(QB Kaidon Salter – Liberty Athletics)
Key Players Returning:
QB Kaidon Salter, RB Quinton Cooley, RB Billy Lucas, WR Treon Sibley, TE Bentley Hanshaw, OC Aaron Fenimore, OT Xavior Gray, DE CJ Brazile Jr., DE TJ Bush Jr., DT Chris Boti, DT Jay Hardy, NT Bryce Dixon, LB Joseph Carter, LB Jerome Jolly Jr., CB Amarian Williams, NB Quinton Reese, FS/PR Brylan Green, PK Nick Brown, and PT Max Morgan.
Key Players Departing:
WR/KR Aaron Bedgood, WR CJ Daniels (LSU transfer), WR Noah Frith, OG X’Zauvea Gadlin, OG Jonathan Graham, OT Chase Mitchell (Vanderbilt transfer), DT Kendy Charles (Duke transfer), LB Tyren Dupree, CB Kobe Singleton (Oregon State transfer), FS Brandon Bishop, and SS Preston Hodge.
(QB Jayden Bradford – 247Sports)
Top 10 Recruits:
3 Star Recruits: LB Kaidon Whidby (Monticello, Georgia), CB Jason Duclona (UCF transfer), EDGE Brenton Williams (Auburn transfer), QB Jayden Bradford (Bradenton, Florida), CB Eldric Griffin (Tyler, Texas), WR Eric Smith (Richmond, Virginia), CB Alex Oliver (VMI transfer), CB Dominick Hill (Temple transfer), ATH Devin Henderson (Cartersville, Georgia), and DL Kristyane Gregory (Calhoun, Georgia).
2023 Results:
G01 BOWLING GREEN W 34-24
G02 NEW MEXICO STATE W 33-17
G03 @ Buffalo W 55-27
G04 @ FIU W 38-6
G05 SAM HOUSTON W 21-16
G06 @ Jacksonville State W 31-13
G07 MIDDLE TENNESSEE W 42-35
G08 @ Western Kentucky W 42-29
G09 LOUISIANA TECH W 56-30
G10 OLD DOMINION W 38-10
G11 UMASS W 49-25
G12 @ UTEP W 42-28
CUSA NEW MEXICO STATE W 49-35
BOWL vs. #8 Oregon L 6-45
Team Info:
2023` Overall: 13-1 (1st in CUSA/CUSA Champions)
Home: 8-0
Away: 5-0
Neutral: 0-1
CUSA: 8-0
Non-CUSA: 5-1
Head Coach: Hugh Freeze
Liberty: 13-1
Career: 112-58
Bowls: 2-2
(RB Quinton Cooley – 247Sports)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 7 Kaidon Salter (RS JR/TR)
RB: 20 Quinton Cooley (RS SR/TR)
WR: 5 Elijah Canion (RS JR/TR)
WR: 1 Julian Gray (RS SR)
WR: 21 Treon Sibley (RS SR)
TE: 15 Bentley Hanshaw (RS SR/TR)
LT: 75 Jack Tucker (RS JR/TR)
LG: 53 Jordan White (RS SR/TR)
OC: 61 Aaron Fenimore (RS FR)
RG: 67 John Paul Flores (RS SR/TR)
RT: 63 Xavior Gray (RS SR/TR)
KR: 9 Donte Lee Jr. (RS SO/TR)
PK: 42 Nick Brown (RS JR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 3 TJ Bush (SO)
DT: 92 Chris Boti (RS JR)
NT: 99 Bryce Dixon (JR)
DE: 11 CJ Bazile Jr. (JR)
LB: 25 Joseph Carter (RS JR)
LB: 6 Teylor Jackson (SR/TR)
NB: 16 Quinton Reese (RS SR)
CB: 19 Alex Oliver (SR/TR)
CB: 26 Amarian Williams (RS JR)
FS: 15 Brylan Green (JR)
SS: 2 Eldric Griffin (RS JR/TR)
PR: 15 Brylan Green (JR)
PT: 37 Max Morgan (RS JR)
(FS Brylan Green – The News & Advance)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: A
Running Backs: A
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: A
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: C
Secondary: C
Special Teams
Kick Returners: B
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: C
Punters: B
Schedule:
08/31 CAMPBELL CAMELS | Liberty won (48-7) the only prior meeting between schools in 2021.
09/07 @ New Mexico State Aggies | Liberty leads the series 5-2. The Flames won (49-35) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (33-17) the prior meeting in 2021.
09/14 UTEP MINERS | Last season’s 42-28 win was the first meeting between schools.
09/21 EAST CAROLINA PIRATES | First meeting between schools.
09/28 @ Appalachian State Mountaineers | Liberty trails the series 3-7. The Flames won (55-48) the last meeting between schools in 2014.
10/08 FIU PANTHERS | Liberty leads the series 2-0. The Flames won (38-6) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (36-34) the inaugural meeting in 2020.
10/23 @ Kennesaw State Owls | Liberty leads the series 2-1. The Flames lost (28-42) the last meeting between schools in 2017.
10/30 JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS | Liberty leads the series 2-1. The Flames lost (13-31) last season’s meeting between schools, and their last series win (31-10) was in 2017.
11/09 @ Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders | Liberty leads the series 2-1. The Flames won (42-35) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (41-13) the prior meeting in 2021.
11/16 @ UMASS Minutemen | Liberty leads the series 5-1. The Flames won (49-25) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (42-24) the prior meeting in 2022.
11/23 WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS | Liberty leads the series 4-0. The Flames won (42-29) last season’s meeting between schools, and they won (30-24) the prior meeting in 2020.
11/30 @ Sam Houston Bearkats | Last season’s 21-16 win was the first meeting between schools.
Predictions:
Home: 6-0
Away: 5-1
Neutral: 1-1
CUSA: 8-0
Non-CUSA: 4-2
Overall: 12-2 (1st in CUSA/10th Seed – Eliminated in Round of 12)
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