Mizzou commit Jabari Brady puts rankings aside; focuses on leadership
Jabari Brady knows the life of seeing himself rise and fall.
A Class of 2026 wide receiver, Brady bursted onto the scene his freshman year of high school. He garnered numerous offers, yet he never fully embraced where he ranked nationally.
“If you see a person that’s out there and you think you’re better than them, you’re going to question yourself and be like, ‘How are they still ranked over me?'” Brady said. “To me, stars really don’t matter to me, because I know what I’ve been putting in on and off the field. I know how I drive. I know how much hours I put into days.”
With Brady closing out his 7-on-7 career this past month at OT7, he saw that mentality within himself against top talent from across the country. Although being eliminated early into the final event of the summer with SFE, Brady still competed within in his limited reps.
“Being in that atmosphere really gives me a boost on dealing with other teams,” Brady said. “If you got that dog in you, you just gotta play. You can be a five-star, a four-star, a no-star. As long as you got that dog in you, you’ll always be good.”
Brady eyes leadership role
Seeing himself become more of a leader to the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Monarch underclassmen, Brady wanted his voice to leave a mark on the program. He has always desired a state championship, but leaving the program better than when he joined it has also been a personal goal.
“Another goal is developing the players that’s on my team,” Brady said. “Even if it’s the defensive people, it’s all about competition, because competition gets you better no matter what. So I just love that.”
Although on vacation during the NCAA Dead Period, wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler still made time to go over OT7 highlights with his pledge. Peeler called Brady a “game changer,” a statement the wideout has applied to his role on the field and as a leader to his teammates off it.
Brady has eyed a return to Missouri for the Alabama game Oct. 11. He briefly caught up with Tigers quarterback commit Gavin Sidwar at OT7, hoping to meet up again with his future signal-caller this fall. Sidwar’s high school bye week overlaps with the South Carolina matchup Sept. 20.
“He’s a cool person,” Brady said. “I can’t wait to see him again out there for another game.”
