Mizzou Freshman Donovan Olugbode Emerged as Top Target in Auburn Win

One of Missouri's most talented freshmen was a driving force in a clutch win on the road.

Oct 18, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Donovan Olugbode (1) gets open during the fourth quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala. — The No. 15 Missouri Tigers have a rising star on their offense that is starting to break through in freshman wide receiver Donovan Olugbode.

For the second-straight game, Olugbode was the focal point of the Missouri passing game. When Missouri's offense appeared to be dead in the water, the hands and playmaking of its star freshman became the most reliable option for quarterback Beau Pribula.

Even if Olugbode is still young and likely still learning the ropes of playing college football, he's not showing his age and inexperience one bit. His reliability as a target for an SEC offense at his age, frankly, is extremely impressive.

"He's that guy," running back Ahmad Hardy said following the win. "He's 18 years old, but when we need him, when we call on him, he comes through."

From the eyes of other wide receivers on the team, what Olugbode's done so far this season is eye-opening. According to Kevin Coleman Jr., the young target is already playing beyond his age.

"He's a playmaker. Ain't no age on that guy," Coleman said. "He's a playmaker. He's ready."

Olugbode wasn't an immediate contributor, though he did catch four passes for 37 yards in Week 1 against Central Arkansas. There was a period of time when he wasn't so involved, but he was someone. Pribula fell back on against Alabama in Week 7.

When Olugbode was needed the most, he showed up for the Missouri offense. His five catches for 69 yards against Auburn proved that, changing the way he could be used in the offense in the future.

"I'm always just telling him, be prepared. Be ready when your name's called," Coleman said. "But he's already ready. He prepared like he's a vet."

Though Olugbode's seen an uptick in snaps and targets recently, the process for getting Pribula and the rest of the wide receivers used to each other was no different.

At this point, Pribula and the wide receivers are used to each other in terms of timing and what each side of that relationship will do in certain moments. The same could be said for Olugbode, who appeared to be in sync with Pribula for his five catches.

"Just developing relationships and connections with those guys and knowing what they're going to do before they hit the stem on their route," Pribula said. "I think it makes the difference in tight window situations like there were tonight."

READ: No. 16 Mizzou Survived Auburn, But Questions, Concerns Rise Further

Even with the recent success of Olugbode, the Missouri passing game still needs to see some improvement. It's struggling to generate big plays down the field, a trend that's becoming progressively more alarming as Missouri gets deeper into the season.

"We got to keep working on our pass game. We're way too predictable right now from that stuff," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "We got to throw the ball vertically down the field, but we found a way to win.”

Missouri has a week to work on that deep passing game, along with getting Olugbode more involved, before hitting the road for a Week 9 matchup with the No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores. That game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Nashville.