James Madison is in action for an unusual Thursday night college football game.
Camden Coleman, their quarterback, is not in action — and everyone is very confused about why he’s not playing and JC Evans is.
The Dukes (7-2) are playing at Southern Miss (3-5) in a game that was closer in the first half than expected, and it could be because Coleman is nowhere to be found.
There’s not a lot of information out there yet, but it’s certainly a curious reality for James Madison on Thursday night.
Why Isn’t Camden Coleman Playing?
There has been no official announcement by James Madison about Coleman’s status.
He wasn’t involved on any kind of injury report.
Fans are reacting like this on social media:
Is Camden Coleman benched?
ā Ced (@Cedddddyy) November 6, 2026
Is Camden Coleman not playing or?
ā CJ š¦ (@cjayyy____) November 6, 2026
No Camden Coleman tonight?
ā Boy Got Whip (@Yetediiii) November 6, 2026
The first 14 passes of Thursday night’s games were all thrown by JC Evans. He was 8-for-14 for 111 yards and had also run five times for 15 yards.
Did Camden Coleman Get Benched?
There’s no official status report, but Coleman is coming off consecutive losses.
James Madison had begun the season 7-0, but two weeks ago, they lost in overtime at Appalachian State, 34-31. Coleman completed just 56.4% of his passes that day with one touchdown and one interception.
Then last week, JMU lost at home to Troy, again in overtime. He was just 14-for-25 (56%) for 175 yards with two touchdowns but also two picks.
Coleman was James Madison’s QB throughout their first nine games.
Who is JC Evans?
Evans is a third-year quarterback originally from Miami, Florida. He hasn’t really factored into the QB plans yet.
A year ago, he didn’t throw a pass. He only attempted runs.
This season, Evans saw his most action against Troy, rotating in on Oct. 9 to attempt 10 passes. He threw one pick and didn’t throw a touchdown.
Evans got extended run on Thursday night, though, in place of Coleman.
Why Isn’t Camden Coleman Playing? JMU QB Status Mystefies CFB Fans