The Fiesta’s over
The Flames football team fell to the Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day, and since then, the NCAA Transfer Portal has made the Flames’ roster borderline unrecognizable with key losses and new additions across the depth chart. See the bottom of this page for a complete review of the Flames’ losses and subsequent acquisitions.
QB — Kaidon Salter
Salter, who starred as the Flames’ signal-caller this season, entered the transfer portal Jan. 1, only to withdraw his name three days later and announce his return to the Mountain. Salter passed for 2,876 yards and 32 touchdowns for the Flames in his sophomore season while throwing just six interceptions. He accompanied his passing prowess with 1,089 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
His improvement from his redshirt freshman season to this past season came in more ways than just statistics. At every turn, Liberty Head Coach Jamey Chadwell and his staff would go out of their way to complement Salter’s improvement not only in his on-field play, but also in his leadership and work ethic.
WR — CJ Daniels
Daniels transferred to LSU after an incredible season for Chadwell and the Flames. He ended the season with 55 receptions that went for 1,067 yards and his fair share of highlight reel moments. Daniels averaged 19.4 yards per game, which is the third-highest among all NCAA receivers to have over 50 catches.
In what was a rather disappointing performance in the Fiesta Bowl, Daniels was one of the few bright spots for the Flames, which more than likely helped him get into a premier program like LSU. He chose to become a Tiger over other top-tier NCAA programs like Texas, Oregon and Florida. On3 Sports listed the former four-star recruit as the eighth-best prospect in the transfer portal, and he will be taking his talents to the SEC.
DT — Kendy Charles
Charles, a captain this season for the Flames, chose to enter the transfer portal because he was “looking for a better fit. No other reason,” according to Charles’ X, (formally known as Twitter). The defensive stalwart and former Flame has committed to playing for the Duke Blue Devils in the coming season after getting offers from the likes of JMU, Northwestern and Coastal Carolina.
Charles played in eight of the 14 games the Flames played this season, tallying 26 total tackles and three sacks (two solo and two half sacks). In 2022, his best season for the Flames, Charles tallied 27 solo tackles and 5.5 sacks, including a 1.5-sack- and five-solo-tackle-game in the Flames’ loss to Virginia Tech.
CB — Kobe Singleton
Singleton transferred from Lynchburg to the West Coast to play for the Oregon State Beavers after a standout season for Liberty. Singleton was one of the key cogs in the Flames’ secondary who led the NCAA in interceptions and had five picks of his own, along with 12 passes defended and 41 tackles.
Singleton is an incredibly physical press corner who thrives in man coverage and seems to rise to the challenge of tough matchups constantly. He plays a rather aggressive style that can lead to flags and blown plays, but when he’s at his best, he covers wideouts better than a king-size blanket.
Singleton committed to Oregon State after offers from programs that consistently produce NFL corners, such as Cincinnati, Illinois, Mississippi State and TCU.
**Listed in positional order**
Offensive Losses
- QB Reese Mooney
- QB Johnathan Bennett
- WR Errol Rogers Jr.
- WR CJ Daniels
Defensive Losses
- DT Kendy Charles
- DT Tysheik Galloway
- DT Amari Williams
- DE Bryan Whitehead II
- LB Jordan Norwood
- LB Aakil Washington
- LB Olan Robinson
- DB Preston Hodge
- CB Kobe Singleton
- S Jaylon Jimmerson
Offensive Additions
- QB Ryan Burger, Appalachian State
- WR Tyson Mobley, Coastal Carolina
Defensive Additions
- DL Eli Hall, Wake Forest
- LB Teylor Jackson, East Carolina
- LB Aidan Vaughan, Wisconsin
- DB Dominick Hill, Temple
- LB Jahmar Brown, Coastal Carolina
Palsgrove is the asst. sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on X