Missouri’s College Football Playoff hopes ended last Saturday in a dull thud against Texas A&M as the Tigers offense failed to gain any forward momentum for much of the contest.
Kirby Moore’s unit was unable to compensate for the loss of two key starters, Beau Pribula and Brett Norfleet, against one of the nation’s top teams in Texas A&M and top defensive minds in Aggies head coach Mike Elko.
But Donovan Olugbode stood in stark contrast to the rest of the Mizzou offense, putting together his best performance
of the season when little else went right for the Tigers.
The true freshman recorded three receptions for 74 yards, marking a new high in his promising young career. Two of Olugbode’s three receptions went for more than 25 yards, and both of those explosive plays were heavily contested catches — including one reception that drew a defensive pass interference penalty.
“It’s kind of just been natural for me,” Olugbode said about his ability to make 50/50 catches, “I kind of work it every day after practice — me and Kevin Coleman just work [on] all types of catches after practice: behind the back, this way, that way, all types of angles, just to get better at it every day.”
Olugbode was involved in nearly all of the team’s aerial offensive production, accounting for 74 of the 77 passing yards recorded by Matt Zollers. Mizzou’s next leading receiver on the day? Running back Ahmad Hardy, who recorded one catch for a five-yard gain.
The performance also continued a string of strong outings from the Chicago native, who has recorded at least one catch in five straight games, and reeled in at least three receptions for more than 50 yards in three of his last five contests.
Olugbode has recorded 20 receptions for 287 yards and one touchdown this year with an average of 14.35 yards per catch. That form puts him in elite company among recent Mizzou wide receivers in their freshman season.
Those marks already compare favorably to Dominic Lovett’s freshman year, when the former Tiger made 28 catches for 177 yards with no touchdowns. Luther Burden’s 375 yards as a freshman are also within reach for Olugbode with three regular season contests plus a bowl game remaining.
Eli Drinkwitz would surely be happy if Olugbode ends up having a similar sophomore breakout to the two players above.
Lovett doubled his number of receptions from his first to second seasons at Mizzou and recorded 846 yards as a sophomore. And Drinkwitz would likely be ecstatic if the current freshman could come even close to touching Burden’s sophomore totals of 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.
Freshman year production is no guarantee of a sophomore breakout, though. Marquis Johnson recorded 383 receiving yards his freshman season but has struggled to top that mark each of his next two years.
Johnson is currently second on the Tigers with 340 receiving yards but has struggled lately, recording less than 50 yards in each of his past five games. That dip in production has opened the door for Olugbode, who recorded his first start against the Aggies in place of Johnson.
A comparison of the two receivers’ freshmen years might draw concern on the surface, with both making their name by hauling in the long ball. But anything more than surface analysis reveals a key difference: Johnson made a living by taking the top off defenses with his elite speed, while Olugbode has risen up the depth chart with a series of dazzling contested catches.
Olugbode’s increasing consistency, plus his long series of highlight reel plays dating back to the nonconference schedule, have made it clear the former top-75 recruit has the potential to be Mizzou’s next superstar receiver. The Tigers will need that enticing potential to keep translating to present production as the team looks to get back on track heading into Senior Night against Mississippi State.
Matt Zollers, a highly-touted true freshman in his own right, has leaned on his young teammates in both games where he’s seen notable action. Olugbode was his go-to option against the Aggies, but he also targeted redshirt freshman tight end Jude James for four receptions, 29 yards and a touchdown in the second half against Vanderbilt.
Together, the talented and youthful trio will need to maintain or elevate their performances this Saturday facing the Bulldogs for Mizzou to return to its winning ways, allowing the team’s seniors to take a rock from Faurot Field for the fifth consecutive season.
Olugbode has thrived under those increased expectations and pressure, putting together his career-best performance last week while leading the Tigers’ skill position players with 51 snaps. And there’s still room to grow for the 6-foot-2 phenom as he learns the finer points of the game and builds up his frame in an SEC weight room.
“I’m starting to understand the defense, coverages, how certain things go together on certain plays. Like, you’ve got to run a route to get somebody else open, or they’ve got to run a route to get you open,” Olugbode said when asked where he has improved the most this year, “Just the intelligence in the game.”
Olugbode, the most college-ready receiver the Tigers have had since Burden, is expanding his role in the Mizzou offense as he learns the ropes of playing at college football’s highest level. The possibility of the freshman finding his next gear and truly breaking through to the next level, a level could eventually put him on par with the other elite receivers during Drinkwitz’s tenure in Columbia, is a scary thought for SEC defenses.
