'I'm a True Son': Mizzou WR Theo Wease Jr. Found His Second Home in Columbia

Wease made an incredible impact for the Tigers over two seasons and had nothing but good things to say about it at the 2025 NFL scouting combine.

Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS — Whether people thought it would happen or not, Theo Wease Jr. changed the Missouri Tigers offense when he first arrived in Columbia.

But at some point, what he did on the field doesn't matter. After spending three prior seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners, Wease entered the transfer portal with the goal of finding a better environment and place for him to succeed. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz and his coaching staff gave Wease exactly that in Missouri.

“I’m a true son,” Wease said at the 2025 NFL scouting combine. “I’m going to be back as much as I can. That’s my second home.”

Wease fully embraced being in Columbia and made an impact both on and off the field. On the field, he became a top receiving threat in the SEC, leading Missouri in total receiving yards during the 2024-25 season and coming up clutch in many big moments.

The Allen, Texas native also grew close to his teammates that are at the combine alongside him in quarterback Brady Cook, receiver Luther Burden III and offensive lineman Armand Membou. That core group of players was important in the rise of the Tigers' offense. They also enjoyed playing with each other, which makes their success even more pleasant.

“I wish I had another year to play with them again, it was that much fun,” Wease said.

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. (1) celebrates after wide receiver Luther Burden III (3) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Off the field, Wease accomplished arguably the greatest feat a collegiate student athlete can accomplish; acquiring a degree from his school. That feeling of joy walking across the stage in Missouri, with his family with him, was a timeless moment.

“Hearing my parents, hearing my family how proud they were of me and how excited they were, there’s nothing more you can ask for,” Wease said.

Despite marking college graduation off his checklist, there were bumps in the road when it came to getting there. One of those came on the field after Wease suffered a wrist injury during the Music City Bowl. Because of that, he hasn't been able to participate in catching drills during the pre-draft process. However, his positive mindset hasn't faltered one bit.

“In life you got to be comfortable being uncomfortable,” Wease said. “There’s going to be a lot of situations that you don’t want to be in, like the bowl game, for example, when I broke my hand. I just turned it into a positive and focused on a lot of other things.”

That mindset helped the Tigers win games and helped Wease succeed. His positivity will take him a long way and continue to help him while talking to teams, even if he can't participate in catching drills. Wease is still doing athletic drills and testing at the NFL combine, but will not catch any passes.

It wasn't all sunshine and flowers in Wease's opening season with the Tigers, which is when he put that positive and wishful mindset into action. Managing challenging situations is a strong suit of his, a skill that will help him not only in the NFL, but life as well.

“Never give up,” Wease said. “When adversity hits you, I say attack it head on. Keep going and you’ll come out on the right side.”

That positivity also helped Wease when he first arrived in Columbia. The year Wease got to Missouri marked a turn-around for the program, recording an 11-2 record after going 6-7 the year prior. It can't all be attributed to Wease, but he certainly made a difference.

“That was my plan when I first picked going there, to be a part of something that changed the trajectory of the whole program,” Wease said. 

Dec 30, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. (1) and defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. (15) hoist the trophy up against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the trophy presentation at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Wease certainly did that by helping to lead Missouri to two-straight 10-win seasons in his two seasons with the team. Even if the Tigers didn't get where they wanted to in the postseason for their 2024 campaign, reaching the 10-win mark for the second season in a row isn't something to be disappointed about.

Most college athletes aspiring to make it to the NFL one day have a player or two that they look up to. For Wease, those players were Davante Adams and Keenan Allen. Wease carries similar attributes to those star pass-catchers and models his game after them.

“They’re not super speedy guys, but they’re very consistent in their route running, strong hands, they’re great at getting separation and they’ve been consistent over a long period of time,” Wease said. 

Having players to model your game after and look up to makes it easier to learn from. One piece of Wease's game that is similar to Allen and Adams is his route-running. He put that on display for many Tiger fans and others over the last two seasons, but he still thinks it's an area of his game that deserves more respect.

“I think my route running is slept on,” Wease said. “So I’ll be excited to show it off at [the] pro day.”

Wease also feels like there's plenty of areas where he can become a better player. One of those is what he does once the ball is caught and in his hands, especially compared to his teammate in Burden.

“I feel like I left some out there in my first year at Mizzou,” Wease said. “I feel like I did a little better my last year there, but I can always improve on that.”

No prospect is perfect and many have strengths and flaws, but Wease's game is pretty solid all-around. His age and current injury status might be what hold him back from a high draft pick, but Wease's mindset and ability to contribute right away could cancel his age and health out.

If Wease is drafted, there is no doubt it will be a special moment for him and his family. That being said, he's ready to get to work as soon as he possibly can.

“It’s going to be time to go,” Wease said. “It’s going to be a blessing, but it’s just the start.”

Oct 12, 2024; Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. (1) runs a route during the second half against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Wease's goals for his rookie season in the NFL are pretty straightforward. He didn't shy away from them either, making it clear that he has things he wants to accomplish.

“Rookie of the year, All-Pro, Super Bowl champ,” Wease said.

Those might be lofty goals, but with Wease's mindset and drive, it might not be impossible. Even if those goals aren't achieved, Wease is setting himself up for success by thinking that way.

Though it was only two seasons, Wease left his mark in Columbia. Without him, there would have been more losses and because of him, there were more wins.