Liberty is still working to add players from the transfer portal for its 2025 season, and coach Jamey Chadwell has already secured several who will be crucial to its success.
The Flames have added 20 transfers from fellow NCAA programs from the winter and spring portal windows, with potentially more to come. Reloading after losing players to the portal is the new reality for every Group of Five team, including Liberty. But there are incoming transfers to be intrigued by.
Here’s a look at five transfers that could make the biggest impact for the Flames in 2025:
QB Ethan Vasko
Vasko has two years of eligibility remaining. The 6’3″, 220 pound quarterback is originally from Chesapeake, Virginia where he attended Oscar Smith High School. He began his college career at Kansas before transferring to Coastal Carolina and new head coach Tim Beck following the 2022 season. He started all 12 games for Coastal in 2024, throwing 14 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with a 55% completion percentage while throwing for over 2,000 yards. In his most recent performance, Vasko completed 13 of 17 passes for 200 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on 13 rushing attempts. The regular season finale performance at Georgia State helped lift the Chanticleers to the win and bowl eligibility. In 2023, as a redshirt-freshman, Vasko played some after Grayson McCall was injured. In four starts, he threw 7 touchdowns and had just one interception. He had 7 appearances total during 2023, completing 63% of his passes for almost 800 yards. Vasko was named Hawaii Bowl MVP following a 24-14 Chanticleer win over San Jose State to end the 2023 campaign. He finished the game with 199 yards passing and three touchdowns.
For the Flames, Vasko looks to be at the top of the quarterback battle going into the summer after having the entire spring to learn the offensive system. He has the most playing experience in the room, by far, as Liberty looks to move on from the Kaidon Salter era behind center.
WR Casey Cain
Cain is a 6’3″, 200 pound receiver originally from New Orleans. He began his collegiate career at Texas where he played in 22 games with 3 starts over 3 seasons for the Longhorns. After redshirting in 2021, Cain had 8 receptions for 201 yards as a redshirt-freshman in 2022. He posted four catches for a career-high 108 yards that season in the Alamo Bowl against Washington. In 2023, Cain had one reception for 13 yards at Texas before entering the portal and landing at UNLV. Last season for the Rebels, Cain had 7 receptions for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns while playing in 12 games and starting 5.
Cain comes to a Liberty wide receiver room that lacked a big playmaker last season following the departure of CJ Daniels to LSU (now at Miami). He showcased some of his downfield playmaking ability in the spring game, and could grow into the go-to target for Vasko in this year’s offense.
DE Aaron Hester
Hester played in eight games in 2024 at Florida State, finishing the year with 10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and one pass breakup. He was the highest graded returning EDGE for Florida State, per PFF, following the 2024 season before deciding to enter the portal. Over the course of his first two seasons in Tallahassee in 2022 and 2023, he played in four games and had two tackles. Hester has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
It’s no secret that the Flames lost several key pieces to the transfer portal, particularly in the spring, from the defensive line. That’s where Hester can slide in and make an immediate impact as Liberty looks to offset some of those losses.
LB Derrell Farrar
Farrar is a 6’1″, 225 pound linebacker originally from Loganville, Georgia. In two seasons at App State, Farrar totaled 52 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He entered the portal on April 16 and has two years of eligibility remaining. Farrar will have a chance to fight for immediate playing time at linebacker for the Flames and could even find himself as a starter as Liberty looks to find replacements for the loss of several graduating linebackers from last year’s team.
DB Jalon Rock
Rock is a 5’10”, 165 pound defensive back from Arlington, Texas and Mansfield Summit High School. At FCS Weber State, Rock played in 11 games this past season with 35 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 5 pass breakups. In 2023, in 11 games played, he had 5 pass breakups, 30 tackles, a strip sack fumble, and an interception. In 2022, Rock recorded 5 tackles and an interception in 11 games played. Throughout his career at Weber State over three seasons, he recorded 75 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 1 sack, and 13 pass break ups. He has already graduated from Weber State and was named a team captain for the 2024 season.
Rock was on campus at Liberty for the spring, and he should carve out a role for himself in the defensive backfield. Rock could play either corner or safety.
