Liberty 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the Liberty Flames 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 Liberty Flames roster and what to expect in Conference USA this season. Can Jamey Chadwell cool a 6-out-of-10 hot seat after a 4-8 finish in 2025? And is Ethan Vasko the answer at quarterback after a 10-touchdown, 12-interception run a year ago?
Can Willy Korn’s offense climb after ranking 69th in total offense and 101st through the air? Does Shawn Quinn’s defense fix a run unit that finished 109th nationally in 2025? Can Jamari Person and 64 percent of returning offensive production support Vasko in Conference USA? What do transfers Jaylen Henderson, Deshawn Purdie and Kanye Udoh add to the depth chart? Can Liberty survive a Week 1 trip to James Madison and a Conference USA gauntlet? And where’s the betting value on the Liberty Flames win total, C-USA odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Chadwell On A Warning In Lynchburg
This Liberty 2026 preview opens with a head coach on notice. Jamey Chadwell is 25-13 at Liberty, yet his seat sits at 6 out of 10 after a 4-8 finish. First, Liberty went 1-6 in one-score games, so the close-game math sank the season. Then losses to Jacksonville State, Bowling Green and Kennesaw State piled up in heartbreak. Because that program won 13 games in 2023, 2026 reads like a referendum on Chadwell.
Ethan Vasko And An Offense Looking To Climb
Liberty’s offense ranked 69th in total yards in 2025, with the pass game 101st and scoring 83rd. Willy Korn calls the plays as coordinator, so the system carries over into a new year. First, Ethan Vasko takes the reins after a 10-touchdown, 12-interception, 56.8 percent season in Lynchburg. Then the room builds around receiver Jamari Person and returning linemen Joep Engbers and D.J. Geth. Because 64 percent of the production returns, Vasko inherits help and a run game that ranked 26th.
Shawn Quinn’s Defense Needs A Run Fix
Shawn Quinn runs a defense that finished 69th overall but cratered against the run at 109th. First, the pass defense held up better at 36th, so the back end is not the problem. Then the front has to replace bodies after the unit returns just 50 percent of its production. Aaron Hester and Mike Jarvis anchor the line while Aidan Vaughan returns at linebacker. Because the run numbers must improve in Conference USA, Quinn added safety Ashton Whitner and corner Ashton McShane.
The Schedule, The Flames Faithful And The Win Total
Liberty opens Week 1 on the road at James Madison before the home slate fills in. First, Gardner-Webb, Ball State and Coastal Carolina follow ahead of a Delaware visit and a Sam Houston trip. Then the Conference USA gauntlet arrives with Kennesaw State, FIU, New Mexico State and Middle Tennessee. From there, Western Kentucky and a Missouri State finale close the year at Williams Stadium. The deck sets the Liberty win total at 8.5, with the Flames plus 260 to win C-USA. They are also plus 5000 to make the College Football Playoff, so the hosts weigh the over.
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