Liberty head football coach Hugh Freeze will be facing his alma mater for the first time ever this weekend, but there will also be a familiar face at quarterback for the visiting Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
Quarterback Jack Abraham was born in Oxford, Mississippi, the same town Freeze is originally from. Abraham also attended several Hugh Freeze football camps during his time in high school while Freeze was the head coach at Ole Miss.
“Jack Abraham, who I know extremely well, worked him out many times at our camps,” Freeze said this week. “He is a very accurate passer and great competitor, great leader, and he’s got really good receivers to throw to.”
Freeze and Ole Miss never offered the 6’0″, 209 pound Abraham who was a 3-star recruit out of high school. Abraham ended up at Louisiana Tech where he redshirted the 2016 season before transferring to Northwest Mississippi Community College.
In his lone season of JUCO ball, Abraham threw for 2,949 yards and 23 touchdowns as his team went 8-3 in 2017. He then transferred to Southern Miss.
During the 2018 season, Abraham won the starting job at USM, finishing the year completing 73.1% of his 305 passes, as he led the nation in completion percentage and was No. 4 in completions per game.
Last season was more of the same for Abraham, who become only the third Golden Eagle quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season, finishing with 3,496 yards. So far this season, Abraham is 85 of 132 passing for 1,112 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in Southern Miss’ four games.
“This is the best quarterback that we have played,” Liberty defensive coordinator Scott Symons said. “He can run, he can throw, he’s a winner. He’s a guy that probably, if he’s two inches taller, is playing in the SEC. He’s been in the moment. He’s made big plays. He’s very efficient running their offense. By far, I think, the best arm talent, as far as accuracy, that we have seen to date this season.”
Abraham led Southern Miss to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl last season, and certainly he will want a little bit of payback as Freeze and some of his current staff didn’t think he could play in the SEC. But Abraham and the Golden Eagles offense will have their work cut out for themselves this week as they prepare to go up against the 4th best defense in the nation, based on total defense, and the 8th best passing defense nationally.
“He’s not going to be frazzled out there, in terms of different things,” Liberty safeties coach Corey Batoon said. “There’s nothing we’re going to be able to throw at him that he hasn’t already seen.”
