We continue our position previews today with a look at Liberty’s running backs.
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Quarterbacks
Tight Ends
Linebackers
Cornerbacks
Safeties
In the first two years under head coach Jamey Chadwell and his staff, Liberty has had one of the most dynamic rushing attacks in the country. In 2023, the Flames led the nation in rushing and finished 2024 ranked in the top five. Most of that was behind the workhorse legs of Quinton Cooley who has moved on. The Flames will also be without Billy Lucas who was a great compliment to Cooley. There is obviously some talent left behind in the running back room, but most of it is unproven. The coaching staff is spending training camp testing and pushing this group to see how they will react once the lights are turned on. Cooley rushed for over 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons. He is gone but running backs coach Newland Isaac believes there is another 1,000 yard back that will emerge this season, he just doesn’t know who it will be yet.
Frontrunners
1 Juju Gray R-SR 5’11” 195
After spending his first year with Liberty from NC State with the wide receiver group (and injured), Juju Gray is now a full time running back. He made that move shortly after the end of the 2024 season and has focused on getting his body to the point to be able to take the additional work load and potential toll it will take by adding some weight. He is the ultimate gadget type player – someone who can make an impact from a number of different places on the field whether that is in the backfield as a traditional running back, taking the pitch on option plays, catching passes out of the backfield, or even lining up as a receiver. We should see him slide into all of those roles at some point during the season. Juju has the potential to be the Flames’ leader in all-purpose yards this season. The one big question mark is can he become someone the Flames can count on to get a heavy workload.
Liberty Running Backs coach Newland Isaac – “As many different ways as we can use Juju is what we’re trying to do. The beauty of Juju is he’s very, very smart, very intelligent. He came from the receiver room; he still remembers the entire playbook from the receiver room. So, we can be in a (certain) personnel and have Juju play receiver. He knows it just like that. We can throw him in the backfield. He is getting better running between the tackles. He does so much for you. It’s just being creative and find ways to hide him and move him all over the place.”
Competition
24 Vaughn Blue R-SO 5’11” 195
Vaughn Blue is the veteran in the Liberty running back room. He is entering his third year in the program, and much is expected of him this season. As a true freshman, Blue worked his way on to the field and was arguably the team’s top running back in the first few games of the season. That all changed when he was injured in a game at Buffalo, forcing him to miss the majority of the remainder of the season. Last year, Blue saw his reps increase, though he was used primarily as an A-Back. Now, he is fighting for some snaps, maybe even a lot of snaps, at the B-Back position. Ultimately, Blue will be on the field plenty this season whether that is as an A-Back or B-Back. He could end up being the first-team B-Back and slide over to the A-Back to spell Juju.
21 Caden Williams R-FR 5’10” 210
Blue’s biggest competition at the B-Back spot is Caden Williams. The redshirt-freshman was brought to Liberty to be the bell cow B-Back. He is pushing for that role now but doesn’t have the game reps yet. There is a role for him and there will be opportunities for Williams to step into that role. He is the most physical back the team has and the coaching staff believes he has the potential to be that guy now.
Liberty Running Backs coach Newland Isaac – “We’re expecting a lot out of him. We put a lot on him. I’m holding him to the fire every single day. We’re probably going to have to count on him to be the guy. We put a lot on him to see what he can do. Caden is the more physical one. He’s the bigger one. Caden was brought here to be the physical, between the tackles (back) that can wear teams down, that can pick up blitzes.”
23 Evan Dickens R-SO 5’11” 195
Dickens transferred in from Georgia Tech prior to the spring semester. He has been working primarily with the second team during the early part of training camp. The Flames like to have at least four running backs ready to step on the field at any give time, and Dickens looks like he will be part of that mix this season.
Depth
25 Malachi Fannin-Render FR 5’8″ 180
0 Jaylon Coleman FR 5’9″ 155
This year’s true freshman class at running back is very talented and has an extremely high ceiling. Can they break into the rotation and carve out a role as a true freshman? That remains to be seen. Malachi Fannin-Render is the B-Back and was here in the spring where he flashed his potential. Jaylon Coleman is the A-Back who arrived over the summer and has some wheels. He was a four-star recruit when he committed to the Flames. These are two names we should all get familiar with as they are likely to make a big impact on the field, it may not be this year though.
Liberty Running Backs coach Newland Isaac – “The freshmen are really, really good, they’re just making a lot of mistakes. Mal is just as talented as anyone in that room, and Cole is probably faster than Juju.”
26 Jaylin Belford R-JR 5’8″ 175
