Derrick McBride II accepts late walk-on opportunity with Mizzou

Earlier this month, Derrick McBride II looked to be Virginia bound. The Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson wide receiver signed to Old Dominion in February on a deal that came with the Monarchs offering partial payments of his school tuition.

But the SEC program in his father’s home state gave him a call.

Missouri director of scouting Jared Russell extended a preferred walk-on offer to McBride, the son of a former Florissant (Mo.) McCluer North and Kansas State athlete. McBride accepted it and announced his commitment to the Tigers on Thursday.

“This was very recent,” said McBride, an unranked recruit in the 2026 class. “They had sent me camp invites a couple years ago, but it wasn’t anything serious. They just started seriously applying pressure like a week or two ago.

“Basically, I’m kind of like a fallback. If everything else goes wrong, they got me. … It’s not really costing them anything. So (Russell) said he would love to have me on team.”

The Tigers looked through McBride’s senior season film, where the 6-foot-3, 190-pound wideout showed agileness and flexibility. His speed also played into his career-high 598 yards as well as three touchdowns on 44 receptions in 2025.

“This is no shade to Old Dominion at all, but it would just be a better environment (at Missouri),” McBride said. “I’d get better coaching. I’d get better TV time. My family would be able to watch the TV every game. Just get my name out there.”

McBride hasn’t spoken to Tigers wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler yet, but he held a brief conversation with assistant wideouts coach Bryson Abraham. He’s now looking forward to meeting other coaches and players in his first-ever trip to Columbia for enrollment.

“I’ve been to St. Louis,” McBride said. “My grandparents and my dad’s family are from St. Louis, so I’ve been in the area. But I’ve never been on Mizzou’s campus. … If anything goes wrong, I have family that’s two hours away.”