Liberty football is currently in the midst of spring practice as the Flames will go through 15 practices over the course of several weeks. With only one transfer portal window which closed following the conclusion of the 2025 season, Liberty knows its roster it will have for the upcoming 2026 season. As the team goes through its spring practice sessions, we are going through a series over a few weeks where we break down each position on the roster. We continue today with a look at the wide receivrs.
Previous
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Offensive line
Tight ends
1 Darius Copeland, 6’0″, 195 lb
2 Makai Jackson, 6’0″, 200 lb (Indiana)
3 Jamari Person, 6’1″, 200 lb
8 Nasir Newkirk, 6’2″, 185 lb
9 Bryce Randolph, 5’11”, 180 lb
10 Jon Monteiro, 6’2″, 200 lb
12 Rashawn Cunningham, 6’2″, 205 lb (Charleston Southern)
16 Eric Smith, 5’9″, 170 lb
19 Refeno Vangates, 5’11”, 195 lb (NC Central)
27 Clayton Shepler, 5’11”, 180 lb
Liberty must find replacements for 7 of its top 8 pass catchers and 5 of its top 6 receivers from a season ago after the departures of Donte Lee to Texas Tech via the transfer portal and several who have exhausted their eligibility (Reese Smith, Tyson Mobley, Casey Cain, Elijah Canion). The only returner with any significant playing experience for the Flames at receiver is Jamari Person. The former Colorado State transfer will be expected to step into a huge role, even increasing from his production last year when he finished second on the team with 28 receptions for 315 yards. Person is a veteran receiver, having played in 13 games over two seasons for Colorado State, finishing his second year there with 36 catches for 386 yards. One area of improvement needed for Person is his ability to find the end zone as he has just one touchdown in his collegiate career.
Another name to watch that could emerge into a starter is Darius Copeland. The talented redshirt-junior was a big part of Liberty’s offensive plans two years ago before he was lost to injury. In the first three games of the 2024 season, Copeland had 5 receptions for 38 yards. The shifty playmaker looked like he was going to be the team’s next great slot receiver, but he did not record any receptions and only had 1 rushing attempt for a loss of one yard in 10 games played in 2025.
Other returners that could have bigger roles and impacts this fall include Jon Monteiro, Eric Smith, and Bryce Randolph. Monteiro has played in 9 games during his career but has just one reception to his name, a 40-yard haul last season. Smith played in 6 games as a true freshman last year, he did not record a reception but had 6 rushes for 22 yards as he was used in the option run game. Randolph played in 1 game last season and had one catch for 18 yards.
The Flames did go to the transfer portal and brought in three receivers in Makai Jackson, Rashawn Cunningham, and Refeno Vangates.
Jackson transferred to Indiana for the 2025 season but did not see significant playing time early in the season and left the program to redshirt and maintain his final year of eligibility. Jackson played in four games for the Hoosiers last season, a team that went on to win the CFP, where he caught 3 passes for 15 yards while playing 51 total snaps. He did suffer through some injuries during the preseason which may have hampered his ability to rise up the depth chart for Indiana. Prior to his time at Indiana, Jackson spent two years at Appalachian State where he had 73 catches for 1,163 yards, and 7 seven touchdowns, while also rushing 5 times for 90 yards and a score. In his final year with the Mountaineers in 2024, Jackson had 46 catches for 745 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 2022, Jackson was at the FCS level with Saint Francis. That season he recorded 85 catches for 991 yards and 9 touchdowns. He added 13 rushes for 44 yards and 3 kick returns for 90 yards and a touchdown.
