The Liberty Flames are set to turn to Deshawn Purdie at quarterback when they open the 2026 season Saturday against James Madison, giving the Wake Forest transfer his first start in a Liberty uniform.
Purdie, a 6-foot-4, 228-pound junior, arrived at Liberty after spending the 2025 season at Wake Forest. He saw action in eight games last season and made two starts, throwing for 618 yards and six touchdowns on 41-of-82 passing. His most impressive performance came in a start against Oregon State, when he completed 16 passes for 270 yards and four touchdowns.
The Baltimore native also brings starting experience from his freshman season at Charlotte, where he started six games in 2024 and threw for 1,802 yards and 10 touchdowns. His best performance came against FAU, when he passed for 396 yards and three touchdowns.
Purdie’s experience ultimately gives him the nod after Liberty entered training camp with five quarterbacks competing for the job. The competition was eventually narrowed to four after Ethan Houck moved to tight end, with Purdie, Jaylen Henderson, Ethan Vasko and Jachin Davis remaining in the mix.
Purdie now faces perhaps the biggest challenge of his Liberty career immediately.
The Flames will travel to Harrisonburg to face a JMU team that went 11-1 during the 2025 regular season, won the Sun Belt Championship and advanced to the College Football Playoff. However, the Dukes enter Saturday’s matchup with plenty of changes of their own, including a new head coach in Billy Napier and a new starting quarterback.
The matchup is scheduled for noon Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium and will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
For Liberty, Purdie’s first start comes with plenty riding on it.
The Flames are coming off a disappointing 4-8 season and enter the 2026 campaign as 6.5-point underdogs. A strong performance from Purdie against a talented JMU defense could provide an immediate boost to a Liberty program looking to prove last year’s struggles were an aberration.
And if Purdie can lead the Flames to an upset in Harrisonburg, his first start in a Liberty uniform would become an early turning point for the 2026 season.
