Jul 24, 2014 02:03 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander, two University of Texas (UT) Longhorn wide receivers, have been suspended indefinitely after being charged with sexual assault.

According to ESPN, the two players received their felony charges Thursday, though Sanders was also charged for improper photography. Sanders is a junior at Texas and caught 37 passes last season and Meander was entering his first season.

Charlie Strong, hired as the Longhorns' head football coach this offseason, said the two players have been suspended.

"We've been monitoring and addressing the situation with Kendall (Sanders) and Montrel (Meander) since it was brought to our attention," Strong said in a statement. "It's been made clear to everyone on our team that treating women with respect is one of our core values, and I'm extremely disappointed that two young men in our program have been accused of not doing that.

"With the recent charges against them, they have been suspended indefinitely from our football team and will no longer participate in any team functions."

The Austin American-Statesman reported both players were released on a personal recognizance bond, a regular practice in Travis County. David Carter, UT police chief, told the publication both Strong and Steve Patterson, UT athletic director, were "nothing but cooperative."

"It really doesn't matter what's involved and how much external scrutiny there is, we just need to make sure that we're doing our jobs right," Carter said. "I fully believe that's occurred in this case."

Bill Powers, UT president, said in his own statement that the school had launched an internal review, but he did not comment on Sanders' and Meander's academic status.

"At The University of Texas at Austin, student safety is our top priority and we are involved with the national efforts to prevent a culture of sexual violence from taking root on campuses. We educate all of our students about preventing sexual assault and vigorously investigate all allegations so we can take the appropriate action," Powers said. "In response to recent allegations of sexual violence on campus, UT police has filed criminal charges against two student athletes, the football team has suspended them and an internal student judicial review is under way.

"I commend Chief Carter for conducting a fair and thorough investigation and Coach Strong for making a decision that is in the best interest of his team and the university."

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit