Eliah Drinkwitz's Mizzou football offers 4-star prospect Mason James to the class of 2026

Four-star wide receiver Mason James has been on many program's radars since he was a freshman and has already received more than 20 offers. Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M and several other big programs have already offered him for the 2026 class.

Eliah Drinkwitz's Missouri entered the race on Thursday by offering a scholarship to James. The wide receiver shared the news on X, writing:

"#AGTG Blessed to have EARNED an offer from Mizzou🐯!! @NastyWideOuts @NNCoachJones @SkysTheLimitWR."

James has made several visits to various college programs, but he has not yet established a commitment timeline. He has outlined key factors that will influence his decision.

“I am looking for a good relationship with all the coaching staff, I want to be valued within the program and developed as a wide receiver and a person,” James told On3.

Mason James is ranked as the No. 26 wide receiver in the 2026 class, the No. 3 recruit in Oklahoma and the No. 172 overall prospect in 247Sports’ ranking. On3 lists him as the No. 39 wide receiver in the 2026 class, the No. 2 recruit in Oklahoma and the No. 266 overall prospect in the nation.

During his sophomore season, James delivered a standout performance, earning the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference Wide Receiver of the Year accolade after recording 17 touchdowns and 1,135 receiving yards.

Which programs are leading the race for Mason James' pledge

Oklahoma is currently the frontrunner for Mason James' commitment, with a 45.8% chance according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. This edge for the Sooners is largely attributed to James' deep family connections to the state of Oklahoma.

“My whole family is from Oklahoma so they’ve been big OU fans for a while so it kinda just runs in the family," James told On3. I’ve always loved watching OU even since I was young and [I’m] still a big fan. But recently I’ve been more of a players fan."

Sooners wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator Emmett Jones is leading James' recruitment.

“I’ve mainly been talking to coach Jones. I enjoy talking to him. He cares about my life outside of football so that’s a big plus.”

Kansas State, which has a 10.8% chance of landing James' commitment, is also in the mix. James recently visited the program on June 22 and the visit left a strong impression.

“The visit was really good. The coaching staff was very welcoming,” James told On3. “My favorite part was meetings with the coaches because I got to get a better feeling of how they run things there.”

During his visit, Mason James had the opportunity to interact with Kansas State quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Wells, as well as wide receivers coach Matthew Middleton.

“Kansas State just really impressed me by really connecting with the coaching staff."

The Wildcats currently have no prospects committed to the 2026 class.