Missouri’s coaches went into fall camp wanting to see a few players level up, and Donovan Olugbode was one of the names Eli Drinkwitz pointed to when asked who had the chance to make that jump.
“Donovan Olugbode is a guy that we expected to make a jump and continues to impress as a receiver who can play every down and add more to his game than just back shoulders,” Drinkwitz said.
That last part is the key. Missouri already knows Olugbode can win on the back shoulder.
What the Tigers want now is a wider menu - a receiver who can stay on the field, threaten defenses in different ways, and become more than a one-trick answer. The sophomore gave a glimpse of that last season, finishing with 30 catches for 401 yards and two touchdowns.
Olugbode says the focus this camp has been on making his game more complete.
“Probably just my 50/50 catching, my run-after-catch ability. Just trying to get more explosive after the catch,” Olugbode said.
That kind of growth matters because it gives Missouri another way to feature him besides leaning on his ability to make contested grabs. It also makes him more dangerous once the ball is in his hands, which is exactly the sort of development the Tigers are after.
Still, the back-shoulder work hasn’t gone anywhere. It showed up again during Missouri’s scrimmage, when Austin Simmons hit Olugbode for a touchdown.
“Came back next drive, threw a back shoulder to Donovan for a touchdown, which was really good,” Drinkwitz said.
So the picture coming out of camp is pretty clear: Missouri likes what Olugbode already brings, but the real progress is in everything he’s adding around that. He’s been one of the more noticeable pieces in camp, and the Tigers are counting on that growth to make him a more versatile part of the offense this season.
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