That's how you start out an era.

Since moving up to the FBS level after spending years as an FCS powerhouse, James Madison has gone 40-11 with a Sun Belt title over its first four seasons - it wasn't eligible to play in the conference championship in the first few years.

It gave the world Curt Cignetti, a trip to the College Football Playoff, and one of the most dominant defenses in America.

And now it's up to Billy Napier to keep it all going.

Can Billy Napier Keep the James Madison Machine Running?

Amazing at Louisiana and underwhelming at Florida, the pressure is on Napier to be the next great James Madison head coach.

Cignetti won 19 games in his two FBS years at JMU. New UCLA head coach Bob Chesney won 21 in two seasons.

Napier is expected to do that, and with a team full of brand new parts from an eclectic haul of transfers.

James Madison Quick Hits

• Head Coach: Billy Napier (1st season; 9th year overall: 62-35)
• Best Case / Worst Case: Win the Sun Belt and get back to the CFP/Worst season in five years in the FBS
• Key Player: Arrington Maiden, QB Soph. (or any of the quarterback transfers)
• 2025 Record: 12-2
• Biggest Question: How can the staff possibly keep the winning going with an (almost) entirely new team of players?

James Madison Key 2025 Stats

• Fourth Quarter Scoring: James Madison 153, Opponents 33
• Penalties: James Madison 105 for 1015 yards, Opponents 78 for 687 yards
• Rushing Yards: James Madison 3,381, Opponents 1,191

Offense

The offense will be very different and very interesting.

Napier will want to run his style that works with a good tempo, gets the quick backs in space, and works with a great tempo - all of the things that worked at Louisiana, but not at Florida.

Former Clemson assistant, and last year's East Tennessee State's offensive coordinator, Cam Aiken is starting from scratch.

Last year's attack was 15th in the nation overall, ninth in scoring - averaging 37 points per game - and was amazing running the ball.

What’s Working

The ground game should be terrific. Aiken's ETSU team was among the best in the FCS on the ground, averaging close to 200 yards per game. Leading rusher Wayne Knight is off to UCLA, Jordan Fuller is done, and Ayo Adeyi took off for Oklahoma State.

Nick Herman is a quick back from Drake who ran for over 1,000 yards last season.

Seth Cromwell brings some more thump from Northern Arizona, and George Pettaway is back after running for 195 yards for the Dukes.

It's a stretch to call the receiving corps a major strength, but it's obvious the staff wants to stretch the field.

ETSU's Jeremiah Harrison was the top deep threat under Aiken last year, and one-time star LSU receiver Kylan Billiot is a big prospect, and West Florida's Corey Scott comes in after catching 63 passes for 1,018 yards and four scores.

There are plenty of other options coming in.

The offensive line might be stunningly okay. The Dukes lost everyone up front but center Zach Greenberg. The new transfers, though, are good, and they're very, very big.

Frankie Tinilau is a 6-6, 325-pound veteran tackle from ETSU, and FIU's Daniel Michael is a monster blocker with 330ish pound size.

The guards are large, the backups are large, the entire class of new linemen is large.

Be shocked if this group can't provide a push.

What Needs Work

The quarterback situation is a massive question mark. Alonza Barnett III wasn't perfect - he could've been more accurate - but he was dangerous on the move, threw for over 2,800 yards and 23 touchdowns, and kept things going.

Let's just call the James Madison quarterbacks a work in progress- there's almost no experience among the three sophomores. However, they can all move.

JC Evans got in a little work as JMU's third option last year, but Arrington Maiden (Memphis) and Davi Belfort (UCF) are good prospects who just need time. Maiden should be the best of the group, but nothing is settled.

Yeah, the new running backs are fine, and the offensive style will bring out the production, but you don't get better after losing a back like Wayne Knight - who took off for a Sun Belt-high 1,373 yards and a running quarterback like Barnett III.

New team, new coaches, different world from the SEC, but there's a prove-it factor now with Napier's offense.

His Florida teams couldn't move the chains, had a tough time consistently scoring, and now he has to show why he was one of the hottest coaches going just a few years ago.

It starts with simply getting the offense to go on productive drives - that wasn't a given in Gainesville.

Player to Watch

George Pettaway, RB Sr.
New coaching staffs love to use their own players who were specifically chosen to fit the right spots. But with so few returning players, having a back like Pettaway should be a steadying factor.

He started at North Carolina, transferred to JMU, ran for 980 yards and five scores in 2024, and last year, he wasn't quite right and ceded most of the work to Wayne Knight. This might be his ground game early on.

Defense

The offense will take care of itself. Replicating the production of last year's James Madison defense will be even harder.

Robert Bala comes over with Napier from Florida, where he had some coordinator duties and worked with the linebackers.

There's an interesting mix of talents coming in, and all they have to do is be close to as good as the nation's fifth-best defense in both total yards allowed and run D.

What’s Working

The standard. There's a good pressure on the new coaching staff to keep the greatness of the James Madison defense going.

Everything is starting over with all new players and coaches, but the Dukes finished fifth in the nation in total defense when they first got to the FBS level in 2022.

They were 30th in 2023 - that Cignetti guy slipped - 23rd in 2024, and were fifth last year. The run defense has been even better - no one will accept anything less than great.

The lost parts up front hurt, but the staff got creative. Edge rushers Ernest Willor (Wisconsin) and Mason Purham (Emory & Henry) join veteran Amar Thomas to keep the pass rush going.

Kevin Roberts (West Florida) is a good-looking interior pass rusher, Mychal McMullin is still around, and there's just enough bulk to hold up okay.

The linebacking corps is among the team's most experienced areas. Gannon Weathersby was the fourth-leading tackler with 57 stops.

Lathan Croley is built like a safety, but the Holy Cross transfer can get all over the field.

Nakian Jackson was one of Nevada's most productive linebackers, and JT Hooten made 69 tackles last season for West Alabama.

What Needs Work

Overall experience. There's not a lot of FBS time logged in among the projected starting 11, and this really is a hodge-podge of talents and prospects being thrown together. It's going to take every practice to find the right combination to keep the magic going.

Veterans in the secondary. Everything is being thrown into the small school basket.

There's a little bit of experience coming in from some of the FBS transfers like safety Javis Mynatt (Texas State) and corner DJ Kelly (Toledo), but safety Jayon Harvey (Findlay) and corner Damier Minkah (Shepherd) have to step up in weight class fast.

The lost parts really do matter. James Madison was able to reload fast when Cignetti took the good players with him to Indiana in 2024, but this is something different. The defensive losses are gigantic.

You don't easily replace linemen like linemen Aiden Gobarira and Sahir West - both to UCLA - safety Tyler Brown (Iowa), corners DJ Barksdale (UCLA) and Justin Eaglin (Colorado), and linebacker Drew Spinogatti (UCLA).

Player to Watch

Lathan Croley, LB Jr.
The 6-0, 210-pounder might not have the bulk, but he'll play a big role as a playmaking linebacker.

The Holy Cross transfer made 80 stops last season, can get into the backfield, and isn't bad in pass coverage - he'll be a stat-sheet filler.

Keys to the Season

• Get the new style of offense implemented and working right away.
• Generate a pass rush from all the new parts on the defensive front.
• PATIENCE. This is a really, really young team - this is a rebuild.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Mychal McMullin, DT Jr.
One of the few defenders returning from last year's great team, the 290-pounder can be a rock on the inside, making 32 tackles with a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss last year. He has to be a steadying force to work around.

Biggest Concern

How does James Madison possibly keep it all going with all the new parts?
Almost all of the two deep is loaded with transfers, and it's going to take every practice and every moment of fall camp to put it all together.

It's the most talented transfer class in the Sun Belt, but it's all about the various pieces and the new coaching staff trying to figure it out on the fly.

Biggest Game

at Old Dominion, September 26
It's been James Madison's Sun Belt East, and Old Dominion wants it.

The hype will be huge for the Sun Belt opener that might determine the East title at the end of September. This is when Napier has to show it's business as usual, but it'll be a fight.

The Dukes are 4-0 against the Monarchs since they moved up into FBS, including a 63-27 wipeout last year.

Transfer Portal

It's a fascinating transfer class.

James Madison lost just about everyone who mattered from last year's team, and now Napier has to scramble to find the right fits who want to be a part of one of the nation's biggest rebuilds.

There doesn't appear to be a stone that went unturned to find options.

Best Signing

Jeremiah Harrison, WR (East Tennessee State)
A wispy deep threat, the 6-1, 178-pound Harrison is a dangerous deep threat who should be an immediate playmaker on the outside.

He made 38 catches for 652 yards and five touchdowns last season, averaging over 17 yards per catch.

Biggest Loss

Sahir West, EDGE (UCLA)
There might be other big losses - especially in the offensive backfield - but finding a killer pass rusher should be even harder.

West had a whopper of a season with seven sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 45 tackles. Now he's a key part of the UCLA defensive front puzzle.

Other Names to Know

• Kylan Billiot, WR (LSU)
• Damier Minkah, CB (Shepherd)
• Ernest Willor Jr., EDGE (Wisconsin)

CFN Season Prediction

Picking big things for James Madison is going off the brand name and the four years of greatness under one historically great coach and another rising superstar.

It's not easy to project a team that doesn't even really know everything that it has yet. However, the parts put together by Billy Napier have a world of upside and skills.

Go big on the lines, fast everywhere else, and see the things no one else appears to be able to. Talent evaluation will be everything.

CFN Prediction: 9-3

The schedule isn't bad.

Going to San Diego State early on won't be easy, but there aren't any games against Power Four programs - UConn, Liberty, and Wagner are the other three.

There are four big Sun Belt road landmines - Old Dominion, Georgia Southern, App State, Southern Miss - and there will be a loss or two, but this is a reboot. Be patient.

It won't be another College Football Playoff season, but that doesn't mean James Madison can't win another Sun Belt title.

Related: Sun Belt Football 2026 Win Totals: Spring Predictions for All 14 Teams

The Sun Belt is better now than it was when Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn, Bryan Harsin, and Blake Anderson were winning conference titles, but Butch Jones has his Red Wolves in the mix every year.

It took a few years, but Jones has a consistent winner now with three straight bowl appearances, 21 wins over the span, and with a team returning that should be good enough to challenge for a championship.

Can the Red Wolves Do Enough to Be Sun Belt Title Good?

Arkansas State Quick Hits

• Head Coach: Butch Jones (6th year, 26-37; 14th year overall, 110-91)
• Best Case / Worst Case: Win the Sun Belt title/Just miss out on a bowl game
• Key Player: Trey Owens, QB Soph. (or whoever wins the quarterback job)
• 2025 Record: 7-6
• Biggest Question: Can the defense do more despite the loss of all the top pass rushers?

Arkansas State Key 2025 Stats

• 2nd Quarter Points: 101, 3rd Quarter Points: 44
• Penalties: Opponents 116 for 999 yards, Arkansas State 82 for 752 yards
• Tackles For Loss: Arkansas State 81 for 345 yards, Opponents 81 for 309 yards

Offense

The offense kicked it in late in the season, but it needs to be more consistent and explosive.

It's a loaded team full of good veterans, but the missing pieces are big.

Overall, there needs to be more efficiency, better play from the line, and consistency, but the players are in place to be terrific for new offensive coordinator, Garrett Altman.

What’s Working

The offensive line returns just about everyone. It needs to be far better - the pass protection needs to show up - and the ground attack has to be much stronger, but four starters are back, there's decent depth, and there are plenty of strong reinforcements coming in from the transfer portal.

Top target and star Corey Rucker is gone, but just about every other important receiver returns, starting with 73-grab veteran Chauncy Cobb and No. 3 man Hunter Summers. Landing Boski Barrett from Vanderbilt helps an already strong situation.

There needs to be a lot more happening from the ground game, and it starts with giving the 1-2 punch of Kenyon Clay (the thump) and Devin Spencer (the quickness) even more work.

There's even more help coming from Corey Reddick Jr., a quick back from Valdosta State who ran for 651 yards and seven scores last year.

What Needs Work

The quarterback situation. Jaylen Raynor threw and completed more passes for more yards than anyone in the Sun Belt last year, and now he's at Iowa State. Now it's a fight for the gig - the Red Wolves don't have it figured out yet.

Ethan Crawford is back after seeing minimal action last year. Drew Dickey (Vanderbilt) is a smallish baller, and 6-5 Trey Owens (Texas) and 6-4 Jeremy St-Hilaire (Vanderbilt) are bigger options.

Consistent scoring. The Red Wolves failed to score 17 points four times, and went 1-5 when they failed to push past 21.

As a program, it didn't get more than 21 in 18 games over the last three years, and it wasn't just against the top teams on the slate.

The ground game has to be stronger. The line has to generate a push - the Red Wolves only averaged more than five yards per carry once, and that game against Georgia Southern was the only time it got more than 160 yards.

Player to Watch

Devin Spencer, RB Jr.
Can the 5-10, 175-pound speedster get the ball more? He's not a workhorse, and he'll split time again, but he averaged over five yards per carry and needs to have the ball in his hands at least ten times a game.

- Sun Belt Football Win Total Predictions

Defense

There's plenty of work to do.

The offense gets a lot of parts back, but the defensive side doesn't. There's a redo happening, with the portal playing a huge role for a defense that allowed well over 400 yards per game.

It wasn't great against the run, and it had a few meltdowns against the better passing teams. As long as it can keep teams to around 24 points, it should be okay.

What’s Working

The safeties are among the best in the Sun Belt. The main men are back, starting with the combination of AG McGhee and Brandon Barnes, who combined for 151 tackles and seven broken up passes last year. Brandon Greil is also back after making 54 stops. If that wasn't enough ...

The coaching staff brought in lots and lots of defensive backs. The safety situation is great, and it's even better with Makai Shahid (Youngstown State) and Jaylen Heyward (UCF) adding depth.

The corners are the stronger of the defensive back transfers, with Noah Flores (Utah State) Bryson Ross (Portland State), and Five Hamilton (Kennesaw State) ready to go right away.

Good things happen when the run defense holds up. It'll take a village of transfers to transform the line - eight linemen are entering the fun - and if they can be nasty against the run, everything changes on the defense.

The Red Wolves were 5-0 when allowing 160 yards or fewer, and 6-1 when giving up fewer than 185 yards. Basically, just don't get gouged.

What Needs Work

Where are the pass rushers? This was one of the best pass rushing teams in America, but the 16.5 sacks from Demarcus Hendricks and Eathan Hassler are done. Cody Sigler left for Auburn, and Drew Collins is off to South Carolina.

The portal needs to bring the production, but the new guys don't have any appreciable proven track record.

The linebacking corps needs the transfers, too. Top tackler Aaron Alexander left for North Texas, and after being banged up last year, Javante Mackey is gone to Texas State.

Joshua Ofor (NC State) and Tre Stevens (Lafayette) join veteran Nigel Nelson - 54 tackles last year - to try piecing things together.

The pass defense got torched. There's a reason why so many new players are coming in through the portal.

Even with a fantastic pass rush, the Red Wolves got hit for 245 yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks combined to complete 68% of their throws.

Player to Watch

AG McGhee, S Sr.
He's only around 190 pounds, but he works in a hybrid position in the ASU defense - part safety, part linebacker.

No matter where he plays, he makes things happen, with 100 tackles in his last two seasons at Marshall before coming up with 83 stops with a pick and five broken up passes last year.

Keys to the Season

• Find the pass rushers who can step up right away.
• Settle the quarterback situation as quickly as possible.
• Get more pop to the offense with both the downfield passing game and rushing attack.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Donquarius Parker, EDGE, Sr.
The transfers for the pass rush are mostly FBS players who haven't done much yet.

The 6-1, 240-pound Parker is one of the few players with plenty of experience, making 39 tackles with 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss last year for North Carolina Central. He'll get every shot to be the main man on the outside.

Biggest Concern

The defensive line
The offensive side issues - quarterback, consistency, pass protection - should be helped by experience. The defensive line has to be even stronger against the run and find the same pressure, but with wholesale changes needed up front.

Biggest Game

Troy, November 28
This is hardly a perfect Arkansas State team coming into the season, but it has the talent and upside to win the Sun Belt West - by far the easier of the two divisions.

One way or another, a spot in the Sun Belt Championship should come down to the regular season finale when the Trojans come to Jonesboro.

Transfer Portal

The Red Wolves needed a lot of players, and they got a lot of players.

They totally rebuilt the defensive line and loaded up in the secondary, but the only thing that matters is the quarterback situation.

One of the several players coming in has to be an instant star for the veteran offense.

Best Signing

Makai Shahid, S (Youngstown State)
This could be whichever quarterback rises up from the pack - Trey Owens from Texas might be the best signing - but Shahid is right up there with the team's best new guys.

The Red Wolves are already good at safety, and they added more to the mix with the 6-0, 190-pound Shahid, who made 125 tackles with six broken up passes over the last two years at Youngstown State.

Biggest Loss

Cody Sigler, DT (Auburn)
In his one year at Arkansas State, Sigler turned into a whale of an interior pass rusher with five sacks and 35 tackles for loss. And now he'll be a part of the rotation at Auburn.

Other Names to Know

• Joshua Ofor, LB (NC State)
• Manasse Itete, OG (Florida State)
• Noah Flores, CB (Utah State)

CFN Season Prediction

To try threading this prediction needle, Arkansas State should be an okay team with an okay record and with strong overall results.

The glitches might not easily be fixed. The offense will be fine, but all the veteran offensive linemen have to form a better overall unit. The transfer portal will help the defense, but it has to be better, too.

But with the Sun Belt divisional format, it's possible to lose games and still be deep in the mix for the conference title. That's Arkansas State.

CFN Prediction: 7-5

Can the Red Wolves win the road games? Last year they lost to Kennesaw State away from home and dropped the date to a bad ULM team, but they also won their last three road games against South Alabama, Troy, and App State in close games.

This year, they should lose at Memphis and TCU early, and dates at Louisiana and Southern Miss lean loss.

It'll all come down to back-to-back road games against Coastal Carolina and Louisiana Tech late, and then the home game against Troy.

It'll be a fourth straight bowl season without too much of a concern, but it'll take a few breaks to play for the Sun Belt title.

Related: Sun Belt Football: Ranking All 14 Teams Heading Into Spring 2026