Daniel Blood is looking to create more seperation between himself and others.

Both on the field from defenders in space and on the depth chart in an already crowded receiver room for the Missouri Tigers.

“It’s a lot of talented guys,” Blood said in a press conference Thursday. “It’s just like, working everything, putting your head down, just taking those details from the older guys and just putting on your game as well.”

The former three-star prospect has been a popular name so far during fall camp and was one of the standouts in Missouri’s scrimmage on Monday, August 5. Fellow receiver Mookie Cooper estimated that Blood had the most receiving yards out of anyone on the team during the scrimmage. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Blood also had several catches in Saturday’s scrimmage.

Cooper also highlighted Blood’s ability after the catch, a focus for the sophomore this offseason. He’s a twitchy player who could be difficult to tackle if he can pair his athleticsm with improved technique and vision. The Missouri coaching staff has also tried instilling mental fearlessness with Blood when it comes to gaining yards after the catch.

“There’s a term my coach uses: dart,” Blood said. “As soon as you catch the ball and are turning upfield, not waiting for the defender to tackle you. My coaches emphasized that there’s no rule that a defender has to tackle you, so just running through the tackles, and don’t let the first defender tackle you.”

Perhaps no one would know Blood’s ability after the catch then a defensive back that has to line up against him in practice each day. Sophomore cornerback Nic Deloach said that Blood is one of his favorite receivers to be matched up against.

“I like going against Daniel Blood when I’m at nickel, because he’s real shifty, so it’s hard to play off, play man against him. I feel like he makes me way better,” Deloach said.

In the yards after the catch (YAC) department, Blood possibly has one of the greatest teachers in Luther Burden III, whose average of 8.4 YAC was the seventh highest in the nation. Blood is trying to be a sponge to Burden’s skills.

“I take things from him as soon as I got here,” Blood said. “His twitchiness, his route-running, his yards after the catch, moves like that. You see it work for him every game. You just put that in your game and see how you can use it as well.”

Burden is the star in the room, but the depth extends far past him. He, Theo Wease Jr., Mookie Cooper, Marquis Johnson and Mehki Miller each had consistent roles last year that they’ll likely continue to fulfill in 2024. Behind those five, however, there’s opportunity for a host of younger guys to work their way up as utility players.

Both Blood and Joshua Manning have been popular names through fall camp and bring unique skillsets to the field. True freshmen James Madison and Courtney Crutchfield have been praised for their preparedness but still might have a long way to go.

Even if there’s not realistically a competition for a starting receiver spot, Blood is a part of the group that has the opportunity to find a role this season. The starting point for Blood could be at punt returner, a position where he received All-State honors at in high school.

“Being fearless,” Blood said when asked the keys to being a good returner, “trusting your blockers and also having vision for your blocks. The ball is in the air for a while, you have to be able to make good decisions to make sure the offense gets the ball.”

Any contributions Blood can make in this upcoming season will go a long way to establish himself as a reliable target. Glancing at the incoming freshmen class and Missouri’s 2025 recruiting class, the wide receiver position is going to remain a competitive position on the Tigers’ roster.

Blood has been able to use this fall camp to continue to become more familiar with the program while focusing on the details to improve his game. Plenty of opportunity lies ahead of him heading into the 2024 season.

“I think it’s confidence and being comfortable. Just coming from high school to college, the pace is faster. The players are better, of course. It’s just getting comfortable. This is year two, and I’m getting more comfortable with the points, the details.”

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