果酱视频

Because Marquis Johnson isn鈥檛 done doing so.

His mother died on April 28. He yearns to connect with her on Aug. 28.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to ask if I can wear some cleats I got specially made,鈥� said the Mizzou receiver, whose Tigers open the 2025 season that night against Central Arkansas. 鈥淭hey are some pink cleats that say: 鈥楻IP, Mom, I love you.鈥� Pink is her favorite color. I鈥檓 going to end up trying to wear some type of pink, just to represent her.鈥�

She was just 39. Denise Bell died in Johnson鈥檚 hometown of Dickinson, Texas. He didn鈥檛 feel comfortable sharing how she passed. Can you imagine being a college kid and having to grieve? Unfathomable emotions. You-don鈥檛-want-to-even-go-there thoughts.

鈥淚鈥檓 just a 2.0 of her,鈥� said Johnson, who is 20 years old. 鈥淚 joke more than her, but she was just like me. She always cared about me, always was there for me. 鈥� My mom, she was just uniquely herself. Didn鈥檛 care who was around, she was going to be herself. 鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 going to do what I do best 鈥� going out there and working and doing everything for her.鈥�

Johnson is so fast, he has two nicknames regarding his rapidity 鈥� Speedy and Flash.

鈥淭he Flash,鈥� Mizzou quarterback Sam Horn corrected me.

With Luther Burden III and Theo Wease now in NFL camps, much is being made about Mizzou newcomer Kevin Coleman Jr., a transfer receiver with a resume that could rattle the more vulnerable cornerbacks. But I feel that Johnson will have a breakout year in 2025. He played so well in the Music City Bowl. He鈥檚 a junior now. He very well may be the fastest guy in any game (he won a Texas state title as a high school sprinter). And he鈥檚 playing with a heavy heart, which, of course, is the color pink.

鈥淢arquis made some huge strides last season in the bowl prep,鈥� said offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, who is also in his third Mizzou season. 鈥淎nd then finishing there in the bowl game, with his opportunities outside, because Theo moved in the slot (with Burden not playing). We know he can stretch the field. I just think he really showed up with those details on some of those intermediate routes, being on the same page with Brady (Cook). And then he鈥檚 carried those over throughout the offseason. 鈥�

鈥淚 think from a leadership standpoint, too, he鈥檚 seen a lot more ball. And in that whole receiver room there鈥檚 a lot of depth 鈥� and they鈥檙e going to be pushing each other.鈥�

Johnson arrived on radars in 2023 when the Tigers played Memphis in 果酱视频. The quarterback Cook cooked up a play for Johnson, who weaved his way for a 76-yard touchdown. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, who uses a particular four-letter word instead of actual four-letter words, said after the game: 鈥淐rud 鈥� that sucker is fast as lightning.鈥�

But Mizzou was so deep at receiver in 2023. And in 2024. Remember, Mookie Cooper was out there, too. Johnson has 38 career catches and seven came in the Music City Bowl win against Iowa. With Mizzou down 10 late in the third quarter, Johnson corralled a key 44-yard Cook pass 鈥� the Tigers scored shortly after. Speedy, er, The Flash, finished with 122 receiving yards that afternoon in Nashville.

鈥淚 think he has really good ball skills 鈥� and a great knack for finding the ball in the air,鈥� said Horn, who is competing with Beau Pribula to be Mizzou鈥檚 starting signal-caller (Cook is in New York Jets camp). 鈥淎nd for me as quarterback, I love that, being able to get the ball whenever I want to. Let him make a play. And he鈥檚 a playmaker that鈥檚 for sure 鈥� big-play guy.鈥�

At Mizzou鈥檚 camp-opening media day, Drinkwitz brought up three pass-catchers of whom 鈥渢here鈥檚 a reasonable expectation that you can take your game to another level.鈥�

They were Johnson, the tight end Brett Norfleet and the receiver Josh Manning, who is in a similar situation to Johnson 鈥� looking to break out as a receiver on the outside.

Norfleet has watched his fellow junior Johnson for a while now. Asked about Johnson, Norfleet shared: 鈥淵ou know, the cliche answer would be the speed 鈥� I mean the kid can straight-out fly 鈥� but for me, what also sticks out is just his competitive attitude, something that y鈥檃ll might not see. But when we鈥檙e going up against our defense in practice, he always brings the energy. 鈥� I just think you know, in order to play this game, you have to have a competitive mindset. Otherwise you鈥檙e just going to get ran through.鈥�

On, Twitter/X, Johnson鈥檚 name is listed as 鈥淭he Flash.鈥� And his Twitter/X handle is @_SpeedyQuis. This summer, he posted a photo taken in a studio. He鈥檚 in his black Mizzou No. 2 jersey 鈥� and he鈥檚 holding a pink T-shirt. It featured four photos of Denise Bell and the words: 鈥淟ONG LIVE MY QUEEN.鈥�

Later in the summer, he retweeted a photo of Michael Jordan.

He was still in his Bulls uniform and sweaty after a game that just ended. And Jordan had his arm around his mother, who looked up at her son with a smile.

The caption simply read: 鈥淢ake her proud.鈥�