Liberty wide receivers Reese Smith and Victor Jones suffered injuries during the summer and will miss the 2023 season, head coach Jamey Chadwell said in his first press conference of training camp.

“We did have some injuries during the summer,” Chadwell said. “We lost two receivers in the summer to knee injuries that will be out for the season, Reese Smith, lost him during the summer, and Victor Jones, so they are both out.”

Smith transferred to Liberty from West Virginia in the spring and went through spring practice with the Flames. He emerged as one of the team’s top options at receiver during the spring and was on track to be in line for a starting position in the slot.

The 5’10”, 187 pound Smith caught 19 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown in 2022 for West Virginia. He was used as a wideout and a punt returner during his time with the Mountaineers. Originally from Danville, Kentucky, he appeared in 33 games and caught two touchdown passes.

A 6’1″, 195 pound receiver, Jones did not play during the 2022 season, his first at Nebraska, as he redshirted. He has four years of eligibility remaining.

Out of Orlando, Jones starred for Olympia High School. He had 53 catches for 847 yards and 7 touchdowns as a senior while also averaging 30.3 yards per return on kickoffs. He was a three-star recruit out of high school and ranked as a top 75 receiver by Rivals. In addition to Nebraska, he also had offers from Arkansas, Cincinnati, Kentucky, and others out of high school. He made 2 catches for 10 yards in the Nebraska spring game under new head coach Matt Rhule.

With Smith and Jones injured, the Flames will turn to and rely on returning receivers Noah Frith, CJ Daniels, Treon Sibley, and Kylen Austin. Elijah Smooth is another newcomers that will be expected to factor into the lineup at receiver this season.