Missouri Football: Tyrus Wheat and two more commit to Tigers
On Wednesday, Missouri received verbal commitments from offensive lineman Mike Ruth, safety Tyrus Wheat and linebacker La’Dedric Jackson.
There’s an old saying, “when it rains, it pours.” Nothing could hold more truth for Missouri, now. In the last week, the Tigers have received commitments from eight recruits, bringing the Tigers’ overall to 13 commits.
What was a lull in head coach Barry Odom’s recruiting trail, evolved into a boon for Missouri. Furthermore, the Tigers pulled yet another recruit in from the state of Alabama.
Linebacker La’Dedric Jackson was the first to announce his intention. The three-star linebacker from Montgomery, AL left offers from LSU, NC State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee on the table.
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Jackson also attends Sidney Lanier High School, sharing a common thread with earlier quarterback commit, James Foster. Interestingly, the same high school which produced an NFL quarterback you may have heard of, Bart Starr.
Later in the day, Missouri received commitments from offensive lineman Mike Ruth and safety Tyrus Wheat. According to Steve Wiltfong of 247sports, “Ruth recently visited Columbia over the weekend, and Wheat looks like a real sleeper.”
Ruth, rated a three-star lineman by Rivals, comes to Missouri from Texas (make that Missouri’s 11th commit from the state under Odom), and turned down offers from Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, and Kansas State, among others.
In a recent recap of his visit to Missouri, Paul Maharry of PowerMizzou.com wrote that Ruth enjoyed being around the coaches, and the offensive line’s aggression, precision, thoroughness, and discipline caught his attention.
"I enjoyed being around the coaches the whole time. When I went to Columbia I really wanted to get to know the coaches. After spending the whole visit with them, I really got to do a lot of talking and getting to know them. The coaches are phenomenal. What stood out was the offensive line’s aggressiveness. They were very precise and disciplined, thorough, especially in the passing game. The offense seemed very smooth and efficient."
Missouri also enjoyed a verbal commit from Tyrus Wheat, bringing Mizzou’s tally to four from Louisiana. Rated a two-star recruit by Rivals, Wheat is believed to be an “under the radar” prospect.
Odom, whose intent was to bolster Missouri’s linebacker core, continues to do so after adding Wheat. Currently penciled in as an outside linebacker, Wheat played strong safety at Amite High School.
Next: Missouri football lands first in-state commitment
Wheat enjoyed his visit to Missouri, which was one-of-two D1 offers he received. Wheat also received offers from Tulane, Southeastern Louisiana and Jackson State, among others.