Mizzou Misses Out on 4-Star WR to Washington

The Norman, Oklahoma, native certainly made a bold choice not to stay close to home and commit to Oklahoma. The Sooners were long believed to be the leader in his recruitment, based on predictions placed by recruiting analysts, along with plenty of unofficial visits.

Along with being ranked No. 230 overall, James is ranked as the No. 36 receiver and second-best player in his home state. James, along with Washington, Missouri and Oklahoma, chose from Texas, Kansas State and Arizona State. He held offers from just about every school imaginable, including Alabama, Florida, Oregon and plenty more.

Missing out on James is certainly a disappointment, especially after how it seems his recent official visit went.

"My thoughts are even brighter than they were," James told MissouriOnSI following his visit. "The visit was better than expected and all the questions I had were answered."

The Tigers recently gained the commitment of four-star receiver Jabari Brady from Pompano Beach, Florida. He's ranked 43 spots behind James, but is still a talented player. Having the duo for the future, especially to pair with four-star quarterback commit Gavin Sidwar, would have been lethal. As of now, those are the only two receivers to have visited or have one scheduled.

2026 Commitments

1. QB Gavin Sidwar, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs. - Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania (Committed 04/18/25)
2. LB Keenan Harris, 6-foot-1, 210 lbs. - St. Louis, Missouri (Committed 05/23/25)
3. WR Jabari Brady, 6-foot-1.5, 205 lbs. - Pompano Beach, Florida (Committed 06/06/25)
4. TE Isaac Jensen, 6-foot-6, 230 lbs. - Omaha, Nebraska (Committed 06/09/2025)

Check out the Missouri football recruiting tracker to stay up to date with the 2026 recruiting class and beyond. Also, check out our official visitors tracker to see who is in Columbia throughout the summer.