Mizzou football lands Ohio State transfer, a former four-star recruit, to open 2021
The Missouri Tigers opened 2021 with a huge recruiting win, nabbing former Ohio State wide receiver Mookie Cooper from the transfer portal.
Cooper was rated as a four-star prospect and top-100 recruit coming out of high school, according to 247Sports. Cooper announced his commitment Tuesday to Mizzou as the St. Louis native now gets to stay closer to home.
He held offers from multiple power conference programs before landing with the Buckeyes as part of the 2020 recruiting class. He didn’t log any catches in his lone season at Ohio State, which is in the College Football Playoff final against Alabama.
Transfers like Cooper would have to sit out next season because of NCAA rules in past seasons. Exceptions were occasionally made, but only graduate transfer players are allowed immediate eligibility with their new teams. However, the NCAA is expected to pass a one-time transfer rule later in January that would allow players like Cooper to suit up with their new teams immediately.
Cooper is expected to have four years of eligibility remaining because the 2020 season didn’t count against any player’s eligibility clock because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cooper’s addition bolsters a Mizzou wide receiver room that will return a bulk of production. MU wide receiver Damon Hazelton announced he’s headed to the NFL Draft, but Keke Chism said he will return for another season in Columbia. Other players like Tauskie Dove, Barrett Banister, Jalen Knox and others emerged as targets for MU quarterback Connor Bazelak throughout last season.
The Tigers finished their 2020 season 5-5 in an SEC-only slate after the Music City Bowl was canceled in MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s first year. Mizzou opens its 2021 slate against Central Michigan on Sept. 4 at Memorial Stadium.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 12:09 PM.