If recruiting is the lifeblood of college athletics, then Missouri football got a jolt of energy on Wednesday. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz called it the best recruiting class ever for the Tigers. Sure enough, Mizzou’s current class is ranked No. 11 by ESPN, No. 14 by 247 Sports and No. 17 by Rivals, the highest in program history. It was a mix of potential and experience for Mizzou. Of the Tigers’ 28 signees, 17 are from high school and 11 come from the transfer portal. “We really wanted to add both a good foundational base of high school players to come in and develop and grow and become great players for us,” Drinkwitz said. “But also make sure our roster wasn’t heavy on one side or the other.” “We didn’t want to be too young and we don’t want to be too old,” he continued. The transfers come in from the likes of Clemson, North Carolina, Florida, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Stanford. “In a pre-transfer portal world, we would have only added high school players and you’re talking about with transfers, your team’s going to be really young,” Drinkwitz said. “But now with the portal, used correctly and vetted right, you’re able to add to your roster.”
Missouri landed 10 from the state of Missouri and four from the Kansas City area: defensive tackle Jalen Marshall from St. Thomas Aquinas, offensive lineman Armand Membou from Lee’s Summit North, wide receiver Mekhi Miller from Blue Valley North and tight end Max Whisner from Lee’s Summit.