Liberty picked second in preseason Conference USA football poll

Liberty, gearing up for its first season in Conference USA, was picked to finish second in the league in the preseason poll voted on by members of the news media ahead of next week’s C-USA Football Kickoff.

Western Kentucky, which tied for second in the conference in 2022, was picked first in the media poll.

League champ UTSA, which finished its 2022 C-USA season with an 8-0 record and was 11-3 overall, is moving to the AAC this season.

Liberty was 8-5 in 2022 in its final season as an FBS independent, getting out to a 7-1 start that included wins over BYU and Arkansas, before losing four of its last five, including a 21-19 loss to Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl.

The 2023 season will be the first for new coach Jamey Chadwell, who replaced Hugh Freeze, who left Liberty for Auburn after guiding the Flames to a 34-15 mark in his four seasons in Lynchburg.

Chadwell, at Coastal Carolina, was 39-22 in five seasons, leading the Chanticleers to an 11-1 record and #14 final national ranking in 2020, and following that up with 11-2 and 9-3 seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Chadwell is 99-57 in 14 seasons overall in stops including Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, Delta State and North Greenville.

2023 CUSA Preseason Football Poll

1. WKU (18)
2. Liberty (4)
3. MTSU
4. Louisiana Tech
5. New Mexico State
6. UTEP
7. Jacksonville State
8. FIU and Sam Houston

Note: First-place votes are listed in parentheses, and the predicted order of finish was selected by a panel of the league’s media.

2023 CUSA Preseason Player Watch List

OFFENSE

QB  Gavin Hardison, RS Sr., UTEP

QB  Grayson James, Jr., FIU

QB  Diego Pavia, Sr., New Mexico State

QB  Austin Reed, RS Sr., WKU

RB  Anwar Lewis, RS Jr., Jacksonville State

RB  Frank Peasant, Jr., Middle Tennessee

WR Ife Adeyi, Sr., Sam Houston

WR Malachi Corley, Jr., WKU

WR Noah Frith, Sr., Liberty

WR Smoke Harris, RS Sr., Louisiana Tech

TE   Sean Brown, RS Jr., Jacksonville State

OL  Carson Bruno, RS So., Louisiana Tech

OL  X’Zauvea Gadlin, Sr., Liberty

OL  Ethan Hagler, Sr., Sam Houston

OL  Elijah Klein, RS Sr., UTEP

OL  Quantavious Lee, Jr., WKU

OL  Jacob Peace, Sr., FIU

OL  Shiyazh Pete, RS So., New Mexico State

OL  Keylan Rutledge, So., Middle Tennessee

DEFENSE

DE  Praise Amaewhule, RS Sr., UTEP

DE  J-Rock Swain, Jr., Jacksonville State

DL   Kendy Charles, Sr., Liberty

DL   Marley Cook, RS Jr., Middle Tennessee

DL   Jordan Guerad, RS So., FIU

DL   Deshon Hall, Sr., Louisiana Tech

DL   Chris Hardie, RS Jr., Jacksonville State

DL   Markel Perry, Gr., Sam Houston

DL   Dion Wilson Jr., Jr., New Mexico State

LB   JaQues Evans, Jr., WKU

LB   Kavian Gaither, Jr., Sam Houston

LB   Tyrice Knight, RS Sr., UTEP

LB   Donovan Manuel, Sr., FIU

DB  Quinton Reese, Sr., Liberty

DB  Willie Roberts, Sr., Louisiana Tech

DB  Teldrick Ross, RS Sr., Middle Tennessee

DB  Andre Seldon, RS So., New Mexico State

SPECIAL TEAMS

K     Nick Brown, So., Liberty

K     Alen Karajic, Jr., Jacksonville State

K     Zeke Rankin, Jr., Middle Tennessee

K/P Jadon Cardell, RS So., Sam Houston

P     Tom Ellard, RS So., WKU

P     Daton Montiel, RS Jr., FIU

P     Joshua Sloan, Jr., UTEP

PR/KR   Smoke Harris, RS Sr., Louisiana Tech

KR   Jonathan Brady, So., New Mexico State