Linebacker has been a position where Liberty has had to patch together pretty much each and every year since making the move to FBS. Many times, the Flames have gone to the transfer portal bringing in veteran pieces that may only have one year of eligibility remaining, but it would get the job done for that year.
That was not the case though for the Flames at linebacker last season. It was 6th year linebacker Tyren Dupree who stepped into a greatly expanded role and one that he flourished in. Dupree was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Year after racking up 123 tackles. He also added 8 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery. But, Dupree is out of eligibility and will not be on the Liberty football roster in 2024.
There are two returners Liberty can lean on at linebacker entering the 2024 campaign in Joe Carter and Jerome Jolly, Jr. Carter began his time at Liberty as a walk-on before earning a scholarship during training camp last August. He went on to become one of the team’s top linebackers and saw his role continue to expand as the season matured. Carter finished the season with 59 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Jolly has been in the program for a few years. Early in his career he played safety and spent much of his time on special teams. Now, as a full-time linebacker, Jolly made his biggest impact on the field to this point in his career in 2023 when he had 55 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. His experience as a defensive back provides a great strength for him at linebacker with his ability to drop back into coverage in certain packages.
The Liberty coaching staff was also very aggressive in the portal looking for linebackers to help add depth and experience. The Flames have brought in East Carolina transfer Teylor Jackson. Jackson is a 6’1″, 212 pound linebacker who started all 12 games for the Pirates at Mike linebacker in 2023 where he made 52 total tackles, 1 sack, 4 pass break ups, 3 QB hurries, and a forced fumble. He has one year of eligibility remaining. From 2020-2022, Jackson played in 29 games at East Carolina.
Jahmar Brown has also joined the Liberty roster. A transfer from Coastal Carolina, Brown is a 6’1″, 210 pound athlete who has played both defensive back and linebacker and likely projects as a linebacker at Liberty. Brown, a grad transfer who also has one year of eligibility remaining, played in 12 games at Coastal last past season with 26 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 4 sacks and 2 passes defended. In 2022, Brown played in seven games for the Chanticleers before suffering a season ending injury. He recorded 21 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and 3 sacks in 2022. Prior to his time at Coastal, Brown began his career at South Carolina where played in 18 games over three seasons, finishing with 23 tackles.
Wisconsin transfer Aidan Vaughan is another name to watch out for here as he is a piece that can be used for development with his best years likely ahead of him, but he is also someone who can fight for playing time immediately. This group has the potential to have more depth than we have seen in a while at linebacker for the Flames.
Previous Roster Reviews:
