While Liberty still sorts through its quarterback battle this training camp, there is one quarterback who will not win the job. Sophomore Ethan Houck has been moved from quarterback to tight end. Head coach Jamey Chadwell said Houck approached him recently about making the move.
“He brought it to us,” Chadwell said. “He’s an athletic guy. He was probably the 5th guy right now as far as the way it had been going (at quarterback). He wants to compete and wants to be part of helping the team win. He’s built that way. We will see what happens. I don’t know if that’s a long term move or not. We’ve met and talked about it. Is this something he wants to do long term or does he want to still compete for the quarterback job when there’s not as many bodies in there that are older. We’ve had some guys get banged up at tight end, as well. He’s been able to get over and get some reps and do some things. If it’s a long term thing, it’s something I think he could be pretty good at.”
Houck was the highest ranked Group of Five quarterback in his high school class by On3 coming out of Brunswick High School and Brunswick, Maryland. Houck is the highest rated QB to ever sign with the Flames out of high school and currently ranks as the 5th highest rated in program history, according to 247Sports. As a prep standout, he accounted for nearly 8,000 yards of total offense and 114 touchdowns during his career, including 43 rushing touchdowns.
The three-star quarterback saw some limited playing time at QB during the 2025 season, completing 1 of 6 pass attempts for 17 yards with 7 carries for 24 yards in two games of action. He played against James Madison and Old Dominion after starting quarterback Ethan Vasko went down to injury and left the JMU game early. Houck had some primarily rushing packages as he rotated some with Michael Merdinger during those games.
The move to tight end could allow the Flames to take advantage of Houck’s size, athleticism, and experience as a former dual-threat quarterback. His ability to run the football and make plays in space could give Liberty another versatile weapon in the offense. With Liberty’s quarterback room featuring several experienced options entering 2027, the move gives Houck an opportunity to carve out a role on the field while adding an intriguing dimension to the Flames’ tight end room.
Houck will now fight for playing time at tight end where Caleb Ryan is a returning starter alongside three incoming transfers LaKelsey Johnson, Jr., Zeke Wimbush, and Breckan Kirby. Bo Burklow also returns at tight end while Kam Taylor joins the position group as a freshman.
Meanwhile, at quarterback, four names remain in the battle to become Liberty’s starter Week 1 at James Madison on Sept. 5. Deshawn Purdie, Jaylen Henderson, Ethan Vasko, and Jachin Davis continue to battle for that spot.
“I wish I could tell you we’ve been able to name a quarterback yet, that’s not the case,” Chadwell said on Tuesday. “We’re down to four in that quarterback room. Hopefully by the end of this week we will have it narrowed down to two and that will give us an opportunity to focus on the season with those two. The four that are remaining have done some good things, still some inconsistencies at the quarterback position. We need some more consistency from that position, making the play that is there, try not to do too much. We will get that solidified this week. I think we’re trending in a good direction there.”
