Dakotah Terrell bloomed late.

It wasn't until his junior year at Pocola (Okla.) High that he showed off his true ceiling as an athlete. Leading up to that point, Terrell excelled at basketball, growing to 6-foot-9, 215 pounds and receiving three mid-major offers.

"The best thing about Dakotah is just that he hasn't even scratched his potential in his work ethic," Pocola coach Jason Parker said in September. "His work ethic and his mindset are just perfect for what you'd want for a kid in college."

Parker knew something had clicked for Terrell, four games in to the 2023 season. Terrell -- a Class of 2025 athlete -- made multiple cuts up field, displaying a new-found burst on the football field.

Terrell ran with more fluidity in his routes, boasted more quickness and posted career-best numbers at wide receiver.

"I played Division-I ball, and just seeing him move like that, I knew it was different," Parker said. "There was just a few things over the course of that year like he really just got good at football that year."

Following Terrell's breakout campaign as a junior, Parker put together a highlight reel to get more eyes on his star player from college football coaches, rather than just the handful of basketball programs in on him.

Offers started rolling in the following spring and summer, as Terrell turned his immediate attention to football for the next level. Although excelling at kick returner, defensive end and safety, Terrell will focus on tight end for Missouri, who signed the three-star Wednesday.

"He's going to look like a freaking monster," Parker said. "He has such a high ceiling."

Just as Terrell's football career developed late so did his recruitment. Missouri offered Terrell in July, getting the three-star on campus for the first time in early September. The relationship grew from there, as Terrell pledged later that month, with the plan to enroll in the summer.

"Everyone from the coaching staff to recruiting team treated us like family," said Dakotah's mother, Leisha Terrell. "Mizzou felt like home, and I know it's the right place for my son."