College Football

Havelock DL Christopher Bispham Commits to James Madison Football

Senior has recorded 75 tackles-for-loss the past two seasons

Published

14 hours ago

Chris Bispham, a standout at Havelock High, has committed to James Madison football for 2026. Graphic courtesy of JMU athletics and Bispham on X. Stadium photo courtesy Visit Harrisonburg.

Christopher Bispham doesn’t have the size many college football recruiters covet. What he does have is a motor that doesn’t stop, school records in the weight room and a résumé that just got him a shot at the Division I FBS level.

The Havelock High School defensive tackle and 2026 standout announced his commitment to James Madison University after a weekend visit to Harrisonburg. He chose the Dukes over a mix of FBS programs including East Carolina, Old Dominion, Liberty, Charlotte, Campbell and Mercer, as well as Ivy League interest from Penn. Bispham visited East Carolina over the June 9-11 weekend and JMU this past weekend.

The “Committed” graphic — “Welcome to Royalty” — appeared on his socials Sunday afternoon. He’s the first 2026 player to pledge to JMU.

“Bispham is a big, strong and athletic interior force who continues to solidify his reputation as one of the top defensive linemen in the state,” Prep RedZone wrote after a spring camp. “During 1-on-1s, he was explosive off the ball and consistently created mismatches with his power and quickness. His combination of size, speed and strength makes him nearly unblockable at times and a nightmare for opposing offensive linemen.”

🧱 High Motor. Record Strength. Undeniable Production.

Bispham moved to Havelock from California before high school when his father, a U.S. Marine, was stationed in eastern North Carolina. Since arriving, he’s become one of the most productive defensive linemen in the state.

The 6-foot-1, 260-pound junior racked up 106 tackles, 39 tackles-for-loss and 14 sacks during Havelock’s 12-win season in 2024 — a stat line that mirrors his sophomore year (106 tackles, 36 TFL, 15 sacks). He also forced three fumbles a season ago. In case you missed it, that’s 75 tackles behind the line of scrimmage over two seasons.

And then there’s the weight room:
💪 Squat: 560 pounds (school record)
💪 Bench Press: 410 pounds
💪 Power Clean: 340 pounds (school record)

Still, Bispham has stayed grounded — and driven.

“I definitely could’ve done better,” Bispham said of last season’s performance in a featured piece at TreyScottSports.com. “I missed a lot of sacks and tackles. In a lot of games, I don’t think I did my job very well. I definitely could’ve played better this year. I think I played better last (sophomore) year.”

🧠 Intelligence + Intensity

Despite back-to-back elite seasons and eye-popping strength numbers, Bispham is still flying under the radar in national recruiting rankings. He’s not ranked or rated by services like 247Sports (yet). That doesn’t bother him — it fuels him.

“That definitely motivates me,” he told Trey Scott Sports. “I think I’m a lot better than a lot of those guys that are ranked. I think I’m the best defensive lineman in North Carolina, but my height affects that a lot. But all those other guys got those big offers. I don’t really care about all that.”

His 3.75 GPA and competitive fire made him a strong fit for the academic and athletic expectations at James Madison, where he’ll look to follow in the footsteps of undersized, high-motor linemen who proved everyone wrong.

“I think about Aaron Donald when I see him,” Havelock head coach Brent Wooten told Trey Scott Sports. “A little shorter than people want for a defensive lineman, but a high motor and just unblockable. He also has the strongest hands of any defensive lineman I have ever coached.”