Liberty Flames: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Liberty Flames season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Liberty Flames season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Liberty Schedule Analysis
– Liberty Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018

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2020 Record: 10-1 overall
Head Coach: Hugh Freeze, 2nd year, 18-6
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 11
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 112
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 65

Liberty College Football Preview 2021: Offense

It’s almost all coming back. Liberty got Hugh Freeze’s offense going, averaging 483 yards and 38 points per game – and that’s with a few battles against the ACC. If you liked that, you’re going to love what’s coming.

It all starts with one of the nation’s best dual-threat playmakers and a high-riser in NFL Draft circles – QB Malik Willis. He’s not all that big and isn’t exactly a pro-style passer, but he was good enough last year, is careful with the ball, and he was dangerous enough to lead the team with 944 rushing yards and 14 scores.

Of course Willis is still going to be Willis and run the O the way he’s been doing it over the last few years, but Liberty has a great back in former FCS star Joshua Mack back after running for close to 800 yards and four scores. Losing backup RB Peytton Pickett to Jackson State would hurt if Utah transfer TJ Green wasn’t on his way in to be Mack’s likely backup.

They’ll all work behind a terrific veteran line with all five starters expected back. The rushing attack averaged over 250 yards per game and the pass protection was good enough to give Willis a half-click more time to operate.

WR CJ Yarbrough has moved on from college football. He’s the only missing part. He was the team’s fourth-best receiver last year, but everyone else among the top nine receivers are back including the tight ends. DJ Stubbs and Kevin Shaa return for the super-senior seasons, and Demario Davis is a volume target coming off a strong freshman year.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Liberty Schedule Analysis

NEXT: Liberty College Football Preview 2021: Defense

College Football News Preview 2020: Liberty Flames

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Liberty Flames season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Liberty Flames season with what you need to know.


CFN in 60 Podcast: 2020 Liberty Flames
60 second Liberty Flames preview

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Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Schedule Analysis
– Liberty Flames Previews 2019 | 2018

2019 Record: 8-5 overall
Head Coach: Hugh Freeze, 2nd year, 8-5
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 104
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 65
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 116

NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Liberty Flames Offense 3 Things To Know

– The offense was able to find a good consistency and balance last year, but there’s some overhauling to do. QB Stephen Calvert is gone along with RB Frankie Hickson and new Washington Redskin WR Antonio Gandy-Golden.

Head coach Hugh Freeze knows how to put together a high-powered attack with an up-tempo passing game, but he and co-offensive coordinators Kent Austin and Maurice Harris need to come up with their man men to run the whole thing.


CFN in 60 Video: Liberty Flames Preview
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There might not be any sort of a drop-off in the overall offensive production if Auburn transfer Malik Willis can playtime part right away. He had to sit out last year, and he’s not going to be the passer that Calvert was, but he can move. Sophomore Brandon Robinson and redshirt freshman Johnathan Bennett will be deep in the hunt. They’ll get their chances, but Bennett is coming off a knee injury, Willis has been waiting his turn, and Chris Ferguson is a big passer transferring in from Maine.

There isn’t another Gandy-Golden in the receiving corps – even with hopes high for redshirt freshman CJ Yarbrough – but four of the top five receivers are back, including TE Johnny Huntley. The passing game might not average 289 yards per game again, but it’ll be effective.

The right side of the O line has to be replaced, but three starters are back from a group that wasn’t bad in pass protection and did a decent enough job for the ground attack to get by. Getting Ole Miss transfer Bryce Mathews for one tackle job helps.

Senior Joshua Mack is a terrific veteran back who should statistically explode. The former Maine transfer will share the rotation a bit, but if all goes according to plan, he’s the main man. If Wills really does grab the starting quarterback job, he’ll be one of the team’s better runners.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Liberty Flames Defense 3 Things To Know