Veteran Safeties Lead Dukes Defense Into 2023

Jul 27, 2023 Updated 4 hrs ago
Sam Kidd was a staple of James Madison’s safety room, but with his eligibility exhausted, there’s a batch of veteran players eager to pace the Dukes’ defense in their final season of college football.
JMU’s safeties room is the most veteran-laden on the defensive side of the ball and it’s set to help pace the Dukes into their second season of Sun Belt Conference football, a year after the purple and gold held the top-ranked defense in the league.
Position Outlook
Departing Players: Sam Kidd (graduation), Jordan White (transferred to Hampton)
Returning Players: Chris Chukwueneke (redshirt senior), Francis Meehan (redshirt senior), Que Reid (redshirt senior), Jarius Reimonenq (senior), Cheese Sarratt (senior), Kye Holmes (redshirt sophomore), Jahquil Batts (redshirt sophomore), Jacob Thomas (sophomore), Stephen Hollander (redshirt freshman)
Additions: DJ Barksdale (freshman), Evan Spivey (freshman), Jamari Somerville (freshman)
What We Know
The safety room is full of veterans.
Led by Cheese Sarratt and Chris Chukwueneke, the safeties have five players in their final year of collegiate eligibility, which provides stability in the Dukes’ secondary this fall.
Sarratt, who also doubles as JMU’s punt returner, made 40 tackles with 4.5 tackles for a loss and a sack last fall, while he played alongside Francis Meehan and Que Reid. Chukwuneke has been a staple of JMU’s defense at rover and played in nine games last season with 34 tackles, six tackles for a loss and a sack.
Meehan, a former walk-on, rose to the starting safety spot after Kidd went down with a season-ending injury against Marshall. Meehan made a career-high 10 tackles at Louisville and was a consistent starter in the secondary for the final four games of the season last fall.
The Wilmington, N.C., native made 30 tackles with three pass breakups — all against Georgia State — across all 11 games in JMU’s inaugural Sun Belt Conference season.
Reid also played in all 11 games last fall and made the would-be game-winning hit across the middle at Appalachian State to help cap the Dukes’ 25-point comeback win to open conference play a year ago.
The Concord, N.C., native recorded 24 tackles with 1.5 tackles for a loss, one interception and three pass breakups last season.
The final safety in his last year of collegiate eligibility is former Arkansas State transfer Jarius Reimonenq, who played at rover last fall. Reimonenq logged 12 tackles with a tackle for a loss and two pass breakups in his first season in Harrisonburg.
Outside of the five safeties at the tailend of their college careers, JMU also has youth within the position room.
Kye Holmes is back after he appeared in four games with seven tackles last fall. In addition to his return, the Dukes signed three high school recruits — DJ Barksdale, Evan Spivey and Jamari Somerville — to bolster the depth at safety.
Barksdale was the lone 2023 signee to enroll early and attend JMU’s spring practices. Spivey, once a Coastal Carolina commit, flipped to the Dukes after the Chanticleers’ coach Jamey Chadwell left for Liberty.
Somerville was a silent commit to JMU and signed on national signing day in December.
What We Don’t
There isn’t much left to the imagination when it comes to the safeties room this fall, but with five seniors on the roster, there’s plenty of room for growth among the underclassmen on the team this fall.
Between Holmes and the trio of freshmen, this year could be crucial to see who will be a key rotation player at safety in 2024.
While Holmes, who is entering his third season at JMU, and the freshmen will have a year of experience under their belt this fall, JMU could venture into the transfer portal next year to add veteran experience to the safeties room.
The Dukes also have a pair of 2024 safeties already committed: Chase Regan and Phillip Harris. Both players were highly recruited and also have an opportunity to make a splash within the safeties room in next fall.
The ‘X’ Factor
JMU’s quality depth at safety is a luxury and it’s impactful.
The Dukes utilized its top six safeties last season and five of them are back this fall. That depth will allow JMU to rotate its secondary, while it also has the ability to use them on special teams as well.
Since JMU plays with three safeties on the field, which includes the rover, depth is a necessity and the Dukes have it covered.
Between Meehan, Sarratt and Reid, JMU’s traditional safety position is loaded with experience and rover isn’t too far behind with Chukwuneke and Reimonenq, who can play almost anywhere in the secondary.
JMU will probably bring in reinforcements next fall with a super young safeties room looming, but for this season, the Dukes have the splendor of a veteran-laden position group.