College Football Playoff team loses starting QB to transfer portal

James Madison finished 12–2 (8–0 Sun Belt), won the Sun Belt East and the conference title with a 31–14 victory over Troy, and earned the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff berth as the No. 12 seed.

The season featured dominant conference play and cemented JMU’s emergence as a Sun Belt power, despite a 51–34 loss to Oregon in the CFP first round.

In 2025, junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III produced 2,806 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a 138.3 passer rating, while adding 589 rushing yards and 15 rushing scores.

He was named the Dudley Award winner as Virginia’s top college football player, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, and a first-team All–Sun Belt selection.

However, the Sun Belt’s most impactful offensive player may be on his way out, with Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett reporting Friday that Alonza Barnett III intends to enter the transfer portal.

BREAKING: JMU QB Alonza Barnett III is entering the @TransferPortal, @On3Sports has learned

In his career he’s totaled 5,433 passing yards and 49 TDs

Added 1,075 yards & 23 TDs on the ground

He was named the 2025 Sun Belt POTYhttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/UTZcooAj0J
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 26, 2025

Barnett (Grimsley HS, Greensboro, N.C.) was a three-star recruit and the No. 179 quarterback in the 2022 class according to 247Sports, signing with James Madison in 2021.

Prior to committing to the Dukes, he held nearly a dozen other offers, including Georgia State, Army, Charlotte, Miami (Ohio), and Old Dominion.

Across his four-year career at JMU, Barnett totaled 5,433 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns, along with 1,075 rushing yards and 23 rushing scores, with 2025 marking his breakout season and second year as the full-time starter.

James Madison Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett III. — James Madison Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett III (14) rushes during the fourth quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Barnett projects as a Power Five transfer target for programs in need of an experienced dual-threat quarterback, entering a crowded but high-visibility offseason QB market.

Among the programs linked to the broader quarterback market this cycle are Clemson, Illinois, Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Baylor, all of which could emerge as potential fits for Barnett.

It is also worth noting that former JMU head coach Bob Chesney took the UCLA job on December 6, and the Bruins could be a program to monitor after an uneven 2025 season from sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

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