This is Missouri’s 4th commitment of the 2023 class.

If Eli Drinkwitz has taught us anything during his time at Mizzou, it’s the importance of branding a program. His commitment to making Mizzou the destination school for local kids, for producing compelling media and for displaying a sense of exuberance all plays into the program he’s been building.

One thing we haven’t seen as much of to this point is legacy. Part of that is circumstantial — you only have so many legacy kids who end up competing at a high enough level to go D1 — so it becomes a bigger priority when opportunities present themselves. Drinkwitz made a commitment to Mizzou legacy on Monday when he landed Marquis Johnson, the son of former Mizzou DB Domonique Johnson.

In his time at Mizzou, Johnson the elder played an important role as a rotational back in the 2007 secondary. Being a part of that legendary team no doubt cemented his family’s commitment to Mizzou, so it’s no surprise to see his son become a True Son 15 years later.

Get to know: Marquis Johnson

Hometown: Dickinson, TX

High School: Dickinson

Position: WR

Ht/Wt: 6’0”, 176

Rivals Ranking: N/A

247Composite Ranking: 3-star, 0.8600 (It’s worth noting that 247 does not yet have a composite ranking for Johnson, but the internal service has rated him as a three-star)

Total announced offers: 23

Offers to note: Arkansas, Colorado, Houston, Indiana

While he’s unranked by many of the major recruiting services, it’s easy to see why Johnson has racked up a number of Division I offers in the past few weeks. His speed is the first thing that stands out in his reel, speed which he pairs with some elusiveness in the open field. He’s not the biggest wideout in the world and his route-running could use some work, but he’s able to operate in open space.

This feels like an upside play, especially once Johnson gets into a college weight room. If he’s able to fine tune his skill set, his natural athleticism should be a boon to Drinkwitz’s playmaking offense. Hopefully, Mizzou getting in early on a fast-riser pays dividends a few years down the road.

What they’re saying: