Liberty’s 2011 football recruiting class now has six commitments, as Zach Erickson of Memphis University High School in Tennessee has given a verbal commitment to the Flames, according to Zach’s father, Todd Erickson.

Erickson was listed by MaxPreps.com as a 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker. Some links to information about Erickson:

MurphyFair.com’s preseason all-state team in Tennessee

The Memphis Commercial Appeal‘s preseason rankings of area teams, which has University at No. 2.

YouTube highlight video

—Amherst’s Kirby Anderson, LCA’s Grant Jones and Cave Spring’s Josh Woodrum were previously reported commitments. Two other players have recently committed:

* According to VirginiaPreps.com, Skyline defensive end Luke Pingley has committed to LU. Pingley, a 6-foot-5, 240-pounder, is also a baseball prospect, and most of the videos I’ve found online of him are of him as a baseball player.

* According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nolan Spicer—a 6-4, 265-pound offensive tackle/defensive end—has also committed. Spicer plays at South Fayette High in the Pittsburgh area. One of the reasons why Liberty coach Danny Rocco wanted to play games at places like West Virginia and Robert Morris was to gain a recruiting foothold in Western Pennsylvania, so it seems to have paid immediate dividends. It helps that new LU assistant coach Manny Rojas, a former Flames linebacker, is from the Pittsburgh area.

—Liberty was ranked 20th in the first USA Today/ESPN FCS coaches poll, which was released today. Liberty received 171 poll points, just below Delaware (185) and Weber State (186). Villanova earned the No. 1 ranking, followed by Montana, Appalachian State, William & Mary and Montana.

—Two Liberty golfers are participating in the U.S. Amateur Championship, which is being contested this week at the Chambers Bay Golf Courses in University Place, Wash.

As of 9:42 p.m. EDT, not all of the scores were in. Liberty sophomore Max McKay was at 5-over par after nine holes, while senior Preston Dembowiak shot a 1-over 73. The early lead was held by eight players, all of whom were in the clubhouse after shooting 3-under. The Chambers Course is a par-71 tract, and The Home Course is a par-72. Both Liberty golfers were playing The Home Course.