Jack Fitzpatrick and Bennett Conlin are back with one of their most fun offseason formats: a live draft of the Top 3 JMU Football underclassmen and Top 3 upperclassmen to watch heading into the 2026 season. Phil Steele's preseason magazine just dropped, and it has JC Evans listed as the starting quarterback over Camden Coleman, a result that has Bennett spinning. The guys break down what Napier told Steele, what it means for the QB competition, why Camden's track record still makes him the logical starter, and where Davi Belfort and Arrington Maiden fit into the picture. On the underclassmen side, picks include JC Evans at QB1, a rising safety in Seth Gathers and Deacon Rawls. On the upperclassmen side, Tyler Brown's wild career arc (Napier → Deion Sanders → back to Napier) makes him a surefire starter, Kells Bush looks like a Phil Steele preseason All-Sunbelt pick at defensive tackle, Gannon Wethersby is primed for 100+ tackles, Amar Thomas finally gets his every-down shot, and Corey Scott headlines a wide receiver room that might push JMU toward a 60-40 pass split. The guys also dig deep on JMU's 2026 recruiting class under Billy Napier — what 117 offers actually means, the brutal reality of verbal commitments in the transfer portal era, and the cutthroat business behind the scenes that even beloved coaches like Bob Chesney were running. Plus: a quick update on tight end KD Mosley's legal situation, the FOIA'd non-conference contracts with conference-exit language baked in, and the Sunbelt exit fee drama with Keith Gill pushing for a $25 million barrier. Whether you're tracking the recruiting Big Board at buymeacoffee.com/jmusportsnews or just want to know who's going to ball out in 2026, this is your essential JMU Football offseason breakdown. ️ CHAPTER MARKERS 0:00 Intro & JMU Recruiting Big Board Update 1:05 Verbal Commitments Mean Nothing — The Reality of Modern Recruiting 2:28 117 Offers, 17 Commits: Breaking Down JMU's Class 5:00 NIL, Rev Share & How JMU Competes with P4 Schools 6:20 Transfer Portal Chaos: Revoked Offers 8:49 Podcast Schedule Update + Show Format Preview 10:15 The Draft Format Explained: Underclassmen vs. Upperclassmen 11:23 Pick 1 (Underclassmen): JC Evans — Phil Steele Says He's QB1 12:47 Phil Steele's QB Depth Chart Breakdown 14:05 JC Evans vs. Camden Coleman: Who Fits Napier's System? 17:00 Pick 2 (Underclassmen): Deacon Rawls 20:00 Pick 3 (Underclassmen) 24:00 Pick 4 (Underclassmen): Seth Gatherrs, Rising Star Safety 27:01 TJ McGill & the Safety Room — Reason for Optimism or Concern? 28:37 Flashback: Cignetti's Defense, Chauncey, and the UVA Game 30:54 Upperclassmen Draft Begins 31:05 Pick 1 (Upperclassmen): Tyler Brown — Napier to Deion to Back Again 32:31 Pick 2 (Upperclassmen): Kells Bush — Preseason All-Sunbelt? 34:33 Pick 3 (Upperclassmen): Gannon Wethersby, 100-Tackle Candidate 35:15 Pick 4 (Upperclassmen): Amar Thomas Gets His Every-Down Shot 36:05 Pick 5 (Upperclassmen): Corey Scott & the WR Corps 37:28 Could JMU Go 60-40 Pass Split in 2025? 40:00 Camden Coleman Revisited — Why Is He QB3?! 43:12 Phil Steele's Depth Chart Methodology & Surprises 44:51 KD Mosley Legal Update 47:05 FOIA'd Non-Conference Contracts — Exit Clause Language 47:57 Sunbelt Exit Fee Drama: Keith Gill Pushes $25M Barrier 49:48 Outro, ULM Chair Night, Earl Grey Debate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
