We begin our position previews today with a look at Liberty’s quarterbacks.
For a second straight year, Liberty is in the midst a quarterback battle during training camp. Just like last year, head coach Jamey Chadwell has said that all five quarterbacks in the room are in the mix through the first week plus of camp before hoping to narrow that down to the top two-three entering the last half of camp. Unlike last year, this season the Flames have multiple quarterbacks who have started multiple games at the FBS level, including returning starter Ethan Vasko.
Liberty QB Coach Malcolm Dixon – “Overall, I think guys are doing a really good job grasping the playbook. This is the 5th time that we’ve gone through (the offense) since they arrived here in January. I’m excited about how they take the mental approach through it. When it comes to just the execution, we do a lot in the offensive room. I’m just wanting them to get to that point to where you are ironing out the details. We met with those guys and those guys talked about two things they really want to hammer home – one, was staying united as a group, and two was the details. That’s where we’re out right now, it’s just ironing out the details. We have a really talented group, it’s just a matter of getting those guys to understand the system, understanding the decision making process, and all of those things. They’ve got the knowledge of what to do it’s just a matter of how to do it and how to do it consistently.”
Competition
5 Deshawn Purdie JR 6’4″ 228
Purdie looks to be the favorite to win the starting job through the first week of training camp. The former Charlotte and Wake Forest quarterback certainly looks the part with his size and strong arm with his ability to sling the ball around the field. There are a couple of concerning items on his resume – career completion percentage of 50% and negative rushing yards to his name. Are those products of the systems he was in and perhaps also being a young QB or things to be concerned about?
Liberty QB Coach Malcolm Dixon – “When you look at him, he has the arm talent, he has all of those things. He hasn’t been a runner in previous programs, but he has the ability. He has the burst, he has all of those things. He can take the top off of it. If he gets the opportunity, he can really run, but it’s just the matter of understanding the system. It’s a completely different system than he’s ever run. He has to make decisions for his checks in the run game and the pass game. We run option, so now he has to be accountable and knowing who is he reading, who is he pitching off of. There’s been a lot put on his plate. When he first got here, he was like, ‘Hey coach, I will get it. Just give me some time.’ It’s just a matter of being consistent. He knows what to do. It’s a matter of the reps and doing it consistently because he can make any throw that he has to make. It’s just a matter of doing it consistently.”
13 Jaylen Henderson 6th Year 6’3″ 227
Henderson has the experience bucket checked off as he has previous stops at Fresno State, Texas A&M, and West Virginia. He even started games for the Aggies in 2023 where he completed 53 of 78 passes for 715 yards with 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The lefty is also very good on the ground, rushing for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns during his career, averaging 3.7 yards per rush. At WVU last year, Henderson was used in certain packages as a wildcat type QB. Henderson is also a guy that Liberty pursued a year ago before ending up with Ethan Vasko. Can the veteran earn the starting job?
Liberty QB Coach Malcolm Dixon – “They’ve already nicknamed him as ‘Unc’ in the group because he is a guy who has had a lot of experience, starting off at Fresno, going to Texas A&M, and being at West Virginia. He has learned a lot of different systems, but I think that has helped him coming in and what we do. Having him as a guy that has played a lot of football and he has a lot of wisdom, those guys gravitate to him. He’s kind of like the dad of the room. He has taken on that father role. It’s good to have him in there because he can give, especially the younger guys, a perspective of what everything looks like.”
15 Ethan Vasko 5th Year 6’3″ 220
Coming to Liberty from Coastal Carolina a year ago, Vasko had started all 12 games for Coastal in 2024, throwing 14 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with a 55% completion percentage while throwing for over 2,000 yards. Last year, he brought something the other quarterbacks in the room don’t possess and that’s significant playing experience at the college level. That’s not the case this year with Purdie and Henderson also in the room. Vasko, while playing through injury much of the season, underwhelmed last season as he threw 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 56.8% of his passes for 1,961 yards. Vasko certainly has a case to win the job as he knows the offense, but he also has that 4-8 record, Liberty’s worst season in 20 years, to his resume and something he has to overcome.
Depth
14 Ethan Houck SO 6’4″ 205
18 Jachin Davis FR 6’0″ 195
After seeing his recruiting profile skyrocket during his senior year of high school, Ethan Houck saw some playing time on the field as a true freshman for the Flames last year after Vasko went down to injury. He was utilized primarily as a runner, finishing the year with 7 carries for 24 yards while completing just 1 of 6 passes for 17 yards.
The coaching staff has talked very highly about Davis ever since he arrived on campus this past spring. The true freshman has incredible potential and could end up being the quarterback of the future for the Flames, but he seems to have a bit of an uphill climb to supplant the other QBs in the room to win the job this training camp.
Both Houck and Davis have the potential to emerge as quarterbacks of the future for the Flames, but it would be a bit of an upset if either were to win the starting job by Week 1 this season.
