Dangerous Missouri football weapon identified as 2024 star

Missouri football had one of the best years in program history in 2023. The school won the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State and finished the season with 11 wins. The football program is trying to build on that success in 2024, and they have a dangerous weapon that can help them get there.

Dangerous Missouri football weapon identified as star

Missouri football has an underrated receiver on its team, who should have a heck of a year in 2024. That player is a veteran talent named Theo Wease Jr. Wease is playing his final year of eligibility for the Tigers and is about to to do. make a splash this coming season.

The senior wide receiver has seen his production increase almost every year he plays football. In 2023, he finished the campaign for Missouri football with 682 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His touchdown total was a career high. He also recorded 49 receptions, another career high. That was pretty impressive, but he also did it in his first year in the program. Wease finished second on the team in receiving yards in 2023 and played a pivotal role in helping the Missouri football program win 11 games last year.

Wease previously played for Oklahoma before coming to Missouri, so he has plenty of experience playing on a power 5 defense. In his final season at Oklahoma in 2022, Wease totaled 378 receiving yards and four touchdowns . He should have a breakout season, and he'll have one in his final year of college eligibility. This is his last, best chance to improve his NFL draft stock, and a veteran like Wease surely doesn't take that for granted.

The main reason Wease will have a breakout year is because opposing defenses will be forced to pay attention to one of his teammates. Missouri has arguably the nation's most productive wide receiver returning from last season in Luther Burden III. Burden finished the 2023 season leading the Tigers in receiving yards, with 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. Opposing secondaries will place so much emphasis on stopping Burden that Wease will have the chance to shine even more than last year. He will likely be put in a lot of 1v1 situations where he can take advantage of his defender. It wouldn't be surprising to see Wease have a 1,000-yard receiving season in his final campaign.

Wease entered college as a highly touted recruit. He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and the transfer portal, according to 247 Sports. He was praised for his athleticism and length. His football IQ is also quite strong, as he keeps the ball away from opposing defenders, especially in the red zone. In his 247 recruiting profile, the receiver was projected to be a second-day pick in the NFL Draft. While that certainly could be the case, the scouting report should also serve as support for Wease. He certainly doesn't need to settle for a Day 2 draft selection.

Missouri's 2024 season outlook

Missouri football fans will have their first chance to see Wease and the Tigers play on Aug. 29, when the team takes on Murray State. The Tigers will also play non-conference games against Buffalo, Boston College and UMass this year. These are all games Missouri should win, and it would be a shock if they didn't. Wease has four golden opportunities in each of these games to post huge numbers.

The Tigers have a chance for 10 more wins this season in the SEC. Their conference schedule features winnable games against Vanderbilt and South Carolina, and an old foe is back on the schedule. For the first time in years, the Tigers face their old rival, the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma joins the SEC with Texas, after playing for years in the Big 12 Conference. This game will certainly draw a lot of attention from NFL scouts, and Wease should keep that date circled on his calendar.

It’s surely an exciting time to be a Tigers fan.