We're in the final week of our countdown. The No. 1 player of the last 25 years will be revealed on Wednesday, the day before Mizzou opens the season against Murray State.
Number 6: Chase Coffman, tight end, 2005-08
Coffman was one of Gary Pinkel's major recruiting coups as he got things rolling in Columbia. The Ray-Pec three-star chose Mizzou over Iowa, Nebraska and his dad's alma mater, Kansas State. He made an impact immediately.
In 2005, as Missouri returned to a bowl game, Coffman caught 47 passes for 503 yards and 4 touchdowns. It would be the worst season of his career.
Coffman followed it up with 58 catches for 638 yards and 9 touchdowns as a sophomore and then 52 for 531 and 7 despite missing a game in Mizzou's breakout 2007 season. All of this while splitting time with Martin Rucker.
Rucker was gone in 2008 and Coffman took center stage. He posted career highs in catches (90), yards (987) and touchdowns (10) and won the Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end. He was also a consensus all-American that season. His name still litters the Mizzou record books. His 247 catches are 44 more than any other Tiger for a career. His 2659 yards are third overall and far and away the most by a tight end. His 30 touchdown receptions are the school record by seven.
Coffman's best trait was his hands. If the ball was close, he almost always pulled it in. His signature move was the hurdle, which he unveiled early in his career and used often. He was drafted in the third round (98th overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals. Over the next seven years, he would have stints in Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Tennessee and Atlanta. His final NFL resume was 39 games played, 18 catches, 177 yards and 2 touchdowns. Basically what he did on a good Saturday in Columbia. Had he come along five or ten years later he could have been an NFL star. Instead, he was simply one of the best to ever do it in college.
Up Next: No. 5
Previously
7 Danario Alexander
8 Markus Golden
9 Shane Ray
10 Justin Gage
11 Martin Rucker
12 Henry Josey
13 Aldon Smith
14 Nick Bolton
15 William Moore
16 Cody Schrader
17 Justin Britt
18 James Franklin
19 Jeff Wolfert
20 Michael Sam
21 Ziggy Hood
22 Drew Lock
23 Tyler Badie
24 Mitch Morse
25 Michael Egnew
Five that just missed the cut
Number 6: Chase Coffman, tight end, 2005-08
Coffman was one of Gary Pinkel's major recruiting coups as he got things rolling in Columbia. The Ray-Pec three-star chose Mizzou over Iowa, Nebraska and his dad's alma mater, Kansas State. He made an impact immediately.
In 2005, as Missouri returned to a bowl game, Coffman caught 47 passes for 503 yards and 4 touchdowns. It would be the worst season of his career.
Coffman followed it up with 58 catches for 638 yards and 9 touchdowns as a sophomore and then 52 for 531 and 7 despite missing a game in Mizzou's breakout 2007 season. All of this while splitting time with Martin Rucker.
Rucker was gone in 2008 and Coffman took center stage. He posted career highs in catches (90), yards (987) and touchdowns (10) and won the Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end. He was also a consensus all-American that season. His name still litters the Mizzou record books. His 247 catches are 44 more than any other Tiger for a career. His 2659 yards are third overall and far and away the most by a tight end. His 30 touchdown receptions are the school record by seven.
Coffman's best trait was his hands. If the ball was close, he almost always pulled it in. His signature move was the hurdle, which he unveiled early in his career and used often. He was drafted in the third round (98th overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals. Over the next seven years, he would have stints in Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Tennessee and Atlanta. His final NFL resume was 39 games played, 18 catches, 177 yards and 2 touchdowns. Basically what he did on a good Saturday in Columbia. Had he come along five or ten years later he could have been an NFL star. Instead, he was simply one of the best to ever do it in college.
Up Next: No. 5
Previously
7 Danario Alexander
8 Markus Golden
9 Shane Ray
10 Justin Gage
11 Martin Rucker
12 Henry Josey
13 Aldon Smith
14 Nick Bolton
15 William Moore
16 Cody Schrader
17 Justin Britt
18 James Franklin
19 Jeff Wolfert
20 Michael Sam
21 Ziggy Hood
22 Drew Lock
23 Tyler Badie
24 Mitch Morse
25 Michael Egnew
Five that just missed the cut
