July 11—Andover’s Brian Hnat could have waited to make his college football decision with the graduate season quickly approaching.
But given the chance to take advantage of the best that college football has to offer – for a program with a history of excellence, including two national titles – the recent Andover High graduate knew the time was right.
Hnat committed to play football at Division 1 FBS (1-A) James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
“I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the Dukes family and play under coach (Bob) Chesney,” he said. “The opportunity to play college football at the highest level – alongside an exceptional coaching staff, many of whom hail from Massachusetts – made this the right choice.”
The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder received offers from 15 Division 1 FBS or FCS college programs, including UMass Amherst, Army, Merrimack College and Georgetown.
Hnat chose a James Madison program with a winning tradition. The Dukes won FCS (Division 1-AA) national titles in 2004 and 2016 before moving up to Division 1 FBS in 2022 as part of the Sun Belt Conference.
Last year, James Madison finished 11-2 and advanced to the Armed Forces Bowl before falling to Army.
Hnat said a big factor was the Dukes hiring former Holy Cross coach Chesney as head coach. Chesney had a 44-21 record in six seasons (2018-23) with the Crusaders before accepting the Dukes job after Curt Cignetti left for Indiana University.
“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to play football at such a high level,” said Hnat. “Coach Chesney’s move from Holy Cross football to James Madison was a huge influence. I experienced his energy firsthand at his camp last summer. His track record as a successful leader on and off the field sealed the deal.”
Hnat is coming off a great senior season at Andover High, earning Merrimack Valley Conference Division 1 Player of the Year honors. The receiver/defensive back caught 40 passes for 619 yards and 10 touchdowns and made 58 tackles, 40 solo and seven interceptions. The three-year varsity starter on defense had 36 tackles as a junior and 28 stops as a freshman.
The only player to start on both offense and defense at Andover last fall, Hnat is expected to play tight end at James Madison.
“The recruitment process was intense and challenging,” he said. “My family and I learned a lot along the way. Making the final decision was one of the hardest decisions of my life. After visiting James Madison during the weekend of June 22nd with my parents and meeting the coaches, teammates and touring campus, we all felt confident that JMU was the perfect fit for me.”
But he won’t go to James Madison just yet. Hnat will still do a post-grad season at Old Avon Farm (Avon, Connecticut) in the fall.
“I’m looking forward to attending Avon Old Farms in the fall,” he said. “Coach (Jon) Wholley has been incredibly supportive. His leadership and the opportunity to grow as a player and as a person are what really sold me on Avon.
“I believe this will be a great step in my development before I leave for James Madison in January. I look forward to working closely with the Dukes coaching staff and contributing to the team’s success.”
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