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James Foster II’s commitment unofficially kickstarts Missouri’s 2018 recruiting class

Here are today’s Mizzou Links.

By Bill Connelly
South Carolina Gamecocks v Missouri Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

It ended up being one of two commits on the day, but James Foster’s Mizzou commitment was a long time coming, and I’m really curious about the short-term impact. Does it have an impact on another Montgomery (Ala.) prospect like four-star tackle Alfred Thomas? Does it give Mizzou an extra recruiting chip in the recruitment of other skill guys like, say, four-star CBC receiver Kamryn Babb?

Regardless of its effects, though, Mizzou has its quarterback. And it appears he’s a pretty good one.

Here’s what others are saying about Foster’s commitment.

Montgomery Advertisor:

Poets head coach Marvin Cunningham said he was unaware of Foster's decision until he met with him before Wednesday's practice, but he's very supportive of his quarterback.

"I'm with him with whatever he and his family do," Cunningham said. "Whatever the kid needs, I'll be there. I'm been around him since the sixth grade and whatever makes him happy, I'm cool with it."

KC Star:

Even when the Crimson Tide swooped in March 25 with an offer, Foster told al.com that the Tigers were the front-runner, citing the “great bond” he has with offensive coordinator Josh Heupel.

“He’s been recruiting me since tenth grade,” Foster told al.com in late March. “He stays in touch with me every day. I went up for a visit two weeks ago and the visit went great. They rolled out the red carpet for me.”

The Trib:

You have to go back to Lock for the last time a quarterback committed to MU much in advance of signing day. Like Foster, Lock committed to the Tigers in April of his junior year of high school.

Post-Dispatch:

Foster already has overcome a major setback during his high school career. A week before his freshman season, in 2014, he was run over by a car and suffered second- and third-degree burns, according to a story published by AL.com. He was hospitalized for a week and missed the first six games of the season.

Rivals.com’s Chad Simmons broke down his strengths and weaknesses in both written and video form. Honestly, considering his offer list and film, I’m surprised Foster isn’t at least a low-four-star guy. Early commitments like this don’t seem to get reevaluated all that much, but we’ll see if that ticks upward a bit. Regardless, Mizzou determined him a four-star focus, and that’s part of the reason the Tigers landed him.

Missouri’s 2018 recruiting class started slow and low, in part because of the focus on the so-called Tiger Ten. But with an exciting quarterback aboard, you can say that the class has now begun.

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