‘A blessing in disguise’: Mizzou receiver continually beats the odds

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

To find success as a walk-on in college football, it takes a unique blend of skill, dedication, passion, grit and toughness. Even then, it's not always guaranteed that you'll carve out the role you would've hoped.

Mizzou receiver Logan Muckey possesses and each every one of those qualities, plus an extra one that's been vital to his success in Columbia: resiliency.

"You've got to give 100 percent everyday because you don't know when your opportunity is going to come," Muckey said.

The Lee's Summit native grew up knowing and loving the Tigers.

"He's got Mizzou jerseys hanging up in his closet from when he was a kid," his dad, Darren Muckey said.

He lettered three years at Lee's Summit North under legendary head coach Jamar Mozee. In his time with the Broncos, Muckey helped the team to 18 wins with three consecutive state playoff appearances, which included a MSHSAA Class 6 State Championship quarterfinal showing in his sophomore season. Playing under Coach Mozee, he tallied 88 career receptions for 1,049 yards and nine touchdowns, collecting three Suburban Gold All-Conference honors.

Muckey could've had plenty of opportunities to ball out for other programs, however, once Mizzou came calling with a spot as a preferred walk-on, no other option existed.

"I knew that it was gonna be gritty, I knew that it was gonna take a lot of hard work," he said.

He walked onto his dream school in 2021 and has never stopped working since. In four years time, the receiver managed to carve out a role on special teams, playing as a starter for that unit in three of his four seasons.

"No job is too big or too small for him," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "That's a guy that just shows up everyday with the right kind of energy and attitude and effort."

However, that job didn't just come to him easily. Muckey fought through adversity to grab it, himself.

"Every time I step out on the field wearing the Mizzou across my chest, it's worth it," Muckey said.

He approached every day, no matter how difficult, with a positive attitude. That mindset turned out to be the same as the one he used to approach some of the biggest adversity he's ever faced in the 2025 offseason, as well.

Back in April, at just 22 years old, Muckey received the news that everyone dreads, as doctors at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center diagnosed him with papillary thyroid cancer.

"It was a shocker. It was a shocker for me, shocker for my family, for, you know, my friends and my teammates," he said.

"Whenever you attach cancer to your son or someone in your family, it's inherently scary," Darren Muckey said.

Thankfully, It wasn't long after being diagnosed that the doctors at Ellis Fischel removed the cancer. In fact, it only took until the end of May.

"He was really calm the whole time. Just like, well they're gonna go in, they're gonna get it and then I'm gonna be fine. Okay, that's what we're gonna do," his mom, Kristy Muckey said.

Ever since that surgery, the Mizzou receiver has been 100 percent cancer free.

"It could've played out 10 years down the line a different story, so it was all, you know, I'm a great man of faith, I believe that God works in mysterious ways and he was definitely," Muckey said. "It's crazy to say, but it's a blessing in disguise."

Through all the adversity he faced in the 2025 offseason, Muckey said the biggest difference-maker was that he never felt alone. Whether it was calls from Coach Drinkwitz, his teammates or his family, he felt supported throughout the entire process.

While his team was there for him, he also served an inspiration to them.

"Him being able to go through what he's been through, man. You can do whatever you put your mind to, especially if you've got God on your side," linebacker Khalil Jacobs said.

In fact, his journey ignited such a fire in this Tiger team that they decided to unanimously vote the walk-on as one of the nine team captains for the 2025 season.

"It is definitely the greatest honor of my life," Muckey said.

Now, as he enters his final season in the black and gold, the Lee's Summit native is making every single moment, no matter how big or small, count.

"I'm not taking anything for granted, ever again," he said. "You know, anything you have can be taken away from you just like that."

You can watch ABC 17 Sports Director Nathalie Jones' full story on Muckey's journey during the Kickoff at the Zou special, which will air on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. on KMIZ.