He isn’t a Luther Burden replacement. He’s the new face of Mizzou receiving corps

Entering the local media room in the North Tower of the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial, Mizzou safety Daylan Carnell got his day started bright and early at 8 a.m Thursday for the final morning of SEC Media Days.

First, it was time to talk to the local media.

While incoming transfer Kevin Coleman Jr. wasn’t brought down to Georgia with Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and his cast of players, it didn’t take long for the receiver’s name to be brought up. Carnell went up against Coleman heavily during the spring — so he is privy to the talent coming to the Tigers’ locker room this season.

“He gonna be a dude,” Carnell said on Coleman. “He real nice.”

What does “a dude” mean? The dictionary definition might just be a man, but Coleman slots in as more of a star. He is expected to be the leader of the Mizzou receiving corps in 2025, and based on his decision to take the newly drafted Chicago Bear Luther Burden lll’s jersey No. 3, he seems to have the confidence to take on that responsibility.

That said, Coleman isn’t trying to just be another Burden. Mizzou doesn’t want him to be that, either. He’s not merely a replacement, he’s his own player — a great one at that.

“We lost a tremendous player in Luther Burden, and nobody’s going to replace Luther Burden,” Drinkwitz said. “We don’t need (Coleman) to replace, we need him to come be the best version of Kevin Coleman. He’s going to wear number three. He’s going to put his stamp of approval on that number three for the 2025 season.”

It’s not hard to envision Coleman doing that based on his track record. After a season at Jackson State and Louisville each, he broke out with Mississippi State in 2024. There, he caught 74 receptions for 932 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns to earn an third-team All-SEC selection.

Nobody saw Coleman’s production flourish firsthand more than Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby. After the wideout’s 2023 campaign at Louisville — where he only caught 26 receptions for 362 yards and two touchdowns — Lebby recruited him to be the Bulldogs’ primary receiving option. The first-year coach wasn’t able to retain his services after one season, but played a major factor in his development to today.

“As (Coleman) was with us, he was a guy that hadn’t had a ton of production before, had a ton of production this past year and a bunch of targets,” Lebby said of the former Bulldog on Wednesday. “If put in position, (he) will have a chance to have another productive season.”

While Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen only got to throw to Coleman for four games after undergoing a season-ending shoulder injury — a stretch where he caught three touchdowns — the two grew a connection through the year. Shapen won’t get another go with him, but is expecting great things out of the rising senior in Columbia.

“Very special,” Shapen said on Coleman. “Playmaker in space. Became very close with Kevin, so I wish him nothing but the best moving forward at Missouri. I feel like he’s going to have a good year.”

Coleman has all of the tools necessary to be an elite receiving option. He’s freakishly quick on his feet, gets in and out of his brakes with explosiveness and can go the distance once the ball is in his hands. Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore will be able to reap the benefits of having him in his system, and so will the players out on the field.

“I think the looseness, yards after catch can be something for him,” center Connor Tollison said on Coleman. “He’s just now maybe getting to Mizzou, his journeys look different ... I think he’s got a chip on his shoulder.”

Coleman is joining a receiver room filled with players ready to take the next jump. Rising juniors Marquis Johnson and Josh Manning are the two at the forefront, looking to further develop their skillsets with more expansive roles in the offense. The former caught 25 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown last year, while the latter added 13 receptions for 192 yards and a touchdown.

Coleman might be a new face in the lineup, but his wealth of experience and production will make him the de facto leader for the rest to follow. “The thing I really, really appreciate about Kevin is he’s really tried to bring leadership to that (receiver) room,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s taken those guys out — they go down and do things together. He went and rode horses with Ahmad Hardy. The guy is just an incredible teammate.”

Missouri marks the fourth program that Coleman has arrived to during his college career, but none have been closer to home. The St. Louis native is primed to be a standout for the Tigers.

Carnell wasn’t off base in his description of Coleman. But in a more definitive sense, he might be “that” dude.

Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian.