Liberty football is currently in the midst of spring practice as the Flames will go through 15 practices over the course of several weeks. With only one transfer portal window which closed following the conclusion of the 2025 season, Liberty knows its roster it will have for the upcoming 2026 season. As the team goes through its spring practice sessions, we are going through a series over a few weeks where we break down each position on the roster. We continue today with a look at the tight ends.
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Offensive line
Tight ends
17 Bo Burklow, 6’2″, 250 lb
48 Caleb Ryan, 6’2″, 240 lb
84 Breckan Kirby, 6’4″, 220 (North Greenville)
85 Kam Taylor, 6’6″, 240 lb
87 LaKelsey Johnson, Jr., 6’3″, 248 lb (Baylor)
88 Zeke Wimbush, 6’2″, 235 lb (Virginia Tech)
Like many positions on Liberty’s 2026 roster, particularly on offense, it was nearly a complete overhaul at tight end. The Flames have brought in three transfers and a high school senior to a group that only returns Caleb Ryan and Bo Burklow. Ryan is entering his fourth season in the program and has developed into a team leader. The former walk-on emerged in 2025 as a key tight end. He played in all 12 games with 4 receptions for 87 yards and has seen playing time in 22 games across the past two seasons. Burklow is also entering his fourth season in the program and played in 12 games last season.
The three transfers – LaKelsey Johnson, Jr., Zeke Wimbush, and Breckan Kirby – should all be factors in the two-deep entering the 2026 season. Johnson played over 800 snaps in his career at Baylor and has 23 catches, 174 yards, and a touchdown. He is originally from Red Oak, Texas and Red Oak High School. He started 4 games as a freshman in 2022 and four more in 2023. He redshirted in 2024 after playing only four games before getting injured and missing the rest of the season.
Wimbush appeared in 24 games over the past two seasons for the Hokies, primarily on special teams, and has two years of eligibility remaining. From Ashburn, Virginia and Stone Bridge High School, Wimbush played quarterback and tight end in high school where he had 17 receptions for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns as a senior and was a three-star recruit. He was also heavily pursued in the transfer portal by Oregon State. Kirby picked up several offers after entering the portal such as Central Michigan, Buffalo, and others before heading to Liberty. Last season as a redshirt freshman, in 8 games played, Kirby had 4 catches for 23 yards and a touchdown. Kirby is originally from Gainesville, Georgia where he attended North Hall High School.
Kam Taylor is an incoming true freshman tight end from Woodruff High School and Woodruff, South Carolina. He had offers from Charlotte, FIU, Marshall, Southern Miss, Troy, and several others, over a dozen total offers.
