CJ YARBROUGH SHOWING IMPROVEMENT
Early in his career, CJ Yarbrough showed incredible potential as the next star wide receiver to come through Liberty. He then decided to walk away from football and did not play during the 2021 season before joining the team this past spring where he was hindered by an injury.
It has been a slow go of things for Yarbrough so far this season, but he broke out with a big performance this past week at Old Dominion. Yarbrough was the top receiving target for the Flames as he grabbed four passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. If he can prove to be a reliable weapon for the team each and every week to go along with Demario Douglas, the offense can be more consistent and more explosive.
“I think it’s taken him this long to get back in the swing of just playing the game,” Freeze said of Yarbrough. “He sat out a long time, really doing nothing, other than working, which he’s a hard worker. This guy, he’s something, now he’s a different breed. He doesn’t mind working at all. I had one of my friends in Mississippi hire the guy to drive a truck down to Mississippi from here for him because in his mind he has his own trucking business. He doesn’t mind work. I didn’t even know he was doing it. He said, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve been hired by this guy down there. I’m going to take his furniture down there to him.’ I said who is the guy? I said oh my gosh, but he’s working at it. I love his leadership. He’s on our culture council. I think he’s just starting to get back into the real football shape and playing the game.”
INCONSISTENCY AT KICKER
Liberty continues to have struggles at kicker, something that has plagued the team for several years now. Brayden Beck was expected to be the team’s top kicker going into the season but he suffered an injury late during camp and has not been able to see the field
“We thought last week he would be (ready to go),” Freeze said of Beck. “He went out and tried Tuesday and said he couldn’t. He’s got something going on with his lower back to his hip. We will see what he feels like tomorrow.”
In Beck’s absence, Nick Brown has assumed the role of the team’s kicker. He has made 5 of his 11 field goals with a long of 49 while having one blocked. He missed a 19 yarder at Old Dominion and is just 1 of 4 from 30-39 yards.
“I ask Tanner that all the time, but he believes Nick can be the best of the group,” Freeze said of the other healthy kickers on the roster. “The other night, again, I thought he was really solid until the last kick, and again he’s young. He’s like Kaidon at quarterback and he’s a kicker. I don’t know if he’s been in enough of those situations to just take the same swing. It’s nothing different. You don’t have to speed up and hurry. Trust the protection, trust the snap, hold, and knock it through.”
AIDAN ALVES HAS BECOME ONE OF THE BEST PUNTERS IN THE COUNTRY
Aidan Alves has been Liberty’s punter since the 2018 season when he averaged just 37 yards per punt. The sixth-year senior has quietly grown into becoming one of the best punters in the country as evidenced by him being named to the Ray Guy Award watch list following the Akron game. So far this season, Alves is averaging 42.4 yards per punt on his 24 punts with a long of 64. He’s had nine kicks downed inside the 20 and only one touchback.
“I didn’t think he was any good when I got here,” Freeze said of Alves. “I said we gotta find us a durn punter, this guy can’t punt. Now, I trust him immensely. He’s punting really solid.”
INJURY REPORT
Eddie Ogle, who was just put on scholarship earlier this season, was injured during Saturday’s game against Old Dominion and he will be out the rest of the season.
“What a sickening feeling you have, somebody that has worked so hard that he has gotten to the point where he is on all four special teams and doing a good job for us, gets a scholarship, and he’s ruptured his Achilles’,” said Freeze. “He’s going to have to have surgery. That’s a long rehab. We hate that for him, but like true Eddie, he handled that great.”
QB Kaidon Salter is still working to get back to 100% from his groin injury. He was not seen during the open portion of practice on Tuesday, and the Flames could be without their starting quarterback this week at UMass.
RB TJ Green has been in uniform the past few weeks but he has yet to see the field since injuring his left leg during training camp.
“I love that kid,” Freeze said of Green on Thursday. “He’s a great teammate and a good player, but I still don’t think he’s 100% yet, unfortunately. He still has a little gimp to his stride.”
TE Bentley Hanshaw was not a full participant in Tuesday’s open practice, leaving his status for this week’s game in question. The Flames only had three healthy tight ends going through practice Tuesday in Jerome Jackson, Michael Bollinger, and Austin Henderson.
WR Caleb Snead missed the last two games after being seen on the sidelines of the Akron game with a boot on his lower right leg and utilizing a scooter. Once again, he was not at Tuesday’s practice.
“We’re still battling some health, but I’m sure a lot of teams probably are,” Freeze said on Thursday. “Next man up and we’ve got to find a game plan that works for who we have available and get ready to play what I think is an improved UMass team, particularly defensively.”
