Missouri wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. has navigated his way through various roles at the collegiate level. From the up-and-coming blue-chip prospect to the savvy veteran captaining one of the most talented groups of receivers in all college football.

Wease began playing football at a young age, with his father playing a central role in his love for the game. Theo Wease Sr. has delivered pregame talks to his son since he was five and has stuck by his side through every turn.

“My dad has been everything for me my whole career,” Wease Jr. said. “He has been with me every step of the way and I love him for that.”

Out of Allen High School in Texas, Wease was among the most coveted wideouts in the 2019 recruiting class.

Wease was named a High School All-American while leading his team to a 2017 Texas state championship, which snagged him a five-star recruiting rating from 247Sports. They named Wease the No. 21 ranked recruit in the country and the third-best player at his position.

He was targeted by college football’s elite, taking official visits to Oklahoma, LSU, and USC while drawing offers from powerhouses Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.

Ultimately, Wease committed to play for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2019. At the time, the Sooners were on the heels of two straight College Football Playoff appearances and back-to-back Heisman-winning quarterbacks.

This early acclaim gave Wease a sense of belonging in the Division I atmosphere while also motivating him to keep working hard within the collegiate ranks.

Wease was a cornerstone of the Sooner’s No.4 best recruiting class in the nation. As a freshman, he caught eight passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, but his breakout year came as a sophomore.

He led the team with 37 receptions that season, along with current NFL wide receiver Marvin Mims, while also recording 530 yards and scoring four touchdowns.

Wease’s trajectory hit a standstill before his junior campaign with the Sooners when he broke both his left and right foot, ending his season before it ever began.

For Wease, this was one of the biggest obstacles he had to overcome as a collegiate athlete, but it is a testament to his resilience.

“Overcoming by sticking to the plan,” Wease said. “Keep going to work, never be down, and just stay positive.”

Wease’s junior year passed him by and in his absence, the Sooner’s depth chart got crowded at the top at the receiver position.

Mims took center stage as the primary target of the offense while other rotational playmakers stepped up.

Wease still managed to make some noise after returning from injury. While only hauling in 19 passes, he totaled 378 yards for nearly 20 yards per reception. His big-play capabilities got him into the endzone four times in his comeback year of 2022.

Though he shined when given the chance, Wease had “something to prove.” Fittingly, this has become the motto of the Missouri Tigers, where he transferred in 2023.

Before the 2023 season, Wease entered the transfer portal, banking on his potential. Wease wanted to find a place where he had an opportunity to give his all.

Wease had prior connections to Missouri wideouts Luther Burden III and Mookie Cooper. These relationships drew him into joining the team and adapting to the culture.

“It was a family-like feel from the jump,” Wease said.

Since joining Missouri, Wease has adopted a big brother role. Now four years in as a student-athlete, he has experiences to pass on to the younger athletes and help them grow.

The thriving chemistry of the Tigers was the keystone factor in Missouri’s remarkable 2023 season.

The Tigers had their best performance in over a decade, reaching a final record of 11-2 and defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

Wease was a key contributor to the Tiger’s fiery offense, racking up career bests of 49 receptions, 682 yards and six touchdowns, including a career-long 77-yard score in the fourth quarter against the Florida Gators, which Wease has described as his favorite moment of his career so far.

Wease announced his return to Missouri for his final year of eligibility on Jan. 4, 2024, in a video posted on social media by the Missouri Tigers.

In the video, he mentions the bonds he forged during his time in Columbia as something special that he will hold onto forever. Wease mentioned that Missouri had plenty left to prove, feeling as though they had only scratched the surface.

Wease was rewarded for his leadership, being named a team captain at the start of the season. In an Aug. 10 press conference, head coach Eliah Drinkwitz highlighted Wease’s maturity while crediting him as an elite teammate and an outstanding player.

“I cannot say how fortunate we are for Theo Wease,” Drinkwitz said. “I think his maturity and wisdom in that room was really the glue that’s brought us together. To have him in that room and for him to come back again this year, I think has really been the catalyst for the togetherness, the unselfish nature, the willingness to walk down the field, the willingness to do all the dirty work, and make plays.”

Wease has been a standout with the 2024 season underway. He recorded a career-high of 13 receptions and 149 yards in Missouri’s Week 2 victory over the Buffalo Bulls.

In an interview with ESPN after the game, Wease was asked what made this team special, he simply stated “Brotherhood.”

“It’s a real family in that locker room and we’re really playing for each other,” Wease said.

Wease has totaled 552 yards and three scores so far through his final campaign, currently on track to set a new career high for yardage in a season.

The Missouri Tigers, ranked No. 24 by the College Football Playoff committee, most recently squared off against Wease’s former team, the Oklahoma Sooners on Sat. Nov. 9, at Faurot Field.

Missouri and Oklahoma have a storied rivalry dating back to the turn of the twentieth century, and this matchup marked the first time the two teams have met since 2011.

Missouri and Oklahoma have a storied rivalry dating back to the turn of the twentieth century.

Heading into the game, the Tigers were 6-2, while the Sooners stood at 5-4.

Wease explained his excitement for the game, with no bad blood or hard feelings towards the Sooners and emphasized that it would be fun to play against his friends on the opposing sideline.

Wease stepped up in a big way for the Tigers to come away with a thrilling win. He led the charge offensively with a team-high of 70 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

With Missouri trailing Oklahoma 23-16 and just over a minute remaining in the game, Wease miraculously leapt above the Sooners’ cornerback to haul in a pass from Drew Pyne and tap a single foot in the back corner of the endzone for the game-tying touchdown.

This score gave the Missouri defense a shot of energy that allowed them to come away with a game-winning defensive touchdown in the final 30 seconds of the game.

Missouri quarterback Drew Pyne mentioned Wease’s determination as a receiver in the post-game press conference.

“I know that anytime the ball is in the air, he’s going to absolutely do everything he can’t catch it,” Pyne said. “I’m so happy for Theo. He’s such a great leader of our team.”

After the game, Wease mentioned the atmosphere at Faurot Field on that night was the best he had experienced.

Wease has forged a path of relationships through the game of football. From the mentee to the mentor, Wease has taken on the challenge of being a vocal leader, passing on stories of his past experiences.

For the young players on the roster, he hopes to lead by example while continuing to establish the family-like chemistry.

Wease has found a forever home in Columbia and established a lifelong brotherhood with the boys in black and gold.

Missouri has become a second home for his family as well. Wease Sr. is often seen amongst rowdy Missouri faithful, cheering on his son at Faurot Field. Decades on from the first pre-game speech, the two still share a bond in a place that Wease Jr. says his father loves as much as he does.

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Copy Edited by Jayden Bates-Bland and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com