Transfer portal · 2026
Liberty Flames
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+20
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
Liberty added 20 transfers projected into the two-deep (12 as starters) against 18 departures whose next roles aren’t tracked here. Every number on this page is counted, not modelled — no composite portal grade is published because no defensible one exists yet.
31
Arrivals
+13
18
Departures
0.84
Avg rating in
+0.00
0.84
Avg rating out
20
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
15 of 31
’25 production in
—
12 of 18
’25 production out
How the roster changed
49 moves · 11 rooms touchediOffense+7 net players
Upgraded+2 players
RB
+5 in · −3 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Evan Dickens out to Boston College drives the room.
Replaced+2 players
WR
+3 in · −1 out · 3 proj starters in
InOut
Makai Jackson in from Indiana drives the room.
Upgraded+2 players
OL
+4 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
?
Alex Birchmeier in from Penn State drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
TE
+3 in · −2 out
InOut
?
?
LaKelsey Johnson Jr. in from Baylor drives the room.
Replaced—
QB
+2 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Michael Merdinger out to Minnesota drives the room.
Defense+6 net players
Upgraded+3 players
CB
+6 in · −3 out · 3 proj starters in
InOut
E
?
Ashton McShane in from Boston College drives the room.
Replaced+2 players
S
+3 in · −1 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
D-Icey Hopkins in from Georgia State drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
DL
+1 in · −0 out
InOut
No departures
Henry Hicks in from Elizabeth City State drives the room.
Replaced—
EDGE
+2 in · −2 out
InOut
W
G
Eli Hall out to UAB drives the room.
Replaced—
LB
+1 in · −1 out
InOut
?
Kyle Ferm in from SMU drives the room.
Specialists0 net players
No movement—
K
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
No movement—
P
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
Replaced—
LS
+1 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Ryan Manis out to Louisville drives the room.
ArrivalDepartureHeavy ring · proj starter inThin ring · rotation inDotted · depth role or no ’25 recordMarker size = ’25 usage share (smallest = none recorded)
Did Liberty replace what it lost?
Role slots, not player-for-playerReplaced4 chains
OL
Starting slot
Out · to Southern Miss
Da'Jy'Quwan Jackson-Payne
rating 0.82
Upgrade
Low confidence
In · from Penn State
Alex Birchmeier
rating 0.85 · rg1 starter
Jan 5
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to Texas State
Dexter Ricks Jr.
rating 0.84 · 18 tkl · 1 TFL · 4 PD
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Albany State
Tyrell Gainey
no ’25 production record · nb1 starter
Jan 8
▾ Detail
S
Starting slot
Out · to App State
Devin Henderson
rating 0.85 · 18 tkl · 1 PD
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Georgia State
D-Icey Hopkins
rating 0.85 · 51 tkl · 3 TFL · 1 sk · fs1 starter
Jan 10
▾ Detail
LS
Starting slot
Out · to Louisville
Ryan Manis
rating 0.83 · 1 tkl
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Grambling
Greg Rivera
no ’25 production record · ls1 starter
Jan 12
▾ Detail
Partially replaced8 chains
QB
Starting slot
Out · to Minnesota
Michael Merdinger
rating 0.85 · 20% ’25 usage · 21/41 · 350 pass yds · 1 TD · 0 INT
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from West Virginia
Jaylen Henderson
rating 0.83 · 14% ’25 usage · 7/18 · 50 pass yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · qb1 starter
Jan 21
▾ Detail
QB
Rotation slot
Out · to South Florida
Jayden Bradford
rating 0.84 · 3% ’25 usage
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Wake Forest
Deshawn Purdie
rating 0.84 · 14% ’25 usage · 41/82 · 618 pass yds · 6 TD · 3 INT · qb2 rotation
Jan 12
▾ Detail
RB
Starting slot
Out · to Boston College
Evan Dickens
rating 0.85 · 31% ’25 usage · 1,325 rush yds · 5.8 ypc · 16 TD
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Arizona State
Kanye Udoh
rating 0.85 · 10% ’25 usage · 240 rush yds · 4.3 ypc · 2 TD · b1 starter
Jan 22
▾ Detail
RB
Rotation slot
Out · to Central Michigan
Vaughn Blue
8% ’25 usage · 234 rush yds · 5 ypc · 2 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Florida State
Kam Davis
rating 0.86 · 5% ’25 usage · 3 rec · 46 yds · b2 rotation
Jan 7
▾ Detail
RB
Rotation slot
Out · to James Madison
Malachi Fannin-Render
rating 0.82 · 3% ’25 usage
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Duke
Peyton Jones
8% ’25 usage · 34 rush yds · 3.4 ypc · 1 TD · a2 rotation
Jan 9
▾ Detail
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Texas Tech
Donte Lee Jr.
rating 0.86 · 6% ’25 usage · 32 rec · 589 yds · 5 TD
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Indiana
Makai Jackson
rating 0.86 · 8% ’25 usage · 3 rec · 15 yds · sl1 starter
Jan 5
▾ Detail
TE
Rotation slot
Out · to unannounced
?
Eli Sisson
no ’25 production record
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Baylor
LaKelsey Johnson Jr.
rating 0.84 · 2% ’25 usage · 3 rec · 33 yds · te2 rotation
Jan 13
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to Oklahoma State
Christian Bodnar
rating 0.84 · 44 tkl · 2 TFL · 2 sk
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Boston College
Ashton McShane
rating 0.85 · 2 tkl · rcb1 starter
Jan 9
▾ Detail
Not replaced1 chain
EDGE
Production lost
Out · to UAB
Eli Hall
rating 0.84 · 11 tkl · 4.5 TFL · 4 sk
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No starter/rotation addition
2 depth arrivals in room · 2 producing losses unanswered
Jan 19
▾ Detail
Quality vs experience
Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 usage recordHigh-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depthDickensPurdieJackson
W
0%20%40%60%
’25 usage share of previous team’s snapsets
20 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much Liberty depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 56 slotsQuarterback100%
2
Skill (RB/WR/TE)67%
4
1
7
Offensive line67%
3
3
3
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)83%
2
10
Secondary (CB/S)100%
2
8
Specialists45%
6
2
3
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
73%
Projected two-deep from transfers
41 of 56 two-deep slots
24 of 29
Projected starters from transfers
13 from the 2026 cycle, 11 held over
78th
Conference USA percentile · transfer share
3rd-most transfer-dependent two-deep of 10 Conference USA teams
Returning portal corePrior-cycle transfers still in the two-deep
Aidan Vaughan
LB · from Wisconsin · 2024 cycle · MLB1 starter
27 tkl
’25 · Liberty
D.J. Geth
OL · from North Carolina · 2024 cycle · LT1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Brenton Williams
EDGE · from Auburn · 2024 cycle · JOKER1 starter
27 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Ethan Crisp
EDGE · from Vanderbilt · 2024 cycle · JOKER2 rotation
11 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Mike Jarvis
DL · from Wisconsin · 2024 cycle · NT1 starter
25 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Deuce Spurlock
LB · from Florida · 2025 cycle · MLB2 rotation
14 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Jamari Person
WR · from Colorado State · 2025 cycle · Z1 starter
6%
’25 usage · Liberty
Christian Williams
OL · from Florida · 2025 cycle · RT1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Markus Clark
DL · from App State · 2025 cycle · DT2 rotation
10 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Micah Pollard
LB · from Michigan · 2025 cycle · WLB2 rotation
28 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Aaron Hester
EDGE · from Florida State · 2025 cycle · DE1 starter
10 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Derrell Farrar
LB · from App State · 2025 cycle · WLB1 starter
71 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Joe Strickland
DL · from Purdue · 2025 cycle · NT2 rotation
5 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Jiquavious Marshall
CB · from Kentucky · 2025 cycle · RCB2 rotation
5 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Jayden Whaley
S · from Hampton · 2025 cycle · FS2 rotation
1 tkl
’25 · Liberty
Tyler Black
K · from Wake Forest · 2025 cycle · PK1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Joep Engbers
OL · from Illinois · 2025 cycle · LG1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Where Liberty’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 31 arrivals18 departures · destinations
Non-FBS
8 players
ACC
7 players
Unlisted
3 players
+
Sun Belt
3 players
Big 12
3 players
Big Ten
2 players
Other
5 players
+
+
Unannounced
5 players
Sun Belt
3 players
Big 12
2 players
ACC
2 players
American Athletic
2 players
Big Ten
1 player
+
Other
3 players
Liberty
+13 net moves
Arrived from · 31
Non-FBS
8 players
ACC
7 players
+
Unlisted
3 players
Sun Belt
3 players
Big 12
3 players
Big Ten
2 players
+
Other
5 players
Departed to · 18
+
Unannounced
5 players
Sun Belt
3 players
Big 12
2 players
ACC
2 players
American Athletic
2 players
Big Ten
1 player
+
Other
3 players
8arrivals came from Non-FBS programs — the single largest source.
20arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (13 of 31 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
0departures stayed inside the Conference USA.
How the window developed
Cumulative net moves · in − out6 undated moves not plotted
All portal moves
49 of 49 moves match · 25 shownShow
Role in
Sort
PlayerPosDirectionOrigin / destinationRating’25 productionEligProjected roleDate
MJ
Winter window · 3★
KD
Winter window · 3★
AB
Winter window · 3★
AM
Winter window · 3★
DH
Winter window · 3★
JF
Winter window · 3★
KU
Winter window · 3★
RV
Winter window · 3★
DP
Winter window · 3★
LJ
Winter window · 3★
AW
Winter window · 3★
EM
Winter window · 3★
BK
Winter window · 3★
KF
Winter window · 3★
JM
Winter window · 3★
HH
Winter window · 3★