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
- WKU (18)
- Liberty (4)
- MTSU
- Louisiana Tech
- New Mexico State
- UTEP
- Jacksonville State
- 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