Washington offensive lineman Ryan Jostes talks about the upcoming season and his future prospects. Video by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
WASHINGTON — Ryan Jostes looked his mother Tiffany straight in the eye.
Even at age 9, Ryan knew what was in store for his future.
"He told me, 'When I get older, I'm going to play football at Mizzou,' " Tiffany recalled. "I didn't think much of it back then.
"I guess I should have believed him."
Jostes, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound man child, gave a verbal commitment in March to become a member of the Tigers football team.
The offensive tackle-tight end chose Mizzou over 20 other NCAA Division I schools clamoring for his services, includingÌýAkron, Arkansas State, Ball State, Colorado, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Minnesota, Missouri State, Purdue, UNLV, Vanderbilt.
Actually, the decision was likely made many years earlier.
"I'd say I was born to be a Tiger," said Jostes, the No. 4 recruit on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown of the area’s top senior football prospects.
Indeed.
The black and gold was hammered into Jostes' brain at an early age. His grandfather, Randy Jostes, played defensive line for the Tigers from 1979-1982 before a two-year career in the United States Football League.
Clayton Jostes, Ryan's father, also attended Mizzou.
Plus, Ryan was born in Columbia and lived there for four years before the family moved to Franklin County.
Thanks in part to grandfather's influence, Ryan attended numerous football games at Faurot Field while growing up. Ryan estimates he went to between one and four games every season until recently, when his high school career kicked into high gear.
Ryan says he painted his room Mizzou black and gold when he was 11. His room still carries the superfan look, including an autographed poster of quarterback Drew Lock, who guided the Tigers from 2015-2018.
Jostes' best football memory, excluding games in which played, came in 2013 when he watched the Tigers knock off Florida 36-17.
"There was a Florida fan sitting next to us, which made it even more fun," Ryan said.
That family history made Ryan's college decision almost a no-brainer once coach Eli Drinkwitz extend an offer earlier this year.
It took less than a month for Jostes to make it official.
"When I went there and met the coaches and the players, it just felt like automatically I was part of the family," Jostes said.
Mizzou is getting one of the top offensive lineman in the state.
Jostes, who will be a three-year-starter, has grown in stature and ability over the last two seasons.
"He's just a physical kid that likes to impose his will on players," Washington offensive line coach Tom Haddox said. "The last two years, he's been a beast."
Jostes dominates at the point of attack and is skilled at run blocking. He is athletic enough to get out in space and create havoc.
Speedy and quick for his size, Jostes records pancake blocks on a regular basis. In a game against Liberty last season, he blocked a defender off the field and onto the track surface that rings the stadium.
"We teach them to block through the whistle and it was like he was sending this guy up into the stands to be with his parents," Haddox said.
Jostes' likeable personality belies his size and aggressive nature on the field.
"Everyone around school knows him and likes him," Washington High athletics director Bill Deckelman said. "He's like a gentle cartoon character."
Jostes has some skills that most big players do not possess. He will be the Blue Jays punter for the third successive season, a role that turns the heads of most opponents.
"They'll tell me they've never seen a punter so big," Jostes said.
Jostes unloaded a 69-yard bomb last season and that landed on the opposition's 1-yard line.
He played tight end and defensive end last season, although the Blue Jays rarely threw the ball. Jostes had just four catches for 37 yards.
He is expected to play offensive tackle in Columbia.
Jostes is well known for tooling around Washington in his Toyota Prius, which has well over 200,000 miles on it. He had a $5,000 budget for his first car and said he bought the car for three grand before putting in two thousand dollars worth of high-tech speakers. He blasts all types of artists from Nelly to Taylor Swift.
"I love listening to everything," Jostes says.
Jostes did not begin playing football until seventh grade. His family wanted to make sure he was fully developed size wise before he began leveling hits.
But he was a quick learner and has grown considerably each season.
"He has a huge upside," Haddox said.
An above-average student with a 3.5 grade point average, Jostes can't wait to realize his dream of playing in the Southeastern Conference.
But first he wants to end his high school career in the style. Washington went 12-9 over the last two seasons.
The Blue Jays are looking for much better results this time around.
"This team has the ability to surprise some people," Jostes said.
Top high school football players: The Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown 2023-24
Washington offensive lineman Ryan Jostes talks about the upcoming season and his future prospects. Video by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-d…
Washington offensive tackle Ryan Jostes is No. 4 on the 2023 Post-Dispatch Super 30 preseason football recruiting countdown. The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder verbally committed in March to play for the University of Missouri. Gordon Radford | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Washington offensive tackle Ryan Jostes is No. 4 on the 2023 Post-Dispatch Super 30 preseason football recruiting countdown. The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder verbally committed in March to play for the University of Missouri. Gordon Radford | Special to the Post-Dispatch
Washington's Ryan Jostes punts during a a football game against Union on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, at Union High School in Union, Mo. Randy Kemp | Special to