2025 names to watch

As Missouri is bearing down on finishing out its 2024-25 roster, their sights have already been looking towards this summer to put together their next recruiting class. Yes it’s already time to talk about the 2025 recruiting class.

If you’re old like me, you might think “surely 2025 isn’t a real high school graduating class yet” and surely you’d be wrong! The first recruiting class I covered was in 2014, with names like Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Montaque Gill-Caesar. Towns and Booker just completed their 9th NBA season. I’ll always contend that Gill-Caesar could have been a pro had he not gotten so banged up his freshman year, but that’s another point for another time.

This time we’re talking about the 12th recruiting class I’ve been a part of covering, 2025.

Last year we didn’t expect a big class, and Mizzou ended up taking 5 players. Some of that was circumstance, but it would be very surprising if they took 5 players again in this class. From what we’ve been able to cobble together, it looks more like three to four spots at most. All of this is dependent on existing roster movement, and who sticks, and all that. But for now that’s the expectation.

Aaron Rowe | 6-0, 160 | Columbia, Missouri

The already committed hometown kid, Rowe made quick work of his recruitment by pledging to Dennis Gates and the Tigers early on last December. A shifty and quick point guard, Rowe is currently the 26th ranked player in the 247sports.com composite ranking. If the ranking holds, Rowe would be the highest rated commitment since Michael Porter, Jr and the 4th highest rated commit all time (since the 247sports era begin in 2001).

The local kid plus Missouri’s friendly NIL laws likely led Rowe to jump on this possibility quickly, but he’s also built up a quick relationship with the staff. He chose the Tigers over Tennessee, Kansas and Kansas State. Starting the class with a player the caliber of Rowe is helpful, you have your anchor now let’s build on it.

Jalan Haralson | 6-6, 210 | Fishers, Indiana

Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Each cycle there is a prospect or two where the staff can swing the fences, and sticking tough with Haralson is one that could pay off. A big guard from Indiana, Haralson is currently rated the 10th best prospect in the 2025 class. He recently cut his list of schools down to 9: Gonzaga, Duke, Auburn, Indiana, Notre Dame, Purdue, Kansas, Michigan State, and Missouri.

As you can tell it’s a deep list, but not necessarily a list of deep blue bloods. Sure Duke, Michigan State, and Kansas are all schools hard to turn down. But Indiana, Notre Dame, and Purdue are all good programs nearby. I may catch some flack from IU fans for not calling them a blue blood, but at this point they’re Nebraska football of the 90s until they prove otherwise.

Missouri has put in the work here. It’s still a tough pull however. Haralson is adept at getting to the rim and has shown an ability to facilitate as a primary guard. Whoever lands Haralson is getting a great player and an instant impact guard. If that’s Missouri, they’ve pulled off the nearly unthinkable. Maybe they can do it.

Chuck Love| 6-6, 170 | Lincoln, Nebraska

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If you’re building a priority list, not far behind Rowe and Haralson is 4-star wing Chuck Love. Love has been to campus already and has seen Dennis Gates and his assistant coaches attend nearly every practice and game possible. If Love has been playing, Missouri has been there to see him.

Love’s other interest is a solid but not unbeatable list of: Illinois, LSU, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Xavier, Ole Miss.

Love is a smooth shooting athletic wing with big time long term potential. He’s currently rated 76th in the 247sports.com composite. That could go up quite a bit if he’s able to stand out a bit more with MoKan Elite, where he’ll team up with Rowe. Up, down or steady, Love is an immediate take for Missouri.

Nicholas Randall | 6-9, 220 | St. Louis, Missouri

If there’s an under the radar target in this class it might be Nick Randall. His height and weight seems to be a little all over the place depending on the service right now, so we’re averaging a bit. But his exact size and weight aren’t as important as who Randall is at this point. He’s a mobile center for the Vashon Wolverines and the Bradley Beal Elite. The Mizzou staff really likes Randall and his potential as a mobile big. Whether that’s at the four or the five spot, he’s got the potential to do both, and he’s learning to stretch the floor as well.

Randall’s recruitment hasn’t fully blown up, but he’s got offers from Illinois, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, TCU, and I’m sure the new staff at SLU would like to have him as well.

Randall will have options, and those close to home. But the Tigers have been on Randall since taking the job in 2022 when he was one of the first 2025 players to get an offer from Mizzou. The longevity of the relationship should give the Tigers a leg up here, and the proximity to home.

If you told Mizzou their 2025 class was Rowe, Love, and Randall with the possibility of Haralson I think they’d take that pot and walk out happy campers. But let’s talk about a few more guys.

Terrion Burgess | 6-8, 200 | Benton, Arkansas

The number 36 ranked player in the country out of Arkansas is usually the type of player who jumps early on an offer from the home state school. But Eric Musselman burned a lot of bridges in and around the state with his handling of the roster, and even though he was largely successful at Arkansas, it left the door open.

Mizzou plucked Annor Boateng out of Arkansas last year, and Burgess comes from the same pipeline. An athletic modern day combo forward, Burgess has a lot of programs hot on his trail and the Tigers are towards the top of the list. Towards being the operative word there. I’m sure the Tigers would be happy if Burgess wanted to commit, but with Musselman out at Kentucky and Calipari in, that resets the relationship with the home school. He’s also got big time interest from Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and others.

Things should heat up quickly for Burgess this spring as a top 40 recruit, and it may get shut down quickly if Calipari comes calling.

Efeosa Oliogu | 6-5, 220 | Daytona, Florida

Oliogu has been on campus to Missouri. He’s also seen his stock drop a bit. A former top 25 player by way of Canada, Oliogu was rumored to be hunting for a reclassification to the 2024 recruitng class. That’s still possible, but it’s also caused some schools, including Missouri, to back off a bit. I think they would still be interested if he stays in the 2025 class, but as a 6-5 wing they’d prefer Love and/or Haralson. So I think you can put this on the back burner for now.

There are a few other prospects on the list, but we’re keeping a close eye on Love and Randall for this class. Mizzou is going to give it the proverbial college try with Haralson. There are always prospects who will pop later and become priorities over the summer. That’s happened for Trent Burns last season. But if Gates had his way, I think he’s take the three we’ve talked about, and hope for the best with Haralson and be pretty happy.