Liberty Adds 22 Players for 2020 Football Signing Class
12/20/19
LYNCHBURG,
Va. – Liberty Head Football Coach Hugh Freeze announced the addition of 22 players to his 2020 roster as part of National Signing Day, earlier today.
Freeze and his coaching staff held
their Signing Day offices from a meeting room in the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel at the Universal Resorts in Orlando, Fla., the team’s home base during their preparation for the 2019 FBC Mortgage Cure
Bowl on Saturday.
Freeze’s second signing class at
Liberty is the highest ranked recruiting class in program history. The 2020 is ranked No. 98 in the country by 247Sports.com, which included 11 three-star ranked recruits (out of 19 scholarship
offers). Freeze’s 2020 signing class includes nine mid-year enrollees and 13 players who will join the roster the fall.
2020 Mid-Year Enrollees Announced in December
Gage
Bassham OL
6-5 315 Abingdon, Va./Lord Botetourt HS
Will
Buchanan OL
6-6 300 Asheville, N.C./Christ School
Anthony
Butler LB
6-1 225 Charlotte, N.C./Zebulon B. Vance HS
(Charlotte)
Tim
Coutras
S 6-2 195 Nolenville, Tenn./Nolensville HS
Gabe
Fuster
LB 6-1 220 Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek HS
Durrell
Johnson DE
6-4 225 Essex, Md./Overlea HS (ASA College)
Jerome Jolly,
Jr. DB
6-0 200 Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin HS
Karsen
Perkins DE
6-4 250 Concord, N.C./NW Cabarrus HS
Juawan
Treadwell DB 6-0
190 Ford Heights, Ill./Crete-Monee HS
(Independence CC)
2020 Signees Announced in December
Name
Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Deon
Biggins DB
6-1 170 Horn Lake, Miss./Horn Lake HS
Sean
Brown
QB 6-2 185 Apex, N.C./Middle Creek HS
Kendy
Charles DT
6-2 245 Orange Park, Fla./Orange Park HS
CJ
Daniels
WR 6-1 185 Lilburn, Ga./Parkview HS
Brian
Hannibal OL
6-3 290 Silver Spring, Md./James Hubert Blake HS
Marcus
Haskins DB
6-1 180 St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge HS
(Iowa Western CC)
Ahmad
Jackson WR
6-1 200 Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek HS
Jaivian
Lofton WR
6-2 195 Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./
Rancho Cucamonga HS (Chaffey College)
Aaron
Lovins
DB 6-0 180 Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy
Chase
Mitchell OL
6-4 330 Washington, Pa./Washington HS
Louis Taylor,
III DB
6-1 180 Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista HS
Aakil
Washington DL
6-2 230 Marietta, Ga./Wheeler HS
Rashad
Whitehead DL 6-2
245 Atlanta, Ga./B.E.S.T. Academy
December Signee Bios
Gage Bassham, OL, 6-5, 315, Abingdon, Va./Lord Botetourt
HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from ETSU,
Marshall and Old Dominion … District Lineman of the Year … first-team all-district … first-team all-region … first-team all-state … 2019 Blue Ridge District Champions … 2019 Region 3D Champions …
helped his team to the 2019 state championship game played at Liberty’s Williams Stadium … son of Deborah and Mark Bassham … is looking at majoring in criminal justice or business.
Deon Biggins, DB, 6-1, 170, Horn Lake, Miss./Horn Lake
HS
Also received offers from Austin Peay, Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana Tech …
Fastest Man 4.35 Forty Time … finished his senior season with three interceptions and seven pass breakups … helped lead Horn Lake to the 2018 6A State Championship … son of Yolanda Hassell Rooks and
Charlie Biggins … plans to major in business.
Sean Brown, QB, 6-2, 185, Apex, N.C./Middle Creek HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from
Campbell, Charlotte, Elon, Furman and Bucknell … finished his last two years of high school throwing for 5,034 yards and 50 touchdowns … two-time all-conference honoree … three-time academic
all-conference … 2019 Offensive MVP … son of Tracie and Mike Brown.
Will Buchanan, OL, 6-6, 300, Asheville, N.C./Christ
School
Also received offers from Bryant, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Eastern
Kentucky, Elon, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville State, Mercer, William & Mary and Wofford … first-team all-conference … first-team all-state … named to the USA Today All-North Carolina team …
helped Christ School to two state runner-up titles … son of Carrie and Scott Buchanan.
Anthony Butler, LB, 6-1, 225, Charlotte, N.C./Zebulon B. Vance HS
(Charlotte)
Transferring to Liberty from Charlotte … also received offers from 17 different
schools … three-year varsity standout … two-time team MVP … two-time All-MECKA 4A conference player … 2014 All-Charlotte Observer third team defensive back … helped the Cougars to an 11-4 record as a
junior where they reached the 4A State semifinals … ranked fourth in the country with 12 tackles as a junior, averaging 8.1 tackles per game … added 3.0 sacks, 17.0 tackles for a loss and an
interception … Zebulon B. Vance High School advanced to the playoffs during his senior campaign … son of Hana Mahmoud … plans to be a sport management major.
Kendy Charles, DT, 6-1, 245, Orange Park, Fla./Orange Park
HS
Also received offers from Bethune-Cookman, Chattanooga, Charleston Southern, The
Citadel, Coastal Carolina, New Hampshire, Western Kentucky and Wofford … finished his high school career with 216 tackles, 30 sacks, 24 quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles … also scored a
pair of touchdowns, five two-point conversions and connected on 15-of-17 field goal attempts … 5A Co-Player of the Year … 5A all-state honoree … three-time first-team all-county … two-time first-team
all-conference … two-time first-team all-district … son of Marie and Jean Charles … plans to major in sport management.
Tim Coutras, S, 6-2, 195, Nolenville, Tenn./Nolensville
HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from ETSU,
Eastern Illinois and UT Martin … finished his career with 19 interceptions, returning four for a touchdown … also added 58 tackles, 1,005 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns … 4A Mr. Football Finalist
… two-time all-state selection … Region 4A MVP … Region 4A Athlete of the Year as a senior … son of Tess and Chris Coutras … plans to major in sport management.
CJ Daniels, WR, 6-1, 185, Lilburn, Ga./Parkview HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Air
Force, Army, Navy, North Dakota State and Southern Illinois … finished his senior year with 1,411 receiving yards on 93 receptions for 15 touchdowns … two-time second-team all-county honoree …
two-time first-team all-region selection … helped Parkview High School to a pair of region titles … son of Natalie Beavers and Carlton Daniels … is looking at majoring in engineering or sport
management.
Gabe Fuster, LB, 6-1, 220, LaBelle, Va./Deep Creek
HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … finished his career at Deep
Creek High School with 112 tackles … son of Ashley and Gustavo Fuster … plans to major in sport management.
Brian Hannibal, OL, 6-3, 290, Silver Spring, Md./James Hubert Blake
HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from
Buffalo, Charlotte, Georgetown, Old Dominion, Marshall, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse and Yale … allowed only two sacks during his senior year … first-team all-country … first-team all-division honorable
mention … All-Met selection … son of Tonya and Anslem Hannibal … plans to major in computer science.
Marcus Haskins, DB, 6-1, 180, St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge HS (Iowa
Western CC)
Transferring to Liberty from Iowa Western Community College … also received
offers from Akron, Austin Peay, Buffalo, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Kent State, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Northern Iowa, Montana State, Southeast Missouri State, Tennessee Martin and Troy …
finished the 2019 season at Iowa Western with 31 tackles, 10 pass breakups, seven interceptions and two forced fumbles … first-team All-ICCAC Conference … first-team All-America NJCAA DB … recorded
an interception in five-straight games to open his college football career … had a pair of games with two interceptions during the season’s final three contests … tied the NCAA Division II single
game season high with seven passes defended in a 31-7 win over Upper Iowa (six pass breakups and an one interception) … recorded 41 tackles during his senior season at East Ridge High School … ranked
sixth on the team and added a pair of forced fumbles … had 170 all-purpose yards included 125 on his nine interception returns … first-team all-conference as a senior … A Cliff Harris Award finalist
… earned D2CCA, Associated Press and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All-America first-team and D2Football.com All-America honorable mention … named Don Hansen’s Football Gazette Super Region 4
Freshman of the Year … named Don Hansen’s Football Gazette and D2CCA All-Super Region 4 first-team … NSIC Defensive Newcomer of the Year and All-NSIC South Division First Team … led the county with
2.9 passes defended per game … led the Northern Sun and ranked second in the nation with nine interceptions … led the conference with 20 pass breakups … son of Naomi and Kevin Haskins … plans to
major in communications.
Ahmad Jackson, WR, 6-1, 200, Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek
HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received an offer from Ole
Miss … native of Atlanta, Ga., who graduated from Sandy Creek High School in Sandy Creek, N.Y. … finished his senior year with 61 receptions for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns … son of Marlene and
Clovis Jackson.
Durrell Johnson, DE, 6-4, 225, Essex, Md./Overlea HS (ASA
College)
Transferring to Liberty from ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y. … also received
offers from Akron, Bethune-Cookman, Grambling State, Morgan State and South Alabama … two-time all-conference honoree at ASA College … JUCO All-American … named a Super 22 Athlete and a BTC All-Star
at Overlea High School … son of Kiffiney Parrish and Durrell Johnson.
Jerome Jolly, Jr., DB, 6-0, 200, Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin
HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from
Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, Georgia Southern, Southern Miss and UAB … finished his career with 104 tackles, six sacks and five pass breakups … second-team Gateway Conference … helped Mandarin
High School to the 2018 8A State Championship … son of Kenya and Jerome Jolly, Sr. … plans to major in sport management.
Jaivian Lofton, WR, 6-2, 195, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga
HS (Chaffey College)
Transferring to Liberty from Chaffey College … also received offers from
Arkansas Pine Bluff, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky … finished his two season at Chaffey College wit 1,584 receiving yards, 72 receptions and 20 touchdowns … first-team
all-conference … son of Quiana Lundy and Randel Horton … plans to major in kinesiology.
Aaron Lovins, DB, 6-0, 180, Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood
Academy
Also received offers from Austin Peay and Missouri Western State … finished his
senior year with 81 tackles (52 solo, 29 assisted), six tackles for a loss, eight pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt … all-state cornerback …
all-country cornerback … played in the East-West All-Star game … helped Brentwood Academy claim three state titles … son of Lisa and Rich Lovins … plans to major in business or coaching.
Chase Mitchell, OL, 6-4, 330, Washington, Pa./Washington
HS
Also received offers from Howard, UMass, West Liberty and William & Mary …
two-time all-conference honoree … All-WPIAL … helped Washington High School to four conference titles and a WPIAL title … son of Tamara Mitchell … plans on majoring in business.
Karsen Perkins, DE, 6-4, 250, Concord, N.C./NW Cabarrus
HS
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Akron,
Campbell, Charlotte and Eastern Kentucky … finished his junior season with 13 sacks … all-conference honoree as a junior … helped lead NW Cabarrus to a conference title … son of Kelli Dixon and Andre
Perkins … plans to major in psychology.
Louis Taylor, III, DB, 6-1, 180, Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista
HS
Finishes his senior season at Magna Vista High School with 32.5 tackles, six
pass breakups and an interception … first-team All-Region Defense honoree … son of Courtney Davis and Louis Taylor, Jr. … plans to major in exercise science.
Juawan Treadwell, DB, 6-0, 185, Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee HS (Independence
CC)
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … transferring to Liberty from
Independence Community College in Independence, Kan. … also received offers from Akron, South Alabama, Southern Miss and Temple … finished the 2019 at Independence with 57 tackles, 10 pass breakups
and 1.5 tackles for a loss … all-conference and All-America honoree at Independence … son of Tami Treadwell and Michael Scott.
Aakil Washington, DL, 6-2, 230, Marietta, Ga./Wheeler
HS
Also received offers from Akron, Buffalo, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Eastern
Kentucky, Florida A&M, Georgia Southern, Illinois State, Jacksonville State, Kent State, Mercer, Troy, Tulane and Western Carolina … finished his senior season with 59 tackles, 13 sacks, three
forced fumbles and a safety … three-time first-team All-Region honoree … Eloisa Reynoso and Nicholas Washington … plans to major in information technology.
Rashad Whitehead, DL, 6-2, 245, Atlanta, Ga./B.E.S.T.
Academy
Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com … also received offers from Akron,
Arizona, Army, Buffalo, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Fordham, Mercer, Navy and USF … 151 tackles and 16 sacks … also finished his career with 45 receptions for 385 yards and seven touchdowns …
second-team all-conference defense honoree as a sophomore … firs-team all-conference defense selection as a junior and senior … Pre-Season All-Region selection heading into his senior season … son of
TaCorey and Robert Whitehead … plans to major in sport management or business management.