RICHMOND, Va. — After guiding the JMU Dukes to their first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff, quarterback Alonza Barnett III was named the winner of the 2025 Bill Dudley Award, presented by the Touchdown Club of Richmond.
“I want to give a special shout out to my athletic trainers and coaches for helping me along the way,” Barnett said. “It’s a great honor to be added to the list of names that have won the Dudley Award.”
Barnett outdistanced fellow finalists J’Mari Taylor of Virginia and Colton Joseph of Old Dominion in voting by a panel of 16 sportscasters and sportswriters from across the Commonwealth. He accounted for over 3,000 yards of total offense and 35 touchdowns for the Dukes who will face Oregon in the first round of the CFP on December 20.
“Me and my teammates have been building something special this year,” Barnett continued. “We now have another chance to represent this great university.”
Barnett is the second Duke in the past three years to win the Dudley Award, and the 6th player all time from JMU to be so honored.
Virginia Union running back Curtis Allen won the 2025 Lanier Award after breaking the VUU and CIAA rushing record with 2403 yards for the Panthers this season. Both of those marks were previously held by his former teammate Jada Byers who took home two of the last three Lanier trophies and who gave Allen advice when it was time for the former Prince George standout to take over the position.
“He (Byers) told me it was going to take a lot of hard work and dedication,” Allen explained. “A lot of long hours and grinding, and if I didn’t want to do that, then don’t go for it.”
Allen helped the Panthers to another CIAA title and Division II playoff berth and he is a finalist for this year’s Harlon Hill Award as well. The other two finalists for the Lanier Award were Christopher Newport QB Connor Barry and Randolph-Macon linebacker Daniel Eliasek.
The Dudley Award was created in 1990 by the Touchdown Club of Richmond to honor the best college player in the state. “Bullet” Bill Dudley was a Bluefield native who starred at UVA and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is enshrined in both the College and Pro Football halls of fame.
In 2004, the Lanier Award was created specifically for players at the Division II, III and NAIA levels and was named for Richmond native Willie Lanier who played his college ball at Morgan State. Lanier went on to his own Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs with whom he won a Super Bowl title in 1970.
2025 Dudley and Lanier voting results:
DUDLEY VOTING (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Alonza Barnett 10-6-0 68 pts
J’Mari Taylor 6-7-2 53 pts
Colton Joseph 0-3-10 19 pts
Evan Dickens 0-0-2 2 pts
Kemari Copeland 0-0-1 1 pt
Tyler Hughes 0-0-1 1 pt
LANIER VOTING (1ST, 2ND, 3RD)
Curtis Allen 8-6-1 59 pts
Connor Barry 6-5-2 47 pts
Daniel Eliasek 2-2-8 24 pts
Mason Cunningham 0-2-2 8 pts
Jordan Jackson 0-1-3 6 pts
6 schools submitted Dudley nominations
8 schools submitted Lanier nominations
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