Theo Wease injury update: Missouri WR ruled out for rest of Music City Bowl

Missouri is down another weapon on offense as leading receiver Theo Wease Jr. has been ruled out for the rest of Monday’s Music City Bowl against Iowa, according to ESPN sideline reporter Alyssa Lang.

Wease is dealing with an upper body injury after suffering a hard hit from Iowa defensive back Xavier Nwankpa.

“As Missouri’s offense takes the field for the first time in this second half, they’ll do so in this half without wide receiver Theo Wease Jr.,” Lang said on the broadcast. “Already coming into this game without star wide receiver Luther Burden, opting out of this bowl game, I’m told that Theo Wease Jr. is dealing with an upper body injury. Still in the locker room being evaluated but that he will not return to this game.”

Nwankpa was initially called for targeting for his hit on Theo Wease, but the call was overturned after video review.

Wease entered the Music City Bowl with 55 catches for 809 yards and three touchdowns. He was second on the team in receptions and the leading receiver in yards on the year for the Tigers.

As Lang said, in addition to Theo Wease, Missouri is also without star receiver Luther Burden, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft ahead of the Music City Bowl.

Burden caught 61 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns in 2024, helping Missouri to a 9-3 record. He finishes his college career with 192 receptions for 2,263 yards and 21 scores.

A Missouri native, Luther Burden made the decision to stay home and play for Missouri after being ranked as the top receiver and the No. 3 overall player in the country in the class of 2022, per the On3 Industry rankings.

He immediately was a big-time playmaker for the Tigers, catching six touchdowns and finishing with 45 catches for 375 yards as a freshman in 2022.

Luther Burden had the best year of his college football career in 2023, hauling in 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. He was a big part of the reason Missouri had a special season in 2023 as the Tigers finished with an 11-2 record, including a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

He once again had a big year for Missouri in 2024, helping the Tigers to nine wins, despite there being plenty of injury issues for Missouri.

Burden is expected to be one of the first receivers off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently updated his big board. He has Luther Burden as the No. 19 overall player in the draft. The only receivers ahead of Burden are Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter and Arizona star Tetairoa McMillan.