Freshman force

Missouri wide receiver Jared Perry is generously listed at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds in the media guide.

The true freshman has a wiry frame and is at least a couple of inches shorter, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an impact for the Tigers this season.

Before the season began, coach Gary Pinkel thought about redshirting Perry to save his eligibility. The receiver’s work ethic and skills he showcased were enough to make Pinkel want to get him on the field.

“I didn’t know if I was going to play or not to be honest,” Perry said. “They couldn’t keep me off the field, though. When I found out that I made the team, I told myself that I was going to have to step it up.”

Perry moved up the depth chart to the spot behind Will Franklin, the team’s top receiver. He’s played in all of Missouri’s games this season but has come off the bench. This week, in the last regular season game, he will get the chance to start.

Franklin, who Perry considers to be his “big brother” on the team, tore the labrum in his right shoulder. It ended Franklin’s season, but it gives Perry the chance to step up again.

“I’ve grown a lot this season,” Perry said. “I’ve done a lot of work to learn the system, and the game speed is slowing down. I know Will’s going to be on the sideline helping me out.”

Danario Alexander, also a true freshman wide receiver, came into this season under similar circumstances. He was also unsure if he would make the team because of his freshman status. Pinkel had gone much of the summer saying that he would likely pick only one of the freshmen and redshirt the other. It seemed Perry was likely choice, but Pinkel surprised everybody when he picked both of them.

“I was so happy when I found out,” Alexander said. “I called my parents and told them about it. It was a great accomplishment to me.”

The two became close while competing for what they thought was a final roster spot, but as the season has gone on, neither of them have worried about who’s getting the ball.

Perry said he doesn’t care who gets the ball but is happy his quarterback trusts him to get him the ball so often. Alexander hasn’t seen the field much this season, but said he could if he continues to work on his route running and consistency during the offseason.

“I just gotta get open to get the ball,” Alexander said with a laugh. “If I run my routes right, I know I’ll get it plenty.”

Quarterback Chase Daniel, in charge of distributing catches between the receivers and tight ends, said this is a problem he doesn’t mind having.

“They’ve raised the expectation level,” Daniel said. “They wanted to play at a high level and they are. I’ve got to keep them hot.”

Pinkel has been pleased with the freshmen receivers’ play and satisfied with his decision to play them both this season.

“I would suggest that they’ve played as well as two freshman receivers could play,” he said. “I certainly feel that they’ve made a great contribution with the injuries at receiver. Those guys have done well.”

At practice, it’s hard to pick either of them out of a crowd. Tight ends Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman and receiver Brad Ekwerekwu tower over them. Watch Missouri’s game against Kansas on Saturday, and it will be impossible to miss them.