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College Football Playoff team loses top WR to NCAA transfer portal

A CFP team has seen its roster gutted by transfer departures.
Ryan Young|
James Madison Dukes wide receiver Landon Ellis (13) runs after making a catch as Oregon Ducks defensive back Theran Johnson (5) defends during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium.
James Madison Dukes wide receiver Landon Ellis (13) runs after making a catch as Oregon Ducks defensive back Theran Johnson (5) defends during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

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James Madison Dukes

It was a historic season for the James Madison football program as it won 12 games and reached the College Football Playoff, but the price for that success is now being felt by fans of the Dukes.

JMU lost head coach Bob Chesney to UCLA and is also losing many of its best players to the transfer portal as they look to cash in on their newfound spotlight and find opportunities at bigger programs.

Landon Ellis, the Dukes' leading receiver, is among more than a dozen James Madison players to announce intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2.

Ellis led James Madison with 624 receiving yards on 36 receptions with 5 touchdowns. He had 3 catches for 83 yards in the Dukes' 51-34 CFP loss at Oregon last week.

James Madison leaned more heavily on its rushing attack, but when it needed a big play through the air, Ellis was often the target. His biggest game came in a 24-14 win over Louisiana as he caught 6 passes for 120 yards and scored all 3 touchdowns. He was a third-team All-Sun Belt selection.

Ellis spent just one season at James Madison, transferring in from Richmond, where he had 50 catches for 588 yards and 4 TDs as a sophomore.

The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Ellis, who is from Orange, Virginia, has one season of eligibility remaining wherever he ends up next.

As for James Madison, new head coach Billy Napier will have to totally rebuild the Dukes' offense, as the list of transfer departures includes quarterback Alonza Barnett III, 1,300-yard rusher Wayne Knight, top tight end Lacota Dippre, four offensive linemen, Ellis, and fellow wide receiver Braeden Wisloski.

With two senior receivers also out of eligibility, and including Knight, James Madison is losing its top six pass-catchers overall

Among the key defensive players James Madison is losing to the portal are star pass rusher Sahir West (7 sacks, 45 tackles), cornerbacks Justin Eaglin (5 interceptions, 8 pass break-ups) and DJ Barksdale (2 INTs, 12 PBUs), safety Tyler Brown (80 tackles).

But James Madison has been in this situation before and reloaded. It was just two years ago that Curt Cignetti left JMU for Indiana after an 11-1 season, taking a number of his players with him. The Dukes still won 9 games the next year and then loaded up for this season.

It will be interesting to see how many of these transfers follow Chesney to UCLA.

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Ryan Young
RYAN YOUNG

Ryan Young joins CFB HQ On SI after 15 years as a college football beat writer, including the last seven years in Los Angeles covering the USC Trojans for Rivals. He previously covered Florida and Coastal Carolina after four years at the Kansas City Star. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

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