We continue to countdown towards the 2026 football season where Liberty will look to make it back to a bowl game while also competing for a CUSA title.
As we have done the past several years, we will rank Liberty’s top 26 football players entering the 2026 season. In today’s era of the transfer portal and NIL, putting together a list like this is much more challenging than it was previously as a large portion of the two-deep and roster has been turned over from the previous year. We started our ranking previously with #26-21 and #20-16, go back and check those out if you missed it. Here is #25-11:
15. LB Deuce Spurlock
If Spurlock ends up being a true top 15 player for the Flames, it would mean a huge jump up in his production from his first season at Liberty. Just last year, Spurlock recorded 15 tackles in 9 games played. So, why is he so high on this list? One reason is because head coach Jamey Chadwell highlighted Spurlock as a player to watch, naming him as one of just five players named to the CUSA Preseason Player Watch List from Liberty. Spurlock began his career at Michigan, playing in two games in 2022 during his true freshman season, before transferring to Florida where he played in three games in 2023.
14. OL Joep Engbers
After transferring to Liberty from Illinois a year ago, Engbers quickly emerged as one of the team’s top linemen. He played in all 12 games last year, while starting the last 10 at left guard. He finished the season as the second highest graded offensive lineman on the team, according to PFF, only trailing Aaron Fenimore. Engbers also played the third most snaps of any player on offense.
13. LB Aidan Vaughan
A former Wisconsin transfer, Vaughan played in 11 games for the Flames in 2024, his first in the red, white, and blue, finishing the season with 16 tackles while being a key member of the special teams units. Last fall, Vaughan saw his role greatly increase as he played the third most snaps of any linebacker on the team despite missing three games. In 9 games played, he finished with 27 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss, and now he is looking to become a bigger leader for the team on the field this season.
12. OL Alex Birchmeier
Birchmeier is arguably one of the more decorated recruits out of high school who ever ended up on the Liberty football team. He was rated by Rivals, ESPN, and On3 as the top prospect in his class out of Virginia. Every recruiting service had him as a top 100 prospect, and he was ranked as a top three interior offensive line, as well. He ended up at Penn State where he spent three seasons. Following a redshirt in 2023, Birchmeier played in 26 games over the last two seasons, primarily on special teams. The Flames are looking for him to step into a starting and lead role, and he was able to hold down the starting right guard spot throughout most of the spring.
11. DB Izaiah Guy
The Flames are expecting a lot out of Izaiah Guy this season in the secondary. He could play the nickel or one of the safety spots and has been frequently mentioned as a newcomer to keep an eye during the offseason. Guy reunites with new Liberty safeties coach Cory Peoples, who recruited Guy to Georgia State. For the Panthers, Guy redshirted in 2022 before recorded 25 tackles with 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown in 2023. The following season, Guy recorded 30 tackles in 11 games played before transferring to South Florida where he played in three games last year.
