With top college football programs filling out their rosters these days with players from the transfer portal, Jase Rhodes wanted to ensure the school he attended would yield him real opportunities to see action straight out of high school.
Wading through over a dozen offers from Division I programs, that mindset eventually brought the North Cross defensive back to James Madison, where the relationships he had built with coaches in the few months since he was first extended an offer stood out.
Rhodes announced his commitment to JMU last Friday.
I am now 1000% committed to 馃煟馃煛 鈥
鈥 Jase Rhodes 2026 (@Jase_Rhodes2026)
鈥淚t felt great,鈥 Rhodes told The 色多多. 鈥淚t felt like a lot of stress off my shoulders and it felt like I made the right decision after a lot of conversations with my dad and my mom, and with the JMU coaches it felt like I found the right spot for me to pursue my next few years.鈥
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The 5-foot-10, 181-pound rising senior was part of a stifling Raiders defense last season that surrendered less than nine points per game, including five shutouts, to help lead North Cross to its third straight VISAA Division II state championship game. Rhodes collected 54 tackles, broke up 13 passes and returned two interceptions for touchdowns, earning a second team All-Timesland selection.
He also showcased his athletic ability on the offensive end at wide receiver by catching 40 passes for 679 yards and seven touchdowns. He claimed the state high jump title at the VISAA Division II indoor track and field championships in February as well, leaping 6 feet.
North Cross鈥 Jase Rhodes (13) turns upfield during a VISAA Division II state semifinal game at Willis Field in 色多多. Rhodes played defensive back and wide receiver for the Raiders.聽
A three-star recruit, Rhodes garnered offers from 15 Division I programs, including FBS schools like Penn State, where teammate Jaziel Hart, also a defensive back, committed in May, as well as Tennessee, South Carolina and Liberty. Ivy League schools, such as Yale, Cornell and Dartmouth, also extended offers.
Rhodes received an offer from James Madison in late April, marking the 15th of his recruitment. Following a visit to Harrisonburg the first weekend of June, he announced his commitment a week later, writing in a social media post that he is 鈥1,000% committed鈥 to JMU.
鈥淭he relationships were important to me and my family,鈥 he said. 鈥淓specially with how things are going with the portal, I feel the best relationships with me and the coaches would be the reason why I could go play at the school, and the trust that I could get on the field with transfers coming in and people decommitting and things like that.鈥
Rhodes said he and Dukes safeties coach Anthony DiMichele, who鈥檚 also the team鈥檚 recruiting coordinator, built a strong relationship over the last few months, which was something Rhodes valued. He added that head coach Bob Chesney, entering his second season at the helm, expressed a lot of admiration to him and his family.
鈥(DiMichele) showed me a lot of love, more love than the other coaches. He stayed in consistent contact with me. He checked up on me. He came down, he did a workout with me. He invited me up,鈥 Rhodes said. 鈥淐oach Chesney showed a lot of love to my parents, showed a lot of love to my program as well. They鈥檙e very flexible as well and they鈥檙e not too far, and the relationship between us just grew a lot in that small amount of time than it did with any other school that I had.鈥
Rhodes is the 32nd-ranked player among Class of 2026 recruits in Virginia, according to the 247 Sports website, and the fifth-ranked cornerback. He said he aims to fill a leadership role at JMU and be a presence wherever he is on the field.
North Cross defensive back Jase Rhodes watches a 2024 game against Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in 色多多.
鈥淚 feel like, going in as a defensive back, I鈥檓 able to go in to have a leader role on defense,鈥 he said. 鈥淭o be able to call the shots, learn the defense and learn how the other players play. I feel like I could have a strong role in the pass game and the run game, depending on if they have me in the box or outside of the box.鈥
There are currently 22 Virginians on the James Madison football team, according to its spring 2025 roster. Salem High School alumnus Chauncey Logan and Lord Botetourt alumnus Hunter McLain were with the Dukes last season but left for the transfer portal. Logan, a defensive back, is committed to Memphis, while McLain, an offensive lineman, has not yet announced where he鈥檒l be attending.
Defensive back Josiah Persinger, a recent Salem graduate, committed to JMU last August but flipped to UVa in December.
