How Jacob Peeler's 'Nasty Wideouts' fraternity will carry on with Mizzou football's receivers

Jacob Peeler's first day at Missouri involved a few questions for his newest group.

The former Texas State offensive coordinator was coming to Missouri as its wide receivers coach following Bush Hamdan's move to quarterbacks coach, and Peeler wasn't sure about bringing his signature motto with him.

Peeler originated his mantra of "Nasty Wideouts" while coaching receivers at Ole Miss, and he stressed it is more than just a fun phrase.

"It was built to be a fraternity," Peeler said. "Not a quote-unquote recruiting pitch. Nothing like that."

So, Peeler asked Missouri's wide receivers: Did they want to be the next group inducted into the Nasty Wideout fraternity?

Once the Tigers' receivers realized what it stood for — and what it produced — they decided to take it on.

"There were some dudes that were Nasty Wideouts, so we're going to go with it," MU receiver Chance Luper said. "We're Nasty Wideouts."

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How the 'Nasty Wideouts' came to be

Being a Nasty Wideout requires understanding the origins, as well as what it's produced at the college level in the SEC in the past.

Peeler is an "early-80s baby" who was a wrestling fan while growing up. The inspiration came from the New World Order wrestling motto made notorious by Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall in the late 1990s.

Peeler took to the best parts of that showmanship — the belt and the mantra — and made it his own. He even created his own Nasty Wideouts belt for good measure, which includes the "N.W.O." initials.

Peeler gave out that belt to a receiver every week at Ole Miss for their performance. It honored receivers who had breakout games or those who did their job at a high level.

Whether that's catching a 10-yard out route, a 60-yard bomb or running downfield on a kickoff, Peeler said N.W.O is all about a group of individuals who are working toward a common goal.

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"It's basically a group that is going through the same things and taught the same things," Peeler said. "It's a mindset we're going to have when we walk on the field."

The identity Peeler created is something that exists on football's grandest stages today.

Peeler coached receivers at Ole Miss from 2017 to 2019. During that time, he inducted A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, DaMarkus Lodge and Elijah Moore into the N.W.O fraternity.

Brown and Metcalf combined to catch 29 touchdowns under Peeler's tutelage from 2017 to 2018. In 2017, Ole Miss ranked No. 12 in the nation with an average of 314.9 passing yards per game.

Moore, Brown and Metcalf were all second-round NFL Draft picks. Brown recently signed a four-year, $100 million extension after getting traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Metcalf signed a three-year, $72 million contract to stay with the Seattle Seahawks.

The fraternity is Peeler's baby. He enjoys seeing receivers flash the motto and seeing it mean something more than just a catchy phrase to players, past and present.

"I know guys that have gotten it tattooed on their bodies," Peeler said. "I don't know if we've got any tattoos yet, but we'll see."

Ink or no ink, Peeler's receivers will be expected to carry two major traits: consistency and competitive character.

He wants receivers who will be in the right place at the right time, who are able to block out the elements or outside noise that can affect their play and who can push through the soreness from a day's work to help the team.

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Especially this season, as Missouri needs to sift through a quarterback battle and find a new starting center. It's hard to evaluate other positions, especially the quarterback, when the receivers aren't properly doing their assignments.

"With any offense, especially the receiver room, you want to be in the right place to help the quarterback room," Peeler said.

How Mizzou football embraced wide receiver coach Jacob Peeler's mantra

Now, Missouri's receivers have a chance to be the next class of N.W.O.s, which gives the Tigers a chance to make it their own fraternity.

In making it their own fraternity, Luper said it falls in line with what Peeler wants to see from his receivers on a day-to-day basis.

"You've got to make plays, consistently," Luper said.

What makes Missouri's N.W.O.s different is how they chose to be inducted.

Peeler gave the Tigers the chance to give themselves whatever identity they wanted. They chose Peeler's fraternity, and understand the expectations that come with it.

"You see the guys he's coached," veteran MU receiver Barrett Banister said. "It was our decision whether we wanted to adopt it or not, but the expectation is that we work hard and hopefully we make that fraternity proud."

Peeler said he sees a healthy mix of receivers on the 2022 Tigers.

There are established veterans, like Banister and Tauskie Dove, younger receivers making their statements at MU like Mookie Cooper, Dominic Lovett and Chance Luper, and the young stars who comprise the future in Luther Burden and Mekhi Miller.

This season will be about a healthy mix, too — developing young receivers while making sure the competition is as high as can be.

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"There's still the development piece, always," Peeler said. "Now, there's a competition piece on top of the development piece and the consistency piece. I think the biggest thing is you've got a healthy mix."

As he goes through the competition battle at receiver, Peeler's search for consistency will dictate who earns the most playing time.

Be it first- or third-string, they'll all be able to call themselves N.W.O.s.

"Just finding ways for guys to come together," Peeler said.

Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: How coach Jacob Peeler aims to rally Mizzou football's wide receivers