The first full week of practice for JMU Football ended the way it started- Sunny, Hot and Humid. The Dukes were in shoulder pads, helmets and shorts on Friday at Bridgeforth Stadium.

Here are some highlights:

From the Offense:

• Slot receiver Josh Sims had a good day. He made several really good catches on various routes. Looks like he wants to play.
• I saw all 3 quarterback candidates, Cole Johnson, Ben DiNucci and Gage Moloney show good arm strength on deep passes. Plus, they each showed some of what else they can do, but to find out what those qualities are you’ll need to buy a ticket to a game. I think there’s a lot to see from each of them.
• The offensive line is protective of their Running Backs. Enough said.
• Two explosive plays from the backfield in particular:
• Eric Kirlew caught a pass on a wheel route for a score
• Jawon Hamilton hit a hole and got to the second level quickly for a big gain

 From the Defensive side of things:

• Adam Smith picked off a deflected pass over the middle during a Red Zone Drill
• To quote Trai Sharp, “Don’t sleep on our interior defensive lineman”. This group is led by Mike Green and Adeeb Atariwa. Both are very strong and have good foot work. Their upside seems to be way up.
• Jimmy Moreland closed on a receiver that wasn’t his to knock the ball away in the end zone.
• Steady improvement from young players along the D-Line and from the Linebackers seems to take place every day.

 I expect The Dukes back in full pads on S