On Saturday, Liberty football will hold its first scrimmage-like practice of training camp, which will be practice number nine for the Flames in the run-up to the 2025 season opener on August 30 against Maine.
At the onset of training camp, head coach Jamey Chadwell said the first nine practices would be critical in the quarterback battle. Until now, the five quarterbacks in the room – Ethan Vasko, Ryan Burger, Michael Merdinger, Jayden Bradford, and Ethan Houck – have been getting close to an equal number of reps. By the end of Saturday’s scrimmage, Chadwell hopes to narrow the competition down to no more than two or three players, who will then receive increased reps next week as the competition continues. Earlier this week, Chadwell confirmed that is still the plan.
“Where we were heading into fall camp is probably where we’re at right now,” Chadwell said during his Tuesday media availability. “Today through this weekend. will be big. You will be nine practices in. You are almost 40% (done with preseason practice) by Saturday. We will have the majority of the offense in. By then, we will have an idea of these guys need to get the majority of the reps going forward. If you ask me, ‘Hey, what do you think it’s going to be?’ I will probably tell it’s been what it’s been up to this point.”
Vasko and Burger, the two quarterbacks with the most playing experience to this point, were working primarily with the first-team offense during the period of practice that was open to the media on the first day of camp. It was Merdinger and Bradford who were spotted during those same drills getting most of the work with the first-team offense a week later. This doesn’t necessarily mean there’s been a change in the pecking order, but more than likely just validates Chadwell’s comments of trying to keep the reps close to the same through the first nine practices.
“I don’t think anybody has separated themselves,” said Chadwell of his quarterbacks through the first week of camp. “I think there’s been some consistent play. There are some things there that we’ve got to continue to value the ball and put ourselves in some good situations. There’s been good stuff. There hasn’t been terrible things. We’ve not been way up and down, but there are some things there we’ve got to improve. I think all the quarterbacks that are getting their opportunities are maximizing their opportunities. We just need somebody to continue to build off what they’re doing and just be consistent with what they’re doing every day. I like the direction we are heading there.”
Saturday’s practice will feature the first scrimmage-like situation for the Flames thus far in camp, and the team will “put the ball down and play quite a bit,” according to Chadwell. While this practice is closed to the media and general public, it could serve as a key turning point in the quarterback battle during camp.
“That will be practice nine for us, by that point, you have a lot of stuff installed,” said Chadwell. “So, what can people handle in a scrimmage-like situation, not a practice where you’re doing certain situations. How can guys, when they’re on the field, the coaches aren’t out there, how do they show up with referees and all that? You start narrowing it down that next week because you’ve only got 16 practices left. We will start making some decisions after that scrimmage as far as the direction of where guys are going to be, what their role’s going to be, and now focus on developing that.”
