JMU Linebackers Still Battling For Starting Roles

Greg Madia/DN-R

HARRISONBURG — Narrowing 16 linebackers down to two starters, hasn’t been an easy task for Byron Thweatt.

Entering his second season as inside linebackers coach at James Madison, the former University of Virginia standout said the competition for two starting roles is still “wide open” between the players in his position group.

“Right now I can’t say exactly who’s going to suit up at the Mike or Will spot on Sept. 2,” Thweatt said. “I’ve got to find two guys that can take charge, make all the checks and get everybody lined up.

“Right now, it’s hot and cold. Some days, we’ve got guys that can go out and get that done. But then we install something else and their minds go haywire, so we’ve got to get consistent.”

Through two weeks of August training camp, senior Kyre Hawkins, sophomore Maryland transfer Gus Little and sophomore Virginia transfer Landan Word have all worked with the first-team defense as inside linebackers during team periods.

Hawkins has taken the most reps with the first unit.

Junior Dimitri Holloway, who started nine games last season while recording 53 total tackles including a career-high 16 tackles during the Dukes’ national semifinal win at North Dakota State, is in the mix, too.

But Holloway hasn’t yet been cleared to practice at full speed as he’s worn a limited-contact red jersey during drills.

Senior Brandon Hereford, who played in 13 games in 2016, hasn’t practiced at all.

“They’re all good players, but they don’t have that [former JMU linebacker] Gage Steele, ‘This is my team and I’m going to put it on my back’ mindset right now,” Thweatt said. “We’re trying to develop that.

“And you know something, [Hereford and Holloway] are like that but they’re both limited right now with injuries, so they’re not out there. Dimitri has gotten reps in skelly, so when he was out there, the level of intensity for everyone went up because he knows the defense, can make the checks and has that take-charge characteristic.”

Until Holloway gets back to full speed, JMU needs Hawkins, Little and Word to build on what they’ve done so far during camp.

Little said he’s more comfortable within the defense than he was during the spring when he first arrived. Word has knocked the rust off and has “great potential,” Thweatt said. Hawkins knows both the inside and outside positions, so he has the best understanding of the whole defense.

“The competition is hot,” Hawkins said. “Coach Thweatt puts it out there every single day that we have to go out there and work every single day because there isn’t a day that we can take a step back.

“We’re the quarterbacks of the defense.”

Holloway was initially injured in the national championship game, and Hawkins filled his spot, making a season-best five tackles in the win over Youngstown State.

Thweatt said he likes that Hawkins can play any of the linebacker positions without a problem.

After practice Tuesday, JMU coach Mike Houston said he thinks Little has made strides.

“He understands the scheme now and that takes a lot of hesitation out of it,” Houston said. “To me, he is exactly what I hoped he would be. He is a tough, hard-nosed player who plays extremely hard.

“And he just has so many intangibles that make him a better player than someone else with equal ability. We’re excited to have him and I expect him to be an intrical part of our defense this year.”

Little didn’t see any game action in his time at Maryland.

“There are 16 guys competing for two spots. It’s a grind everyday,” Little said. “It’s all about consistency, so you can’t come in and have a bad day.

“No one has any spot locked up and we all know that, so we have that mindset when we’re at practice.”

As a result, Thweatt said the effort in practice is always solid and that the overall talent of the position group is strengthening.

Players behind the five competing for starting jobs include redshirt freshmen John Kinney, Tabb Patrick and Harrisonburg High product Devin Medley as well as true freshman Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey.

“This group we have here can be better than the group I had last year and that’s because it’s their second year in the defense,” Thweatt said. “Losing Gage is big because of that attitude, but I think these guys have all the physical tools to be better. They just need to develop that take-charge attitude.”