Another edition of the ASOR Mailbag! Thank you for submitting your questions and continue to send them in and we will be happy to answer them in our next feature. You can send them to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, e-mail, or as a comment on the site. We had a ton of great questions this week, so let’s get right to it.

jdturner2 asked on the website – What about a Mount Rushmore of LU Coaches?

This was in response to our recent article where several ASOR contributors provided our Mount Rushmore for Liberty Athletics. First, as I mentioned in the previous article, I think Jerry Falwell, Sr. and Ian McCaw should get the first two spots on any Liberty Athletics Mount Rushmore, but we were focusing solely on players, and this question is asking solely about coaches.

Brant Tolsma is a slam dunk to make it for coaches. Ritchie McKay should also make it. One of the football coaches has to make it, right? I’d probably give the nod to Sam Rutigliano just slightly above Hugh Freeze, but it’s a tough call. The final spot is also difficult. I’d probably lean towards Jeff Thomas from golf. So, Tolsma, McKay, Rutigliano, and Thomas. How did I leave Carey Green out?

We at ASOR have been privileged to work and help lead the Flames Rising Collective, the only collective Liberty has that benefits all sports. We are currently in the process of our first major capital campaign and have had tremendous support that has surpassed our expectations. Based upon people we talk to at Liberty and throughout the industry, we believe that it will be better than most of our peers and competitive with the best of all Collectives in the Group of Five. Stay tuned for ways that you can partner with Flames Rising in the coming days.

Maybe?! (Where’s the eyes emoji?) If you are an ASOR Club member, be sure to check out the rumor mill where we have mentioned this possibility.

No, another quarterback is not expected to join the team prior to the 2023 season. Coach Chadwell has mentioned that adding to the position through the portal this spring/summer was a possibility following the spring game. We heard a couple names as possibilities, but it doesn’t seem like there was ever any real traction in that department. It looks like it will be Salter and Bennett battling it out during training camp entering the season.

You know, I used to be a big Lebron fan back in the day. That was before he left the Heat and went back to Cleveland. Then, I rooted against him. Now, I’m indifferent. As for Chadwell, everyone I have talked to in and around the program this summer is setting the expectation of competing for a conference championship this year, which shouldn’t come as a shock. It’s my expectation, as well.

It is certainly in the discussion and I would lean towards yes. The biggest question mark for the team remains the quarterback. I think Bennett and Salter are both as talented as the majority of the QBs in CUSA. If the Flames can find some consistency at that position, the sky is the limit this fall. The other big question mark is how long will it take for all the new pieces to fit together.

renodillon on Instagram asks, Does it look like any of our football guys in the portal will return?

I take this to mean that you are asking about if any of the uncommitted, out going Liberty transfer portal players will end up staying with the Flames in 2023. No, I don’t think that will happen and most of them have committed elsewhere. You can check here to see who remains uncommitted.

jpdoucet7 on Instagram asks, Any more 2023 commitments expected?

Yes, I do expect 1-2 more to end up being added to the roster prior to the start of the 2023 season. I’m not sure there will be any more transfers, as most of Liberty’s transfer targets have already ended up either with the Flames or with another school, but we could see a high school prospect that fell through the cracks end up at Liberty.

Liberty is committed to competing for a CFP opportunity should the Flames win CUSA once the playoff expands to 12. In doing that, the Flames obviously have to have a strength of schedule that doesn’t rank towards the bottom of FBS. The Flames want to have one Power Five, two regional Group of Fives and an FCS opponent each season. As we’ve mentioned before, it will take a few years to get to that desired goal after adjusting from 12 non-conference games to just 4 each season.

Here’s the 2024 non-conference schedule:

8/31 vs Campbell
09/21 vs East Carolina
09/28 @ Appalachian State
11/16 @ UMass

That’s not bad at all. Swapping a UMass for a winnable P5 would be more attractive on the surface but would also make for a very tough non-conference slate.

Once we get to 2027, it looks like most of the rest of the future schedules will meet the preferred model or be very close to it. Here is 2027:

09/18 @ Coastal Carolina
11/06 vs UMass
11/13 vs UConn
11/20 @ Virginia Tech

I made my projection earlier this summer and went in more detail there. Colin Porter, Kyle Rode, and Shiloh Robinson are virtual guarantees as starters on opening night. Joseph Venzant has started his first two seasons and I think that will continue but I wouldn’t be shocked if he is pushed hard this offseason by incoming true freshmen Curtis Blair and Jaylen Davis. I think the final starting spot will come down to Kaden Metheny and Brody Peebles and I expect Metheny to win that battle. So, here’s my projection for opening night:

Colin Porter
Kaden Metheny
Joseph Venzant
Kyle Rode
Shiloh Robinson

jonas_mart10 on Instagram asked, What’s next for Darius McGhee?

He has worked out for several NBA teams ahead of the draft this Thursday. McGhee could be a late pick in the 2nd round of the Draft, but it is more likely he goes undrafted and gets a Summer League invite. Hopefully he can use that to get an invite to a team’s training camp and ultimately earn either a two-way contract or better with an NBA team. If the NBA dream doesn’t work out, McGhee can certainly head overseas and make some really good money playing hoops. I’m hopeful and have my fingers crossed that he can make it on an NBA roster.

Liberty has seen tremendous success in virtually every sport under AD Ian McCaw’s leadership the past several years. This has led to more contract extensions than firings for head coaches. I do believe former volleyball head coach Shane Pinder was the last one that was “let go” following the 2017 season.