The calendar has turned to August, summer workouts are over, and the Flames have begun training camp. As practice is just beginning, we’ll take a look at both sides of the ball, beginning with the offense.

Coach Dailey highlighted the 12-13 returners with “quality experience” as he previewed the offense entering camp. Of all the offensive newcomers, he said they may change the face of the offense.

Quarterbacks

Buckshot Calvert enters training camp as the unquestioned starter at quarterback. In fact, Coach Gill said quarterback is the only position on the roster that won’t be competed for during camp. He’s started the past 18 games after taking over during the early part of his true freshman season.

“The young man that showed up here 2 years ago, is not the same guy that stands before us here today,” Offensive Coordinator Joe Dailey said of his signal caller. “He’s put in some long hours on the practice field and in the weight room to increase his physical and mental skill-sets. Every fall and every spring he seems to get better in a certain aspect of his game which allows us to expand our offense.”

Expanding the offense is what the coaching staff expects to be able to do in Buckshot’s 3rd season. Last year, he led the Big South in passing yards (3,363), completions (257), touchdowns (29), and passing efficiency (142.28). His passing yards and touchdown marks were single season school records.

Buckshot is entering his 3rd season as starter

“We’re probably going to give him a few more things that he can handle because of his maturity,” Gill said. “Being able to do a few more things from the quarterback position, different things we’re going to allow him to do, to help us get into the right plays.”

“This is year 3 for Buckshot,” Dailey said. “I’m excited to see what he puts out there because it’s going to be totally different, in my opinion, in terms of productivity, than in years past. He’s going to spread the football all over the field.”

The backup quarterback position is where the real competition comes into play. Junior Mason Cunningham, redshirt-freshman Landon Brown, and true freshman Brandon “Pop” Robinson will battle it out for the opportunity to be Buckshot’s backup.

“Mason has played a little bit in his career, he has some JUCO experience, last year he got in a game or two,” Dailey said. “He has phenomenal leadership skills, he rallies the troops and gets the guys together.”

Landon Brown, a walk-on, redshirted last year, but he got the opportunity to travel to each game. Dailey says that Pop Robinson has a huge ceiling.

Dailey’s excited about his quarterback room entering camp. “This group of quarterbacks I have coming into camp are talented, and it’s going to be exciting to see these guys grow over the next 20-30 days.

Running Backs

If there was a weakness on the offense last year it was at running back. Departing senior Carrington Mosley carried for 4.8 yards per carry and 8 touchdowns, but the rest of the backs struggled with consistency throughout the season.

Dailey wasn’t shy in his criticism of the struggles with the running game in 2017. “Last year, there were a number of times when runs could have gone further, but there were times we just wouldn’t hit that hole the way we needed to. So, a five or six yard gain turned into 2 or 3.”

Frankie Hickson and Kentory Matthews are the top returning backs, but it remains to be seen if they can be featured in the run game. Redshirt-freshman Frank Boyd turned heads during the spring and immediately vaulted himself into the discussion. JUCO transfer Peytton Pickett and true freshman Troy Henderson will also have their say during camp.

Peytton Pickett hopes to make an impression during camp

“We’ve got a little bit of everything,” Gill said of his backs. “I anticipate us having a little more success with multiple backs. It could change, we may just have one guy bearing the brunt of it, but I see us having multiple backs being able to do a lot of great things. I know that we’re faster. It’s no question about that. We’ve got a little more talent. I’m excited about it. It’s one area where we need some improvement.”

Dailey is hopeful that the newcomers will provide an extra dimension in the running game this year. “Some new faces will come in that will hopefully provide an extra burst of explosiveness each game. We brought in some guys that have that skillset, that can turn those 10-15 yard gains and take them the distance. I’m really excited about that group.”

The Flames will turn to new running back coach Mike Brown to help lead this turnaround. Brown led the Flames in rushing from the quarterback position during his playing days.

The most talented running back on the roster is ineligible in 2018 due to NCAA transfer requirements as Joshua Mack transfers in from Maine. Mack was the FCS’ leading rusher in 2017.

Wide Receivers

AGG is practicing with an injuried wrist

Three of the top four receivers return including just one of the seven 1,000 single season receivers in program history in Antonio Gandy-Golden. Damian King and B.J. Farrow combined for over 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns a season ago.

“There’s a number of guys that played a lot of snaps in that room,” Dailey said. “There’s guys that we’re bringing in, as well, that are really talented. A couple of guys that we brought in are going to do some things for us that we haven’t done in years past. Some guys that red-shirted last year are going to play a factor in what we do.”

D.J. Stubbs showed some flashes last year as a true freshman, and Lionell McConnell was a weapon in the season opening win at Baylor before succumbing to a season ending injury. McConnell is back and healthy and Khaleb Coleman is fighting for a spot in the rotation after redshirting in 2017.

JUCO transfer Kevin Shaa is expected to make an immediate impact. He chose the Flames over offers from Eastern Michigan and Old Dominion. True freshmen Sean Queen, Noah Frith, and J.T. Wood will look to turn the coach’s heads during camp.

Tight End/Fullback

Chris Barrett adds an extra dimension at tight end

In 2017, tight ends/fullbacks accounted for a combined total of 10 receptions. With a couple of additions and another year of experience for the returners, those numbers could drastically increase.

“We have to get way more production out of the (tight ends) than we have in years past,” Dailey said. “We definitely have the talent to do so. That group got instantly better overnight once we had signing day and transitioned to the 2018 season. We’ve got some guys that can stretch the field and add some more physicality to our run game.”

Zac Foutz sits at the top of the depth chart entering camp, having played in 21 games over the past two seasons. The redshirt-junior hauled in 5 receptions for 51 yards in 2017. Also returning are youngsters Fidel Ogbeifun and Jerome Jackson. Both came in as true freshmen in 2017 with Ogbeifun playing in all 11 games and Jackson redshirting.

“Fidel is a long, lean, fast kid, really strong, really stout,” Dailey said of Ogbeifun. “Jackson is phenomenal in line blocking.”

New to the roster are JUCO transfer Chris Barrett and true freshman Mason Yost. Barrett transfers in from ASA Miami after also redshirting at Georgia Southern during his first year of college. He’s a guy that can line up as a traditional tight end or out wide as a receiver. Yost comes in from the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida. He has a similar skillset to that of Jackson.

“That room was young last year in terms of the depth we had. Now we have a litany of guys that are going to be on display for us,” explained Dailey.

Offensive Line

The offense can do nothing without the help from the guys in the trenches, and Liberty’s offensive line is one of the strongest position groups on the team just a couple years after being the biggest question mark.

“I feel really strong about where we’re at,” Dailey said of the line. “Coach Stamn has done a phenomenal job of developing those guys. There’s a lot of experience in that room. There’s about 8 or 9 guys that have played ball in that group. This is one of our strongest position groups because that group has a lot of experience. They have a lot of reps under their belt. That group is really, really strong.”

The offensive line is one of the most experienced groups

Highlighting the returners is Dontae Duff, a redshirt-junior, who has started all 22 games he’s been in uniform at Liberty. Duff is coming off consecutive 2nd-team all-Big South selections and was an FCS Freshman All-American in 2016. He will anchor the line at right guard.

Coming out of nowhere during training camp in 2017 was Thomas Sargeant. Just a redshirt-sophomore after entering the program as a walk-on, Sargeant skyrocketed up the depth chart last August as he became the starting center for all 11 games. With that experience behind him, he looks to become more of a leader of the offensive unit in 2018.

Other returners with double digit starts in their careers adding to the experienced line are left tackle Julio Lozano, Ethan Crawford, and Sam Isaacson. Add to them senior captain James Passmore and you can see why Dailey raved about this group. Additionally, Damian Bounds, Ben Fiordelise, and Tristan Schultz also saw significant time in 2017.

Talented true freshmen join the fray at offensive line also. “We did a phenomenal job of recruiting guys,” mentioned Dailey.  “We added 5 big bodies in there, and, who knows, I really don’t know where they will be at the end of training camp. I’d like for the (freshmen) to be ready (to play), but there’s a lot of time between now and the first ball game and anything can happen.”