1. Stephon Masha

The coaching staff is clearly counting on Masha to make a huge leap this season as he has been picked as a captain and a team representative for media day. Much of the team’s success will fall on his shoulders.

macon2. Todd Macon

In the time Macon has received as a reserve running back, he has proven he can be a solid running back. With D.J. Abnar and Des Rice gone, he now has the opportunity to develop into an all-conference level performer.

3. Dexter Robbins

His 34 total tackles from 2015 will certainly be higher in 2016 as he becomes one of the leaders on the defense.

4. B.J. Farrow

While his freshman marks of 32 receptions for 448 yards are nothing to sneeze at, Farrow has the most to gain as the Flames look to replace Darrin Peterson’s 906 receiving yards.

wells5. Juwan Wells

As a true freshman, Wells was 2nd on the team with tackles for a loss (7.5) and sacks (5). Most of those numbers (4.5 tackles & 3 sacks) came in the season’s final 2 games against Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina.

6. Solomon McGinty

As a junior college transfer, McGinty will be expected to step in and play immediately. He’s expected to replace Avery James in the starting lineup at the Spur hybrid linebacker/safety spot. Corbin Jackson, who was Liberty’s starting Spur last year, will slide over to James’ vacated safety spot.

10 Numbers to Know

3,855 Career rushing yards gone with the graduations of D.J. Abnar & Des Rice 74 Tackles Nick Newman had in 2015, which led the team 44 Career games started by Josh Woodrum 38 Starts from returning offensive lineman in 2015 25 Consecutive starts by Hunter Winstead...

9 Things to Know About Non-Conference Schedule

1. 2016 marks the first time the Flames have ever played one of the premier teams in Virginia, as Liberty travels to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. 2. The Hokies will be playing their first game under a head coach not named Frank Beamer in 30 seasons as Justin...

8 things to know about the Big South

1. Presbyterian, who finished 2-9 overall and 1-5 in the Big South last season, returns just one all-conference performer in running back Darrell Bridges. 2. Monmouth, who is in the 3rd year of its 4 year commitment with the league, returns quarterback Cody Williams...

7 Keys for success

1. New Leadership needs to step up Not only did Liberty lose a lot of talent in key positions from last year, but they also lost all 4 team captains. 2. Quarterback can't be a liability Replacing a 4-year starter at any position is a challenging task, but doing so at...

5 positions to watch during camp

With fall practice beginning one week from today, here's a look at 5 positions to watch. 1. Quarterback Stephon Masha was named the starting quarterback at the end of the spring, but that was before Buckshot Calvert arrived on the scene. While Stephon is still likely...

4 Bold Predictions for the 2016 Season

1. Juwan Wells will lead the Big South in sacks. As a true freshman, Wells recorded 5 sacks last season including 3 in the final 2 games. With Wells expected to be a major contributor from the beginning of the season, his numbers will increase significantly. 2. Damian...

3 Reasons 2016 is the most important season at LU for Gill

1. No more room for error. Losing to Monmouth AND Gardner-Webb in the same season is unacceptable. If something similar happens this season, there will be significant changes made within the football program. 2. No more excuses for not winning Big South auto-bid. With...

2 Ways to get into the playoffs

Here are the 2 most likely scenarios for the Flames to get into the playoffs in 2016: 1. Win the Big South auto-bid. It’s pretty simple, but has been difficult for Liberty to accomplish. Take care of business in the Big South and the Flames will be dancing. This...

1 Reason 2016 Will Be Special

Today, we reach the conclusion of this particular season preview countdown. Dating back to the first post over a month ago, 10 numbers to know, we’ve looked at various storylines entering the 2016 season. (A link to all of the previous 9 entries is at the end of this...