Alonza Barnett III had run out of options.
James Madison was tied at Georgia State 7-7 early in the fourth quarter, but the Dukes had driven down to GSU’s 28-yard line. Barnett, JMU’s standout quarterback, examined the field out of a shotgun formation on third down and 9.
Barnett caught the snap, and just two Georgia State players pressured him as everyone else dropped into coverage. Barnett rolled to his right and looked for an open receiver.
And looked. And looked. But after eight seconds, he couldn’t find anyone and was forced to take a sack. The lost yardage kept JMU out of field goal range – and from taking the lead.
This game proved to be a turning point for Barnett and JMU. Barnett had indeed run out of options. He needed to become better.
Barnett completed 11 of 22 passes for 74 yards with no interceptions but with no touchdowns. He did tie the game with a rushing touchdown in the third quarter and helped the Dukes find a way to win. But JMU was hoping to do more than win against a Georgia State team that won just one game in 2025.
The Dukes were aiming to win the Sun Belt, and beyond that, make the College Football Playoff. But for that to happen, they needed to be better.
JMU head coach Bob Chesney pointed to that game as a moment where things changed for Barnett. Through extra work in practice, he got on the same page with his wide receivers, and in turn he elevated the Dukes toward finding new life on offense.
He went from averaging 133.4 passing yards per game to 233.25 per game after that showing against Georgia State. And the Dukes have averaged 46 points per game in their last six contests.
That shift powered them to a Sun Belt title and a College Football Playoff berth. The No. 12-seeded Dukes (12-1) will play at No. 5 Oregon (11-1) at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Barnett, a Group of Five All-American, was the Sun Belt Player of the Year and certainly earned it in the final half of the regular season.
“We really just did a much better job of coming together with the quarterbacks, receivers, tight ends, and making sure that we’re all seeing it the same way,” Chesney said. “I think we were all capable of executing, but there were just little details in there that were probably missed a little bit, being on the same page between the quarterback and the receivers. And those meetings that we do every single day have just really taken our pass game to a different level.”
Barnett’s journey was challenging and excruciating long before he struggled against Georgia State.
Barnett was benched as a redshirt freshman in 2023, a season where Jordan McCloud became JMU’s starter and eventually the Sun Belt Player of the Year.
In the Dukes’ first season with Chesney, Barnett earned the starting role again in 2024, passing for 2,598 yards, 26 touchdowns, and four interceptions on a 60% completion rate while rushing for 442 yards and seven TDs. But he tore his ACL in the regular season finale and spent all offseason recovering. It was uncertain whether he would be ready for JMU’s season opener.
But he took the field. And while it wasn’t smooth early on, Barnett has found a rhythm at last.
“It just shows how amazing God is and the presence that he has in my life,” Barnett said, “just to be able to take a moment like that (injury) and to be able to have it full circle and to make history and to continue to make history is special. And it’s humbling, and it’s definitely something I don’t take for granted.
“Just within a year, how fast things have changed and can change, it’s been special. And right now, we’re in a very important moment of this team’s history, this year’s history, and the history of the university. So looking to continue the good times.”
Barnett has done just that to this point. For the season, he has thrown for 2,533 yards, 21 touchdowns – tied for 32nd in the nation – and eight picks while completing 60% of his passes and rushing for 544 yards and 14 touchdowns – tied for 15th in the FBS. His 212 points he’s responsible for is seventh in the country.
Among QBs with at least 290 dropbacks, Barnett is 11th in Pro Football Focus’ rushing grades for QBs. Chesney and JMU offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy both pointed out how his mobility and decisions regarding when to scramble or run have improved.
It certainly adds a different element to the Dukes’ offense.
“This is his second year in the system, so this is his second year of now seeing different defenses,” Kennedy said. “And I think he’s at the point where there’s not many structures, blitzes, pressures, coverages that he hasn’t seen. So there’s an understanding of really trying to basically have a checklist saying, ‘All right, is this guy going to be open, pre-snap, postnap,’ and basically processing information at an elite level.
“That’s where I think he is now, where he’s a step ahead, is that he’s able to process information at a very, very high level.”
Facing Oregon, a team Barnett grew up watching, will be challenging.
But he’s used to challenges at this point. JMU coaches and players believe his journey – specifically the tribulations – have prepared him for this exact moment.
