Liberty Football

Liberty University and head football coach Hugh Freeze reportedly have reached an agreement on an eight-year contract extension through the 2030 season.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Friday the new deal "averages just under $5 million per year," bringing the total salary to around $40 million.

Freeze has compiled a 33-12 record since being hired by Liberty in December 2018. That includes a 7-1 mark so far this season, with the only loss coming against then-No. 19 Wake Forest by one point in mid-September.

After last week's win over BYU, the 53-year-old coach said he hoped the Flames would begin getting some respect from the poll voters.

"I would think we would probably get a few votes here and there, but you've got to go to Arkansas next," Freeze told reporters. "If you don't get it done against an SEC team, they just drop you out of it. How much value we put on that is pretty small, really. Now, at the end of the season, I think there's some value that would be put on that if we end up in it."

Liberty ended up in the "also receiving votes" section of both the Associated Press and Coaches polls.

Freeze previously compiled a 39-25 record across five years at Ole Miss, though 27 of those victories were later vacated following an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations by the program. The team lost a total of 33 wins as part of the punishment.

He resigned from his role with the Rebels in July 2017 after a separate investigation into allegations he called a female escort service, which the school said also showed a "concerning pattern" of use from his university-issued phone.

Before his time at Ole Miss, Freeze served as head coach at Lambuth and Arkansas State.

The Flames' clash with the Razorbacks is scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday at the Hogs' Razorback Stadium.

The Washington Commanders were reportedly doing their "due diligence" on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis while attending the Flames' pro day on Tuesday.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the update on Willis, one of the top QB prospects in the 2022 draft, during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show:

"The Washington Commanders are here doing their due diligence.. I dunno if they'll take a QB but they're doing all their research" ~@RapSheet#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Qh2O7EiqEl

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 22, 2022

The Commanders previously acquired quarterback Carson Wentz in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts.

It's unlikely Washington would have made the deal for Wentz unless it viewed him as a surefire starter to open the 2022 campaign.

That said, the Commanders can get out of his four-year, $128 million contract, which is scheduled to run through 2024, next offseason without leaving any dead cap space. So if he fails to assert himself as their new franchise quarterback, it could be a short tenure in the nation's capital.

His uncertain long-term status is probably why the team's front office is at least taking a look at the draft's top signal-callers.

Willis possesses the most upside of any quarterback in the class. He spent his first two college seasons as a reserve at Auburn before transferring to Liberty for a chance to start.

He completed 62.4 percent of his throws for 5,107 yards with 47 touchdowns and 18 interceptions across 23 appearances for the Flames. He added 1,835 rushing yards and 27 scores on the ground.

While those numbers come with the caveat they were compiled against lower-level competition than he would have faced with Auburn in the SEC, they still represent the type of dual-threat playmaking ability that's built for the modern NFL.

Willis has the arm strength to hit any window on the field, but the key questions have surrounded whether he's accurate enough to thrive at the next level.

He explained at the NFL Scouting Combine in early March his misses in college were mostly related to his footwork.

"That's where some of the flaws in my game come from, maybe some inaccuracies," Willis told reporters. "It's just from footwork. It's not from just being inaccurate."

If Willis works through those issues and starts hitting receivers in stride on intermediate and deep throws, he's got all the other tools to become a Pro Bowl quarterback.

A year on the sideline to continue those progressions while also learning about NFL defenses, which represents a steep learning curve from what he faced in college, wouldn't be a bad thing. Landing with a team like Washington could work over the long haul.

That said, the Commanders have a chance to seriously compete in the NFC this season if Wentz provides stability under center, so using the No. 11 overall pick on a prospect who could make an instant impact seems more likely.

This year's NFL draft notably does not have a front-runner for the top quarterback in the class. Longtime ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. threw out an interesting name when discussing who might emerge as the most coveted signal-caller in the next few months.

"The mock draft is about what we're hearing, not what we think, and that's why I say, when you look at Malik Willis, I think by the time we get to late-April, he may be the first quarterback taken," Kiper said.

Willis spent the last two years as the starting quarterback for Liberty and was known for his dual-threat ability. In 2021, he threw for 2,857 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 878 rushing yards and 13 scores.

Kiper noted that if Willis has an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl on Feb. 5 in Mobile, Alabama, it could propel him into the top 10.

"He's got that thick upper body, he's a powerful kid, he's fast, he surprises people with that deceptive speed and that deceptive strength," Kiper said. "If he lights it up in Mobile, he's gonna really be a guy that's gonna maybe end up in that top 10."

As for where Willis might land, Kiper speculated that the Atlanta Falcons might be ready to pick up the successor to longtime quarterback Matt Ryan.

Ryan has spent his entire 14-year career in Atlanta and threw for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. It was Ryan's first time throwing for under 4,000 yards since his third year in the league, and it was his lowest touchdown total since 2017. Ryan has thrown double-digit interceptions in each of the past three seasons.

"Maybe Atlanta. ... They passed on quarterbacks last year, the heir-apparent to Ryan. Do they pass on the heir-apparent this year? If Willis is really strong in this draft process over the next 94 days leading up to the draft, I think Malik Willis could end up an Atlanta Falcon at pick No. 8," Kiper said.

Kenny Pickett opted out of Pittsburgh's bowl game against Michigan State, but he will lace it up at the 2022 Senior Bowl.

ESPN's Jordan Reid reported Pickett, North Carolina's Sam Howell, Liberty's Malik Willis, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, Nevada's Carson Strong and Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe will all compete in the Senior Bowl as quarterbacks.

The first thing that jumps out about this year's top QB prospects—not including Ole Miss' Matt Corral, who isn't playing in the Senior Bowl—is that they all come from programs that are not considered traditional football powerhouses.

While players such as Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, Alabama's Mac Jones and Ohio State's Justin Fields went from dominating headlines at major programs and competing for national titles during their collegiate careers right into the NFL spotlight as first-rounders in last year's draft, this year will be different.

Yet, this is a group that is accustomed to exceeding expectations.

All Ridder did was lead the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff as they became the first Group of Five team to reach the sport's biggest stage. Pickett directed the Panthers to the ACC title, and Zappe became the NCAA FBS single-season record holder in passing yards and touchdowns while playing for the Hilltoppers.

There will likely be more concerns that Howell and Willis will have to overcome as far as their 2021 campaigns.

Howell was seen by many as a Heisman Trophy candidate for a North Carolina team that could take home the ACC crown. Instead, the Tar Heels went 6-7 and struggled with consistency while their quarterback threw for career lows in yards (3,056) and touchdowns (24) to go with a career-high nine interceptions.

As for Willis, he didn't face the same level of competition at Liberty and struggled in a high-profile game against Ole Miss with zero touchdown passes and three interceptions.

The quarterbacks will have a chance to bolster their draft stock Feb. 5 when the Senior Bowl takes place in Mobile, Alabama, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

In B/R's latest big board, the players were ranked as follows: Ridder (17), Pickett (43), Corral (82, not playing), Willis (87), Howell (92), Strong (93), Zappe (107).

Liberty Flames head coach Hugh Freeze is set to become one of the highest-paid non-Power 5 college football coaches in the nation. 

Freeze and Liberty have reportedly reached a new deal that will pay him more than $4 million annually, per ESPN's Chris Low. The contract will run through the 2028 season. 

The new contract is expected to be officially announced Wednesday, Low adds, and it will be comparable to what five SEC coaches are making. 

It's a well-earned deal for Freeze, who has been at Liberty since 2019. The Flames went 8-5 during his first season at the helm and 10-1 last season. Liberty also won the Cure Bowl during Freeze's first two seasons as head coach. 

The 52-year-old has led the Flames to a 7-4 record this season. Liberty's final game of the 2021 regular season is against Army on Nov. 27. 

Freeze's new deal is also an important one for Liberty as the program is set to transition from a FBS independent program to Conference USA beginning with the 2023 season.

Freeze has also coached at Arkansas State and Ole Miss. He went 10-3 at Arkansas State in 2011 and 39-25 in five seasons at Ole Miss from 2012-16. He also led the Rebels to wins in the BBVA Compass Bowl, Music City Bowl and Sugar Bowl. 

Freeze is 5-2 overall in Bowl games, losing just the GoDaddy.com Bowl in 2011 and the Peach Bowl in 2014. 

Freeze resigned as head coach of the Rebels in July 2017 after a "pattern of inappropriate conduct" that included a "one-minute call made from Freeze's University-issued phone to a number associated with a female escort service," according to USA Today's Dan Wolken.

Before joining Liberty, Low adds that Freeze talked to Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee about coordinator and assistant positions.  

A dream season for the Liberty Flames ended with their biggest win of the season Saturday as they knocked off previously undefeated No. 12 Coastal Carolina 37-34 in overtime at the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Liberty nearly won the game in regulation, but while trying to run the clock down to kick a potential winning field goal, CCU forced and recovered a fumble at the goal line to push the game to overtime. The Flames then blocked a field goal from Coastal that would've forced double overtime to seal the win. 

This was ruled a fumble while Liberty was in the red zone: pic.twitter.com/rXCVQmVJ2b

— ESPN (@espn) December 27, 2020

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1343045963590602758

In his second year at Liberty (10-1), head coach Hugh Freeze got his team to 10 wins, a second-consecutive Cure Bowl victory and the program's first win over a ranked opponent. 

Coastal had been a darling of college football after making it through the regular season without a loss but found itself on the outside of a New Year's Six bowl regardless. On Saturday, the Chanticleers' dream campaign ended in stunning fashion as Liberty grabbed an early 14-0 lead and forced an epic CCU comeback that fell short.

    

Notable Performers

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Flames: 19-of-29 passing, 220 yards, 2 interceptions, 21 carries, 137 yards, 4 rushing touchdowns 

Joshua Mack, RB, Liberty Flames: 14 carries, 105 yards

Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: 21-for-32 passing, 318 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 96 yards rushing, 15 carries, 1 rushing touchdown 

Jaivon Heiligh, WR, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: 13 catches, 178 yards

Flames Weather Coastal's Rally 

It took until late in the third quarter before Coastal Carolina could overcome its own errors and put the Flames on their heels. It was also worth the wait. 

After Liberty took a 31-19 lead to begin the fourth quarter, the Chanticleers answered with a score of their own to make it a one-possession game. That set up a fierce six-play, 72-yard drive with five minutes left in the game to knot things up at 34 all. A touchdown pass from CCU freshman quarterback Grayson McCall to Greg Latushko gave way to a two-point conversion that McCall ran in with ease. By the time the drive ended, three minutes remained, though it only took Liberty 1:20 to march right back down to the goal line. 

That's where tailback Joshua Mack committed what was almost an unredeemable error by dropping the ball before reaching the end zone after CCU practically begged him to score. 

PUT IT IN THE LOUVRE pic.twitter.com/xu6rKfh7Ad

— Coastal Football (@CoastalFootball) December 27, 2020

Instead it's just another footnote in what's likely the most memorable bowl game of the season this side of the New Year's Six.

Consider McCall had been virtually flawless all season. On Saturday he tossed his third interception of the year. That he also helped wideout Jaivon Heiligh set a school record with 13 receptions against Liberty showed just how difficult it was for him to make any mistakes. 

Even before the Flames' goal-line blunder, Liberty was the mistake prone team, not Coastal. The Flames turned the ball over three times and still led the contest with 475 total yards. After both teams traded interceptions to begin the second half, the two went back-and-forth with points on six consecutive drives—the first four coming by way of touchdown. 

Liberty used both sides of the ball to reach the end zone 😤💪 pic.twitter.com/bmch0QsAYT

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 27, 2020

Malik Willis is going all out 💯

31-19, Liberty pic.twitter.com/jjCXgLNwp4

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 27, 2020

That led to an overtime where the Chanticleers had an opportunity to take its first lead of the day and instead wound up watching their season end on a blocked field goal as Liberty finally exhaled.

  

Are The Chanticleers Here To Stay?

The good news for Coastal Carolina is that it appears the majority of their key players are likely to return next year. 

The bad news is they'll no longer have the element of surprise. 

No. 12 Coastal Carolina gets its first score of the night 🙌 pic.twitter.com/BvXykbQK4E

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 27, 2020

No college football team will be caught off-guard by the Chanticleers' skill and poise. If they thought earning respect this year was tough, next year may be even more difficult as they attempt to rail against a CFP committee that didn't believe in them. This is, after all, the same program that argued loudly about being overlooked. 

Now it has everyone's attention. 

Unless the college coaching carousel presents Jamey Chadwell with an opportunity he can't refuse, the Chanticleer's head coach is set to return. So too is McCall, who finished the 2020 campaign with 2,498 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and three interceptions. 

A dime from out of the pocket!! 💰 pic.twitter.com/Oc1CBLx8WO

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 27, 2020

Heiligh is a junior and would return for a final go. So could junior tight end Isaiah Likely and safety Brayden Matts. 

They all have earned the opportunity to show the sport this year was no fluke. But it's not always that simple, as the UCF Knights showed following their undefeated season in 2017. 

The road will only get tougher. Coastal will at least have the chance to face it with many of the same players that put them on the map in 2020. 

    

What's Next

Both programs will look to prove this year was no fluke and improve the perception of their teams around the country. Coastal will do so with the No. 2 recruiting class in the Sun Belt, per 247Sports composite, which ranks No. 87 in the nation thanks to commitments from 13 3-star prospects. 

Liberty, meanwhile, has 10 3-star recruits in a class ranked No. 103 in the nation.

     

Liberty University announced Friday that Flames head football coach Hugh Freeze tested positive for COVID-19 and is dealing with "mild symptoms."

Here's a look at the full statement from the Lynchburg, Virginia, school:

Flames Nation is asked to keep @CoachHughFreeze in your prayers for a speedy recovery.#PrayForCoachFreeze pic.twitter.com/YPfra2h7aX

— Liberty Football (@LibertyFootball) December 11, 2020

Freeze took over at Liberty in December 2018.

After guiding the Flames to an 8-5 record in his first year, they started the current campaign 8-0 before their first and only loss to NC State on Nov. 21. They rebounded with a 45-0 blowout of UMass to close out the regular season as a matchup with Coastal Carolina last week was canceled because of COVID-19 concerns.

The 51-year-old Mississippi native signed a contract extension with the program through 2026 in November.

"All aspects of our program are on the rise under Hugh's leadership, and we are putting the infrastructure in place to make this one of the top Group of 5 programs in the country," Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw told ESPN's Chris Low at the time.

Freeze previously served as head coach at Ole Miss (2012-16), Arkansas State (2011) and NAIA program Lambuth (2008-09) as part of a three-decade coaching career.

The Flames, an independent FBS member, are bowl-eligible, but their lack of a conference and games being canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic could hurt their chances of being selected.

Defensive players Tayvion Land and Tre Clark each announced Monday they are planning on transferring from Liberty University because of racism by the school's leadership. 

Land made his announcement first: 

"My short time spent with the athletic department and most professors at Liberty University was much appreciated as it helped me improve my skills, gain new experiences, and meet a diverse group of friends. Unfortunately, due to the racial insensitivity displayed by leadership at Liberty University, I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal and no longer be a student-athlete at Liberty University. I pray that I am able to be provided with an opportunity at a new school that respects my culture and provides a comfortable environment."

PLEASE RESPECT MY DECISION‼️ pic.twitter.com/Ljti2CJOWb

— Tayvion Land (@LandTayvion) June 22, 2020

As Liz Roscher of Yahoo Sports noted, Clark announced his own decision a mere 10 minutes later: 

"I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal and I will no longer be attending Liberty University. This decision has been well thought out and prayed on. This decision is simply bigger than football or the program. The program, staff, and teammates were a complete blessing to my live. Over this year I have developed relationships that I will forever cherish and bonds that will not be broken. However, due to the cultural incompetence within multiple levels of leadership, it does not line up with my code of ethics. So therefore I had to do what I felt like was right in my heart and I pray that you support me and pray for me as I find a new home to further my education and football career. Thank you!"

*Announcement* I have entered my name into the transfer portal I will no longer be attending Liberty University please respect my decision ✊🏿. pic.twitter.com/HmsHD7DeRJ

— Kei’Trel (Tre) Clark™️ (@_treclark) June 22, 2020

The reasons for the transfers echoes what basketball player Asia Todd said when she announced she was entering the transfer program. While she stressed her coaching staff and teammates on the women's basketball team were "amazing," she pointed to the "racial insensitivities shown within the leadership and culture" as reasoning for her decision:

Announcement: I have entered my name into the Transfer Portal and will no longer be attending Liberty University 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/LwESGkjwNs

— Asia Todd🔛🔝🔜🏀 (@hoopersgalore_) June 11, 2020

Todd, Land and Clark did not mention specific instances but instead highlighted an overall leadership problem.

Liberty's president is Jerry Falwell Jr., who is the son of pastor and Liberty founder Jerry Falwell. In early June, Falwell Jr. tweeted a photo of a mask printed with an image of a person in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe. After black alumni and religious leaders denounced the tweet, Falwell deleted it and issued an apology.

Scott Gleeson of USA Today noted Land was the highest-rated recruit to sign with Liberty. The 3-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings, was part of the class of 2019 and was expected to attend Maryland by a number of 247Sports' experts.

According to Gleeson, both Land and Clark were expected to start during the 2020 campaign.

The Flames went 8-5 last season as an independent program without a conference affiliation.