
Week Two of portal madness begins today, and the Tigers have already snagged one wide receiver. Where else does Eli Drinkwitz need to add to his roster?
One week has elapsed since the transfer portal opened in college football. Mizzou has locked in two commitments (Kevin Coleman, wide receiver, and Santana Banner, safety), and whiffed on their top quarterback target (Miller Moss of USC, headed to Louisville). We have heard about how coach Eli Drinkwitz and his staff have a robust NIL budget for targeting veteran free agents, an area where he has done very well in prior years.
Despite Eli’s bountiful resources and proven track record, this portal window might feel like it is a bit slow to get off the ground so far. Last year, Mizzou brought Toriano Pride back home almost immediately, and Marcus Carroll was right behind him. That might have spoiled the fanbase as to the typical speed of building a portal class. But this is a deliberate process, not a Black Friday stampede.
With that reassurance in mind, Mizzou should be able to build a quality class of incoming veterans. Let’s go position by position and see if we can predict where they will add new pieces.
Offense
I won’t even go into the snaps lost breakdown at quarterback. Missouri will add someone that will either be promised or have the inside track to start at quarterback in 2025. I think there is a chance they take a second, too — a young development player or a high-upside Group of Five type, too.
Mizzou loses 69% of their snaps from the running back room, as both Marcus Carroll and Nate Noel depart. The pair of Sun Belt East superseniors did their job with aplomb. Drinkwitz would be wise to add another body to this room; Kewan Lacey and Jamal Roberts both look ready for expanded roles, but the depth chart gets thin (and young) behind them in a hurry.
RB is usually a position with a lot of inventory in stock: one of the easier ones for small school stars to promote and do well. (Quarterback and line of scrimmage positions being the hardest.)
With Luther Burden off to the NFL draft, the Tigers must replace all three starters at wideout, with 71% of the snaps out the door. They have been recruiting this position like gangbusters, and appear ready to hand over the reins to some of the youngsters like Joshua Manning. That said, they already added Kevin Coleman from St Louis as a vet and a Burden replacement. This position might be wrapped up and ready for 2025.
Speaking of wrapped and ready, Mizzou only loses 14% of their tight end snaps. Jordon Harris and Brett Norfleet have this position on lock, but you still probably grab a warm body for depth.
Brandon Jones loses 66% of the snaps from his offensive line: three starters (two graduate seniors and Armand Membou to the NFL draft) and rotational veterans Mitchell Walters and Drake Heismeyer. Only Connor Tollison and Cayden Green return among guys who got real action. There are young bodies to like here, like Curtis Peagler, Jayven Richardson, Logan Reichert, and others. In the old days, you would have to eat a rebuilding year, and hope for development for 2026.
But you know what they say about the old days — they the old days. So Mizzou will get a chance to grab multiple starters in the portal, having already hosted a few candidates in the first week. The bowl game against Iowa should be informative, too. Assuming Richardson gets Membou’s right tackle spot, does he look ready to start next year?
Defense
The Tigers lose 48% of their defensive end snaps, most of that team captain Johnny Walker, Jr. They also lose 75 snaps from a pair of highly regarded freshmen, so they are probably looking to add some bodies to this room — maybe one younger guy and one ready now. The Tigers have been in on DJ Warner from Kansas, the highest-rated recruit in Jayhawks history. That would be fun.
Defensive tackles are notoriously difficult to find in the portal, but Mizzou is on a run of success at adding veterans at the position. With only 32% of the snaps lost — all by Kristian Williams — and young players developing and ready for more, you don’t need a transfer here, but it wouldn’t hurt.
Linebacker is Mizzou’s biggest need other than quarterback. 82% of the snaps are gone; Khalil Jacobs and his 139 plays lead the charge of returners. My #1 wish list Transfer is Josiah Trotter from West Virginia, and he visited COMO over the weekend. He is a potential all-conference player at a position where Mizzou has developed well. At least two, possibly three, linebackers should join the team between now and spring ball.
The Tigers are blessed to lose only 4% of the snaps given to cornerbacks last year. The three main players — Norwood, Pride, and DeLoach — as well as some favored youngsters. However, the room could be upgraded in terms of reliability; Pride and DeLoach took turns getting picked on by opposing QBs. Improved play is imperative, but perhaps you dedicate resources elsewhere for more pressing holes, and focus on development.
45% of the snaps given to three safety positions are gone, starter Joseph Charleston and rotation backups Tre’Vez Johnson and Sidney Williams. All three were transfers in their own right. Already in the mix is Santana Banner from Northern Illinois. Mizzou will get at least one more safety to from the portal to join Daylan Carnell and Marvin Burks; both of those players thrive in the slot and box, so anticipate the addition of someone more in the free safety role.
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