In the absence of 4-year starter Buckshot Calvert, Liberty’s quarterback room will be jam-packed when spring ball begins in a couple months.
We recently reported that Maine grad transfer Chris Ferguson will join the Flames for the 2020 season. In addition, 3-star quarterback Sean Brown made his commitment to Coach Freeze and the Flames official on Wednesday, Dec. 18 when he signed with Liberty.
Ferguson and Brown will join soon-to-be redshirt junior Malik Willis, Jonathan Bennett, Landon Brown, Henry Van Dellen, Brandon Robinson, and Will Bowers on the roster. While Calvert started each game, Bennett, Brown and Robinson each logged playing time for the Flames in 2019. That’s a total of eight QBs who will be vying for playing time when spring ball opens for the Flames next semester.
Ferguson was Maine’s starting quarterback through six games before suffering a season-ending foot injury on a QB sneak against Richmond Oct 12. Prior to his injury, Ferguson threw for 1,655 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Had Ferguson not been injured, he likely would have started against the Flames in Lynchburg the following week.
Sean Brown is a pro-style quarterback from Apex, North Carolina. Brown, a 3-star recruit, pledged to the Flames in June. He picked Liberty over several FCS offers. In his senior season at Middle Creek High School, Brown threw for 2,309 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 picks. Look for Brown to use 2019 as a developmental year, maybe even as a redshirt.
While it’s still early, Willis appears to be the favorite to start under center for Liberty in 2020. Willis is a dual-threat QB known for making plays with his legs, but most aren’t aware of how well Willis throws the ball. Willis brought an exciting style of play to Lynchburg when he arrived for fall camp in 2019, and he should be a lot of fun for Liberty fans to watch over the next two years.
Bennett was arguably the centerpiece of Liberty’s 2019 recruiting class. The 6’1, 170 lb. Bennett, of Summerville, South Carolina, is also a dual threat quarterback. He saw playing time in each of Liberty’s first two games before suffering a freak injury celebrating a Robinson touchdown against Hampton Sept. 21. Prior to his injury, Bennett served as the backup quarterback behind Calvert. Bennett is expected to be a full-go for spring practice in March.
Robinson is yet another dual-threat quarterback. He was used primarily in goal-line situations in 2019, usually out of option sets. Robinson ran for three touchdowns in 2019 and threw for one more. With Willis eligible and Bennett back from injury in 2020, it will be interesting to see if the Flames continue to use Robinson in certain situations.
Landon Brown saw playing time in three games, mainly in the fourth quarter. Most recently, he completed two of six passes for 33 yards against Virginia Nov. 23. He also tossed a pick in his lone passing attempt against Maine. Bowers, a freshman, did not see playing duty in 2019, nor did Van Dellen: a junior walk-on who previously played at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.
Buckshot’s absence will undoubtedly be strange next year, but the QB room is in good hands. The depth chart will likely begin to materialize as spring practice unfolds.
