering the portal, leaving JMU without its top two offensive leaders from last season.
JMU's CFP starting offense:
— JMU Sports News (@JMUSportsNews) December 27, 2025
QB - Portal
RB - Portal
WR - Graduated
WR - Still on team
WR - Graduated
TE - Portal
LT - Portal
LG - Still on team
C - Graduated
RG - Portal
RT - Graduated
Life as a G5 is hard.
The losses don’t stop there. Wide receivers Jaylan Sanchez and Nick DeGennaro both graduated this past season and are not eligible to return. Their departures remove experience and reliability from the passing game, especially for a team that will already be breaking in a new quarterback.
Up front, the offensive line has been hit hard as well. Two starting linemen, Joseph Simmons and Trent Wilson, have both entered the transfer portal. With additional linemen graduating, JMU will be forced to replace most of its protection unit, a tough task for any program, especially one outside the power conferences.
At tight end, the Dukes are losing even more depth. Lacota Dippre, who served as a key target and blocker, is entering the transfer portal. Another tight end, Josh Phifer, has also announced his plans to transfer. Losing two tight ends at once removes both size and versatility from the offense.
In total, eight of the 11 offensive starters from JMU’s CFP game will not return next season. While some losses came from graduation, the transfer portal played the biggest role. Bigger programs with more NIL opportunities and national exposure were quick to target JMU’s top talent after the playoff run.
This situation highlights the biggest challenge facing Group of Five programs today. When they succeed, they become vulnerable. Power conference teams reload, while G5 teams are often forced to rebuild.
JMU proved it can compete on the national stage. Now, the Dukes must prove they can survive success. In modern college football, winning is only part of the battle, holding a roster together may be the hardest challenge of all.
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