Can Mizzou Fill Burden’s Shoes?

There’s lots of questions that Missouri has to answer in its receiving corps headed into the 2025 season. The team lost three of their top four receivers in Luther Burden III, Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper leaving a lot of room for new faces. I got to talk to Joshua Manning whose entering his third year in the receiving corps. The Lee Summit product said there’s three clear leaders in the WR room after the first week of fall camp.

“There’s definitely a different vibe in the (receiver) room,” Manning said to media on Friday. “But it gives room for the next man to step up.”

Kevin Coleman Jr.

Coming into his final year of eligibility, and first season in black and gold, Kevin Coleman Jr. is expected to be Mizzou’s leading receiver. The St. Louis native spent his first season at Jackson State, his second season at Louisville and his junior season at Mississippi State. He found his most productive season with the Bulldogs, finishing with 932 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Marquise Johnson

Marquise Johnson is the lone returning receiver to receive over 300 yards, finishing his sophomore campaign with 352 yards and a touchdown. The Texas product left Mizzou fans with something to be excited about with a stellar performance in the Tigers’ 2024 Music City Bowl victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Johnson finished the game with seven receptions, 122 yards and his lone touchdown. He also had an impressive catch that caught attention on social media.

Daniel Blood

The biggest surprise on Manning’s list was incoming junior Daniel Blood. The 5’10 receiver finished his sophomore season with 81 yards on eight receptions. During the 2024 season, Blood had 20+ receiving yards in three contests, including a career-high 42 receiving yards against Murray State. Blood should see a lot more opportunity this season with the new corps.