The Shadow
NEW ORLEANS – James Madison football was voted to finish atop the Sun Belt Conference East Division, and three student-athletes were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, the league announced Monday.
Earning Preseason All-Sun Belt accolades for JMU were center Zach Greenberg, edge rusher Amar Thomas and running back George Pettaway. Greenberg and Thomas were named to the First Team while Pettaway claimed Second Team laurels.
The reigning conference champions were the overwhelming favorite to repeat as East Division champions after receiving 11 of 14 first-place votes and 94 total points in the Sun Belt’s Preseason Coaches Poll. It’s the second straight year JMU has received 11 votes heading into the season.
Following JMU in the East were Old Dominion (73, 1 first-place vote), Marshall (67), Georgia Southern (53, 1 first-place vote), Coastal Carolina (45, 1 first-place vote), App State (43) and Georgia State (17).
On the opposite side of the conference, JMU will host a Sun Belt Football Championship rematch this fall against the West Division favorite, Troy, which claimed 12 first-place votes and 96 points to garner the top spot. JMU will also travel to Southern Miss, which was ranked fifth in the West Division poll with 47 points and a first-place vote.
JMU, which became the first Sun Belt squad to reach the College Football Playoff last season, returns 34 letterwinners and five starters from its 2025 roster. The Dukes finished the year with a 12-2 overall record and a perfect 8-0 record on their way to winning their first Sun Belt Conference crown.
The Dukes, led by first-year Head Coach Billy Napier, added 61 newcomers for the 2026 campaign, including 39 transfers and 22 high school seniors. The 2026 roster is represented by 109 players from 26 states and four other countries.
Greenberg, who was a Second Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2025, started all 14 games at center for the Dukes. He was part of an offense that ranked ninth nationally in scoring (37.1) and 15th in total offense (452.6). JMU additionally ranked second in the FBS in time of possession (34:13), sixth in rushing (241.5), 18th on third down (46.9%), 21st in yards per completion (13.14) and 22nd in first downs (22.57).
Thomas, a 2025 Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt pick, started all 14 games at defensive end for JMU a season ago. He posted 43 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, helping the Dukes rank fifth nationally in total defense (266.6) and 13th in scoring defense (18.4). The Dukes also ranked fifth against the run (85.1) and sixth on third down (29.4%).
Pettaway was a Preseason All-Sun Belt honoree for the second season in a row. Entering his third season with the program, Pettaway has tallied 1,175 rushing yards and five scores on the ground between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He’s also contributed 33 catches for 267 yards and three receiving scores and accounted for a total of 1,625 all-purpose yards when adding in his kick/punt return numbers.
Headlining the SBC’s preseason awards were Marshall quarterback Carlos Del-Rio Wilson (Offensive POTY), Troy defensive lineman Donnie Smith (Defensive POTY) and Evan Crenshaw (Special Teams POTY).
Voting for the predicted order of finish was conducted by the league’s head coaches, while the preseason all-conference team was selected by the 14 head coaches and one media member from each institution.
Sun Belt Football Media Days kick off the 2026 season this week for the league at the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District. JMU and the East Division open the event on Wednesday, July 15, while the West Division follows on Thursday, July 16. Both days of the event will stream live on ESPN+.
JMU opens the 2026 season, presented by CarMax, on Saturday, Sept. 5 when it hosts in-state foe Liberty in a noon kickoff on ESPNU at Bridgeforth Stadium.
