With the addition of Ethan Vasko to Liberty’s quarterback room, the Flames now have four quarterbacks on their roster for 2025. Who will be the starter will Liberty opens the season on August 30 against Maine?
Ethan Vasko
The 6’3″, 220 pound quarterback is originally from Chesapeake, Virginia where he attended Oscar Smith High School. He began his college career at Kansas before transferring to Coastal Carolina and new head coach Tim Beck following the 2022 season.
Vasko is the quarterback Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell was looking for when he went into the portal wanting someone with playing experience. He started all 12 games for Coastal in 2024 and brings that experience to Lynchburg now.
In his first full season as a starter, Vasko had a few games that were very good. Look at some of these stat lines:
8/29 @ Jacksonville State: 12/19 for 249 with 2 TDs, 1 INT, 12 rushes for 39 yards, 1 TD
9/14 @ Temple: 15/21 for 103 with 1 TD, 16 rushes for 92 yards
10/5 vs ODU: 19/26 for 367 with 3 TDs
11/17 vs App St: 14/18 for 150 with 1 TD, 13 rushes for 52 yards, 1 TD
11/30 @ Georgia State: 13/17 for 200 with 3 TDs, 1 INT, 13 rushes for 68 yards, 1 TD
All of those games ended in wins for the Chanticleers. But he also had games like this:
9/7 vs William & Mary: 8/23 for 160, 6 carries for 59 yards
10/10 @ JMU: 5/18 for 84 with 1 TD, 2 INTs, 4 carries for 38 yards
10/19 vs Louisiana: 3/10 for 10 yards, 1 carry for 7 yards
11/23 vs Georgia Southern: 10/25 for 102 with 2 INTs, 4 carries for 22 yards
What’s the real story there? Can he learn to be consistent?
We have to see how he performs, but Vasko is certainly the favorite to be the Flames’ starter in 2025 entering spring ball.
Ryan Burger
We will get our first true look at Burger in the Bahamas Bowl against Buffalo on January 4. If he has a banner day and leads the Flames to a win with the team rallying around him, his prospects on winning the job for 2025 will greatly increase.
The former Appalachian State transfer, Burger played sparingly, mainly late in games already decided, for the Flames this past season. He was named the Mountaineers’ starter for the 2023 season, completing 7 of 11 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown in the season opener against Gardner-Webb before suffering an injury and not returning to the field that year. He also completed 4 of 6 passes for 40 yards in a brief appearance in a lopsided App State win in October 2022 against Robert Morris.
Having been Salter’s backup all season and preparing to start the Bahamas Bowl, Burger has the leg up on the competition in terms of knowing the playbook and the system. How will he perform in the bowl game and in spring practice?
Jayden Bradford
Bradford was the highly touted prospect out of IMG Academy and the first quarterback Chadwell and Willy Korn signed after taking the Liberty job. At the time, he was the highest rated QB to ever sign with the Flames out of high school.
Bradford did not play in 2024 and he’s currently third on the depth chart entering the Bahamas Bowl. He suffered an undisclosed injury during the season and is putting off surgery until after the bowl game and is expected to miss 2-3 months following surgery.
Will he be back for spring practice? Will Bradford be able to supplant both Vasko and Burger, especially if he misses the spring and those two have the entire spring to work and showcase their talent for the coaching staff?
Ethan Houck
Houck, who will be a true freshman for Liberty in 2025, saw his stock rise significantly during his senior season, as he threw for 2,156 passing yards with 42 total touchdowns this past fall. He ended up surpassing Bradford to become the highest rated high school quarterback to ever sign with the Flames. He was also the highest rated QB prospect this signing class to sign with a G5 program by all three national recruiting services.
Here’s part of what Chadwell said about Houck after he signed earlier this month:
“He’s a guy that can physically do all the things that you love for your quarterback to do, from throwing, from running. A big guy. We are excited about him and his progress and really his ceiling. I think he’s got a lot of untapped potential. He’s got an unbelievable work ethic. I’m excited to see Coach Korn, Coach Dixon work with him and get him in the program. I think he’s got a great future ahead of him. Great character. I think he’s going to be a leader of men, I believe that, that’s what you want from your quarterback position, you need someone that leads. I think that is somebody that our guys will gravitate to.”
A mid-year enrollee, Houck will be with the Flames this spring. Like we saw with Bradford, it will be really difficult for a true freshman to make a serious push at the starting job. If he does, then he will have certainly earned it by winning the job over two quarterbacks that have already been in the system for a year and another who began his career in the Big 12 and has a full season of starting at an FBS program under his belt.
