This is the third piece in a five-part series taking a look at Liberty football entering 2025 fall practices. Be sure to check back for the rest of this series throughout the week as we tackle a variety of Liberty football topics.
There are many question marks on this year’s Liberty football team, and that’s no surprise. Teams all over the country are facing the same challenges in today’s world of the transfer portal. Still, there are a few positions where the Flames have known commodities and should be strengths on the team as training camp prepares to start.
Tight End
Jacob Jenkins and Austin Henderson are proven commodities now at tight end and leaders not just at the position but for the entire team. Jenkins was an all-Sun Belt performer at Coastal Carolina before he transferred to Liberty. He had a strong season last year with the Flames, and now he should be ready to take that next step. Both have pass catching abilities at the tight end position and add another very capable lineman to Liberty’s offensive front when attached. Other names like Bo Burklow, Connie Hewitt, Eli Sisson, and Caleb Ryan will be fighting for their spots on the depth chart during training camp to solidify this position.
Joker
The Joker position remained virtually untouched since the end of the spring with CJ Bazile anchoring that position and Brenton Williams and Bryson Jennings with upside behind Bazile. CJ was named the CUSA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year last year. While he didn’t quite live up to that expectation, he did have a strong season, and he is a known commodity for the Flames on the defensive front. Williams is expected to push Bazile for playing time throughout the season as the Auburn transfer continues to make strides in his play.
Safety
Liberty appears to be pretty loaded at safety entering the season. Veterans Brylan Green and A’Khori Jones anchor the group as multi-year starters for the Flames. Add in the seemingly very high potential in Christian Bodnar who was emerging into one of the team’s top players last year before missing the last half of the season with an illness, and this group could be special. Eldric Griffin and Elijah Auguste also return while the Flames bring in Weber State transfer Jalon Rock to help solidify the depth.
