At this point last season, the running game was considered one of the greater weaknesses for Liberty. Des Rice blew out his knee in the spring and D.J. Abnar had never led the backfield before, bringing forth the fear of the unknown. Things are completely different this season as there has never been this much excitement at the tailback position. With the combination of two All-Big South running backs and three solid backups, it is very possible this will be the most talented backfield the Flames have ever seen.
2 D.J. Abnar (5-10, 185, Sr.)
Following his breakout season, D.J. Abnar worked hard to keep himself atop the depth chart for the coming year. He put together an impressive 1,289 rushing yards which earned him All-Big South honors last season. Though he is listed as the starter, it is very possible Abnar will play a greater role in the offense than just at running back. In our final Spring Practice Notebook, Troy Moore mentioned Abnar was very impressive in the slot and considering the depth of the RB position, it is possible we see him there quite a bit. In any manner, I believe we will be hearing Abnar’s name quite a bit in the coming season.
Des Rice
26 Desmond Rice (5-8, 195, R-Sr.)
After missing the 2014 season due to knee surgery, Des Rice makes his long awaited return to the offensive backfield. With his strong north-to-south running style, Rice is expected to make quite an impact in the coming year. He, along with Abnar, will likely see the majority of the reps and together they will possibly be the best 1-2 running back combination in the Big South. Rice rushed for 967 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2013, earning him All-Big South honors.
22 Todd Macon (5-10, 210, So.)
Todd Macon played just 8 games this past season due to injury. He rushed for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns in those games. While it is seems Rice and Abnar will run the show next season, Macon can still produce and have some type of impact in the offense.
Austin Kaigler
20 Austin Kaigler (5-9, 200, Sr.)
Austin Kaigler didn’t spend much time in the backfield last year as he racked up just 41 total rushing yards. With the likes of Abnar, Rice, and Macon before him, Kaigler will be in a similar situation this coming year. He, along with Carrington Mosley, did see the majority of the reps for the spring football game, but Abnar and Macon both sat out giving way for that.
34 Carrington Mosley (5-11, 225, So.)
Similar to Kaigler, Carrington Mosley, who is a Liberty Christian Academy grad, barely saw the field during the 2014 season. Considering the amount of talent at the RB position this season, it appears that may be the case again in the coming year.
