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Oct 12, 2024; Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Joshua Manning (0) warms up before a game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Mizzou Spring Football Storylines: Wide Receiver

Originally posted on Missouri Tigers on SI
By Joey Van Zummeren | Last updated Feb 25, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Missouri Tigers will lose 66 percent of their production at wide receiver from 2024, leaving many questions for what the group will look like in 2025.

The first glimpse of the new look group will be provided during spring practices for the team, starting Friday, Feb. 28.

Here's some of the top storylines to follow at wide receiver throughout spring practices.

What's the next step for Joshua Manning?

All signs point to Joshua Manning stepping into a much larger role in his junior season. Through his freshman season, he was mainly just a contributor on special teams. The former four-star prospect was a raw player in his first season.

"Coming in here, I was kinda playing timid," Manning said after the spring game in 2024, "no confidence and I feel like just getting confidence over time with the reps, with the 'W's, with the 'L's, just taking that step by step process."

But, in his sophomore season, Manning become more active as an actual receiver, catching 13 passes for 192 yards. He cleaned up his game and was one of the standouts for the team in practices last spring.

“I feel like my overall route running was a little raw last year and still in a little bit,” Manning said last fall. “I’ve been learning and taking strides becoming better.”

With Theo Wease Jr. now out of the picture for Missouri, there's a need for a bigger receiver. At 6-foot-2, 199-pounds, Manning can be a more aggressive receiver on the outside. In a new look wide receiver room without Wease, Luther Burden III and Mookie Cooper, Manning has the chance to step up as a leader alongside fellow rising junior Marquis Johnson and Mississippi State transfer Kevin Coleman.

The spring should provide the first indication of what opportunities will bloom for Manning and how significant of a role he'll play in the Missouri offense in 2025.

Where does James Madison II fit in?

In his freshman season, James Madison II only saw the field for 24 total snaps, 11 of which came in the Music City Bowl. A former four-star prospect, Madison is an exciting name to watch in the wide receiver group for 2025.

At 6-foot-3 and 205-pounds, Madison brings an interesting, versatile skillset to the room. He has the athleticism to play in the slot, but his size brings some physicality to his game.

As of now, it's difficult to see where Madison could fit in at the slot receiver behind Coleman and rising junior Daniel Blood, both shiftier options. But, expect him to see some sort of growing role into his sophomore season, as both Manning and Blood did in their sophomore years.

Spring practices should give the first indication of how much targets Madison could see, and if he could possibly earn himself a role as a returner too.