Mississippi State wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr., right, runs after a catch against Arkansas linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. during the first half Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Starkville, Miss.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A one-time local preps star is coming back for college.
Former St. Mary’s wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. is transferring to Missouri, the program announced Saturday, a portal acquisition that gives the Tigers a proven top wideout and brings a ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½-area product back to his home state.
Coleman will join a Mizzou receiving corps that will be replacing three veterans and could use a primary option with Southeastern Conference experience, like Coleman. He’s the Tigers’ first transfer portal addition of the offseason.
He was a local star at St. Mary’s during his high school days. Coleman caught 37 passes for 985 yards, posted 435 rushing yards and scored 23 total touchdowns during the Dragons’ Class 3 title run. He was the Class 3 player of the year and the Post-Dispatch’s 2021 co-offensive player of the year, sharing that title with a familiar name: then-East ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ wideout Luther Burden III.
People are also reading…
Coleman started his college career at Jackson State, where Deion Sanders was coaching at the time. When Coach Prime left for Colorado, Coleman migrated to Louisville, where he was a consistent starter but not an offensive centerpiece.
That changed at Mississippi State. Coleman logged 74 catches for 932 yards and six touchdowns this season for the Bulldogs. When Mizzou played Mississippi State on Nov. 23, Coleman had six receptions for 58 yards.
Coleman entered the transfer portal Wednesday.
“You look at the wide receiver, Kevin Coleman — who we know well from his time in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ — he’s a dynamic wide receiver,†MU coach Eli Drinkwitz said ahead of the Missouri-Mississippi State game a few weeks ago. “Really good route runner, really good yards after catch.â€
