Liberty’s 2018 recruiting class has gotten off to a terrific start with verbals from wide receivers Sean Queen and JT Wood, running back Uriah West, tight end Mason Yost, defensive lineman Emmanuel Cater, and defensive back Marcellous Harris.
This class is the first full recruiting class Coach Gill and the Flames have been able to sell prospects on the team being an FBS member. When these recruits show up on campus for the 2018 season, Liberty will be an FBS member and will be playing a full FBS schedule.
Sean Queen was the first commit of the class when he committed on June 16th. He’s a 2 star prospect from McDonough, Georgia and Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. He’s 5’11” and 180 pounds and chose Liberty over Kent State and several other FCS programs. As a junior he hauled in 29 passes for 669 yards and 9 touchdowns. Sean’s mother and father both attended Liberty and were part of the Flames’ track & field program. His dad also played football for Liberty.
JT Wood is also a 2 star prospect who chose Liberty over South Alabama, Troy, and Western Illinois. As a junior he had 40 receptions for 560 yards and 4 touchdowns. Mason Yost is a 6’4″, 235 pound tight end prospect from Jacksonville, Florida and The Bolles School. He chose Liberty over Army and several FCS programs.
West is one of three 2 star prospects who have committed to Liberty thus far. He is a 6’0″, 205 pound prospect from Douglasville, Georgia and Douglas County High School. He had offers from Ball State, Bowling Green, Marshall, Toledo, and Troy. He was one of the first prospects in this class Liberty’s coaching staff sought, offering him in January, prior to the announced FBS move in February. As a junior, West rushed for 913 yards and 11 touchdowns on 94 carries. He also caught 10 passes for 171 yards.
Emmanuel Cater was the 2nd commitment in the class, as the 6’2″, 260 pound defensive line prospect chose Liberty over an offer from Tennessee State. He attends Hiram High School in Hiram, Georgia. Marcellous Harris is a 6’0″, 190 pound defensive back that attends Harding University High School in Charlotte. He chose Liberty over offers from Army, Navy, and numerous FCS offers.
With the increase in scholarships as Coach Gill and the Flames continue to make the transition to a full FBS member, the coaching staff is attempting to sign 25 student-athletes in the class of 2018.
Some of Liberty’s top prospects for the class include quarterbacks Caleb Lynum, John Foreback, and Riley Smith. Lynum, a 2-star prospect from Leesburg, Florida, has 6 FBS offers and visited campus in July. Foreback is a 6’3″ prospect from Morristown, Tennessee with offers from Ball State and several FCS programs. He’s also a 2 star prospect. Smith is a 3 star prospect from Bartram Trail High School in Jacksonville, Florida with approximately 15 FBS offers.
Top running back prospects include Dylan McDuffie and Bryson Godfrey. McDuffie is from Attica, New York, and has touts offers from several programs including Buffalo, Central Michigan, Ohio, and Western Michigan. Godfrey is from Taylorsville, North Carolina and has named a top 5 of Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, JMU, Liberty, and ODU.
Even with 2 early pledges at receiver, the coaching staff could still look to find a 3rd wideout with Jyaire Shorter a top prospect. Shorter is a 6’3″ prospect from Killeen, Texas, and he has offers from Bowling Green, Houston, Louisiana-Lafayette, North Texas, UTSA, Texas State, and several FCS programs.
Some of the Flames’ top offensive line prospects include Josh Jefferson, Ford Roberts, and Henry Chibueze. On the defensive front, Donavan King and Jomard Valsin are a couple names to become familiar with.
Linebackers Jalen Rayam, Matthew Jester, Josh Marsh, Blake Carroll are some prospects to keep an eye on, while Tyus Phillips, Lance Boykin, Cardavion Myers, and Javon Scruggs are top prospects in the defensive backfield. Myers has named a top 6 of Liberty, Western Kentucky, Troy, Southern Miss, UAB, and Middle Tennessee State.
New for this class, is an early signing period, allowing 2018 recruits to sign between December 20th and 22nd. Players could either sign in December or wait until the normal signing period of February.
