SEC Spring Breakout Players: Missouri WR Kevin Coleman

By Chris Marler

Continuing our Spring Breakout Player Series with a sleeper prospect that could end up being a household name by the end of the 2025 season. It’s Missouri wide receiver Kevin Coleman. 

Home (finally)

Coleman, like many college football players in this era, has had a winding path to his current destination. This will be his fourth college in as many years. A former four-star, top 100 recruit out of St. Louis, Coleman committed to play for Deion Sanders at Jackson State out of high school. 

He was the No. 54 ranked recruit in the country in the 2022 recruiting cycle and the No. 1 player in the state of Missouri. After one year at Jackson State, he left for Louisville around the same time Deion Sanders left to be the head coach at Colorado. He played in all 14 games for the Cardinals, catching 26 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns.

KEVIN COLEMAN!!!!!

58-yards to the house!!!!!

📺 ABC#GoCards pic.twitter.com/uHPiuUCc12

— Louisville Football (@LouisvilleFB) November 18, 2023

After one season at Louisville, Coleman found his way to the SEC. He first landed at Mississippi State and now he heads home to Missouri where Eli Drinkwitz and his staff are expecting big things out of the junior pass catcher. 

Kevin Coleman’s 1-handed catch. pic.twitter.com/HV9rBjfNOY

— My Dawgs Are Barking Podcast (@MyDawgsPod) September 1, 2024

Expert Insight

We talked to Tucker Franklin of the Kansas City Sports Network to get his thoughts on the transfer wideout. 

“He’s played a ton of football. He provides veteran leadership in the locker room after Theo Wease and Luther Burden head to the draft. They’ve got a lot of production in that room and he’s going to be a guy that’s going to be expected to shoulder a lot of that load. He can also really be a deep ball threat to a seemingly run heavy offense.”

Offense needed

The timing for Coleman returning to his home state is perfect for both sides. Coleman has a chance to be the premiere offensive player for a unit that will be replacing a ton of talent. The Tigers have to replace Brady Cook and his 38 career starts at quarterback. More importantly, they have to find a way to replace the production of Wease and Burden. Those two accounted for over 48 percent of Missouri’s receptions in 2024 and over 53 percent of their receiving yards. 

While the decision on who will start at quarterback has yet to be made for Missouri, it will almost undoubtedly be someone lacking in experience. That’s where Coleman comes in. He led Mississippi State in receiving in 2024 with 74 receptions, 932 yards and six touchdowns. He accounted for over 33 percent of the teams total receptions and receiving touchdowns. 

In addition to being the most sure handed receiver on the roster, Coleman was at his best in the biggest moments. Three of his four 100-yard games during the 2024 season came against teams that finished in the Top 11 nationally (Arizona State, Georgia, and Ole Miss).

Coleman did most of that with true freshman Michael Van Buren Jr throwing him the ball. Not only can he be a veteran security blanket for a new starter at quarterback, but he could be in line for the breakout season many anticipated during he previous three stops.