TJ Bush came in as a true freshman last year from Woodbridge, Virginia. He started every single game for Liberty at defensive end as a true freshman. That alone is an impressive feat, but he excelled on the field.
The 6’2”, 265 pound athlete finished his true freshman campaign with 32 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He also ranked fourth on the team with five pass breakups. It helped him earn freshman Al-American honors for his play.
So far through two games in his sophomore season, Bush has taken his play to another level. He has 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and one pass breakup. All of those numbers lead the team.
“I’ve been kidding with him last week,” said Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell of Bush. “He changed his number (from 23 to 3), and I told him I missed 23, missed a young guy that was just happy to be playing and loved playing. Not saying that he wasn’t, but I think sometimes when you have so much success, that you think it comes natural and it’s just always going to be there.”
That hasn’t been the case for Bush. He has only taken his game to the next level. In Liberty’s 30-24, come from behind win at New Mexico State this past Saturday, it was Bush’s play that helped jumpstart the Flames’ come back. He was able to get into the opposing backfield and pressure the quarterback, picking up two sacks and a pass breakup, all coming in critical situations.
It doesn’t come as a surprise for TJ as he focused all offseason on improving his ability to rush the passer.
“The focus in the offseason, I was focusing on rushing the passer,” said Bush. “As a collective, the whole D-Line worked on rushing the passer. The interior creating pressure and then, off the edges, clean up any of the dirty work.”
Being in his second full season playing in college, the game has slowed down some for him. He knew what to expect in the offseason and what to expect during a game. Bush has been able to more effectively and efficiently pick up on tendencies and pre-snap reads.
“TJ is the type of player that can be a player of the year type guy,” said Chadwell. “He’s got that ability. He’s got that mindset. He’s very smart, and he’s improved tremendously.”
One of Liberty’s weak spots last year was on the defensive side of the ball. Most of the defensive line group that saw significant playing time was young and relatively inexperienced.
Behind Bush, the Flames have seen improvement in several areas on defense already this season. Liberty is currently allowing 116.5 rushing yards per game on 3.1 yards per rush with four sacks in the first two games of the season. Those numbers are all at a better rate than what the Flames had in 2023. Of course, we are only two games into the season and there is a long way to go, but the trends are pointing in the right direction for both Bush and this defensive unit.
“I’m just going out there every week,” said Bush. “Just trying to have fun, play with my guys, and just do everything I can to help us win.”
He’s done that so far, helping the Flames to a 2-0 start to the 2024 season. With Bush on the field, Liberty is 15-1 during his career. There’s not many players around the country that can say they have the same type of record to begin their college career.
“We’re pleased with his progress,” Chadwell stated. “I think it’s hard, you have an unbelievable year. It’s hard to be a freshman All American. Then, there’s typically a sophomore slump. You hear about that all the time. But he’s put in his mind to continue to grow, continue to get better.”
