WATCH: Missouri WR commit James Madison II makes leaping TD catch

Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star wide receiver James Madison II is the third highest-ranked prospect in the Missouri Tigers’ 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. The wideout showcased some of the athleticism he’s bringing to Columbia on Saturday.

In a home game against powerhouse Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, Madison made an eye-popping grab in the end zone, winning a one-on-one against a defensive back for a touchdown. The catch helped St. Thomas Aquinas tie the game in the third quarter.

Madison is the No. 402 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 69 WR and No. 52 player in Florida. He chose the Tigers over Florida State.

“When I say that this race was super tight, it was super tight but when I knew, I knew,” Madison II told On3. “It came down to the wire because those two schools stood out to me the most and I cut off rest of my recruitment a little bit earlier because I knew it was one or the other. I took three official visits before I felt like I knew and I knew I wanted to take those two.

“After I saw what I saw from those two, it really was a hard decision to make but I felt Missouri was the best place for me to go.”

Mizzou improving on recruiting trail

It’s been a battle for Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers to compete on the recruiting trail against its SEC compatriots, but things appear to be on the up in Columbia. Madison and his St. Thomas Aquinas teammate three-star linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez are two of four Mizzou commits hailing from Florida.

On Aug. 14, Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri pledged to Mizzou over Oklahoma, becoming one of the highest-ranked commits in recent history for the Tigers. Nwaneri is the No. 3 overall prospect in the cycle.

The Tigers’ recruiting class is No. 44 in the nation and No. 15 in the SEC, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking. Madison is hoping to be a part of a new and successful era of football at Mizzou.

“I feel like I’ll be able to give back to where I started out and be able to impact the entire state,” Madison said. “I want to be able to show that if Missouri can be a contender in the SEC. I feel like I can be a part of something special and really grow it.”