Missouri's Kevin Coleman Jr. grew up competing against Luther Burden III and Jameson Williams in the St. Louis area, now he's set to join his two former opponents again in the NFL.
While Burden and Williams went to football powerhouses in the area, Coleman was a part of a group that took St. Mary's High School football to new heights, taking a struggling program to its first-ever state championship in 2021.
In college, Coleman started his career by catching passes alongside Travis Hunter
at Jackson State, and ended it by being Missouri's leading receiver.
With four different stops across his collegiate career, Coleman will find out where his NFL career will start.
"It's going to show the work I've been putting in since five years old," Coleman said at the NFL Scouting Combine of looking forward to the moment when he hears his name called. "It finally paid off, but still not over."
Here's a look at the slot receiver's resume as a prospect.
Measurements
Height: 5'10 1/4
Weight: 179
Hand: 9 1/2
Arm: 30
Wingspan: 74
Combine Times
10-yard split: 1.61 seconds
20-yard split: 2.65 seconds
40-yard dash: 4.49 seconds
Vertical jump: 38 1/2
Broad Jump: 10'6"
College Career
Aug 6, 2025; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (3) awaits a punt during a fall camp practice at Mizzou Athletic Training Complex. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI
Coleman was recruited to Jackson State by Hunter, whom he played with in 7v7 camps. In his true freshman season while catching passes from Shedur Sanders, Coleman had the second most receiving yards for Jackson State, catching 33 passes for 510 yards and three touchdowns.
Coleman was also an instant contributor as a returner, returning 15 kicks for 306 yards, and five punts for 52 yards. Coleman became the starting punt returner in each fo his last three years of his college career, returning 57 punts for 459 yards and a touchdown over his final three seasons.
After racking up 362 yards in a stop at Louisville for his sophomore season, Coleman had his most productive year in his junior season at Mississippi State. There, he had the fifth most receiving yards in the SEC, catching 74 passes for 932 yards and six touchdowns.
For his final year, Coleman returned to his home state. With Burden out the door, Missouri was in need of a shifty slot receiver, a role that Coleman was perfect for. As the most experienced receiver in a young room, Coleman led the group with 66 catches for 732 yards and a touchdown in a run-heavy offense.
NFL Projection
Coleman's light frame is certainly a question for how well his game will transfer to the NFL. But when he can get separation, his quickness, paired with his vision, makes him a special threat after the catch.
"I'm electric," Coleman said at the Combine. "I'm a 'dawg.' Don't let this size fool you, with the ball in my hands, anything can happen from catching a short pass to a deep pass, anything can happen, including on special teams."
If Coleman can prove to be resilient through contact, and adjust his play speed to that of the NFL, he can become a reliable target, but also a dangerous playmaker for a team.
Coleman's ability as a returner also adds to his value as a prospect.
Coleman also feels like he improved his skills as a run blocker in his year at Missouri, where wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler borrowed the phrase "No block, no rock" from Chicago
head coach Ben Johnson.
"I took more seriously, took steps forward, in the blocking game," Coleman said of his time at Missouri. "I take that more serious. I understood the importance of the blocking game. Of course, coach Peeler, he pushed it
Mock Draft Projections
Coleman has consistently been projected to be selected in Rounds 4-6 by draft analysts. On average, draft analysts expect him to be selected in Round 5, per NFL Mock Draft Database .
Coleman reportedly took visits to the Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs .
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/missouri as Breaking Down Kevin Coleman Jr.'s NFL Draft Projection, Pro Potential .
