Joshua Manning didn’t dip.

And now, with Missouri football’s Aug. 29 season-opener just a hair more than three weeks away, that might begin to pay dividends for the sophomore wide receiver.

The former four-star pledge out of Kansas City carved out a special teams role during his rookie year as a Tiger, appearing in 12 total games. But the Lee’s Summit High grad, unlike the other two wideouts in MU’s Class of 2023, didn’t have an offensive target or catch.

A year later, and the situation ahead of Manning doesn’t look too much different.

Luther Burden III, who figures to be one of the top wide receivers in the nation, is back for what promises to be the grandest of finales. Standout senior Theo Wease Jr. is taking his curtain call; likewise Mookie Cooper; speedy sophomore Marquis Johnson figures to be a potent offensive weapon; and …

… And each and every one of the six wide receivers to catch a pass from quarterback Brady Cook in 2023, when the Tigers went 11-2, beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and had the FBS’s 37th-ranked passing offense.

Not much has changed around Manning. But the wide receiver’s role, meanwhile, might be due for an upgrade.

“Josh Manning, spring game MVP, had one of the best offseasons of anybody from any metric standpoint that we had,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters July 28.

Ambitions are high for Mizzou in 2024. The expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff, which comes at the end of a seemingly favorable schedule for the Columbia-based team, has seldom seemed more within reach.

Ambitions are equally high for the Tigers’ wide receivers, who have set internal goals to be the nation’s best by season’s end.

Manning did not catch a pass last season. In an era where the transfer portal — and the instant gratification it tempts and teases — looms ever large, it would have been easy for Manning to make a move.

But, the in-state product went a different route.

He’s been at work.

“I feel like,” Manning said, “I came a long way from where I was a year ago. … It's coming along.”

More: Missouri football narrowly misses out on top-10 ranking in preseason US LMB Coaches Poll

Speaking to local media Tuesday, Manning said he’s been catching 100 passes a day from a ‘Jugs’ training machine. He sought out advice from Wease — a proven force in contested-catch scenarios — to improve his technique in physical, 1-on-1 situations.

The sophomore has been working on his arm strength, he said, and has been running more deep routes and red-zone releases — the latter being a focal point for offensive coordinator Kirby Moore in 2023.

“Basically,” Manning said, “I was just trying to find ways to get better day by day.”

Manning isn’t getting ahead of himself in terms of his upcoming role. Burden caught nine touchdowns and 1,212 yards worth of passes last season. Wease had six TDs and 682 yards of production. Cooper had 36 receptions for 447 yards, and Johnson averaged 29.5 yards per catch on his 13 hauls last year.

Instead, he again wants to be “wherever the team needs me to be.” Manning anticipates being even more involved on special teams this season, but also mentioned tacking on an “added offensive role” to his duties.

And the coaches and his teammates, it seems, are beginning to agree.

“Josh is very consistent. I think he does a really good job of finding a role in special teams. You know, we've really challenged everybody: Embrace your role for the team first, find the place that you can help us.” Drinkwitz said. “He's always helping special teams, but he's done a great job in the wide receiver room. You know, we've tried to be conscientious of (Wease’s) rep count and yardage and, you know, (Manning) goes in there and does exactly what he’s supposed to do.”

“He grew a lot, I’d say, as far as catching contested catches,” Cooper said. “You know, he's a big receiver, and just playing with confidence out there is really probably the biggest thing I've noticed with Josh.”

The next step in Manning’s progression could very well be as a member of Missouri’s return specialists. Drinkwitz mentioned Manning’s name as a candidate for kick-return duties, but the team has yet to rep that so far this fall.

The presumed mainstays of the Mizzou offense presumably won’t see too much of a dent in their production. There are nine total scholarship wide receivers at battle for snaps and touches this season, all of whom with the requisite credentials to stake a claim.

More: 3 observations from practices as Missouri football wraps first week of fall camp

Will Manning be among them?

Time will tell, but he’s making as strong a case as anyone.

“I learned that it's really hard to play at this level, and I felt like I wasn't good enough last year,” Manning said. “And I feel like I put in the work to be good enough this year.”

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Why Josh Manning could be Missouri football’s breakout wide receiver