Mizzou WR Cracks Prominent List After Luther Burden III's Departure
Pro Football Focus released an X post with its highest graded returning SEC wide receivers ahead of the 2025 season and Mizzou saw a wideout make the list for a second consecutive year.
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Former Mississippi State WR Kevin Coleman Jr., who has one year of eligibility remaining, transferred to Mizzou at the end of last season and found himself on PFF's list as the No. 3 returning SEC wide receiver. During his 2024 season with the Bulldogs, Coleman had a career year, finishing with 74 receptions, 932 yards and six touchdowns — all of which are collegiate career highs for the St. Louis product.
The 5-foot-11 WR spent his freshman season at Jackson State, before transferring to Louisville for his sophomore campaign. After a sophomore slump at Louisville, Coleman decided it was time to transfer to the SEC.
Bulldogs wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (3) runs the ball against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the second quarter© Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Coleman joins Luther Burden III, who was on the list posted one year ago, as a second consecutive Missouri Tiger to make the rankings. Burden led the rankings in 2024, finishing with a grade of 88.9 (.4 ahead of Ole Miss' Tre Harris).
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Coleman sits in third with a grade of 79.2 with Alabama's Germie Bernard (79.9) and Oklahoma's Javonnie Gibson (81.7) rounding out the Top 3. Oklahoma's Keontex Lewis (78.7), Ole Miss' De'Zhaun Strubling (77.7) and Arkansas' O'Mega Blake (76.9) round out the list.
Notably, Alabama's Ryan Williams was left off the list, likely because he will be entering just his second season of college football.
Coleman is expected to lead the Tigers' wide receiver room, with Marquis Johnson and Joshua Manning also likely to start. The team also acquired Illinois State's Xavier Loyd via the transfer portal from Illinois State. In his sophomore season the 6-foot-2 wideout had 66 receptions, 912 yards and six touchdowns. Loyd brings the team a solid fourth option at WR despite the QB race still being in full throttle.
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With a revamped receiving corps, Missouri enters the 2025 season with one of the SEC's most dangerous wideout groups. As the quarterback competition unfolds, the Tigers' playmakers are already in place to give the eventual starter plenty of weapons to work with.
Related: Mizzou Football Loses Out on In-State Target to Fierce Rival
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
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