Gone are the days in college football when the majority of players showed up to a campus, played four years at that school and then graduated. With the advent of the one-time transfer waiver, adjusted redshirt rules and other changes, managing a roster has become akin to solving a complex puzzle, and never more so than this year.

A combination of factors have made it difficult to know who is what year in school, which players will be back at Missouri next season and how many spots the Tigers have to add newcomers. In the past few years, the NCAA has passed a rule allowing players to appear in up to four games but still redshirt, plus allowed immediate eligibility for players transferring for the first time. The COVID-impacted 2020 season didn’t count against any player’s eligibility, regardless of how many games he played, and as a result, the NCAA waived the 85-player scholarship cap in 2021. Next season, however, that limit will be reinstated, which means schools will have to push players with remaining eligibility out if they want to bring a full class of new players in. To top it all off, a new rule was passed in September allowing schools to replace up to seven players who transfer out with additional newcomers in a signing class, giving teams the ability to ink up to 32 new players in a recruiting cycle (if they have the room).

The results have been a lot of confusion about how many signees each school can add in the 2022 class and a deluge of players entering the transfer portal. Missouri has not been immune to either; last week, five Tiger players announced their intention to transfer. As Eli Drinkwitz and his staff have ramped up their recruiting efforts with the early signing period less than 10 days away, fans have expressed confusion about how many players the team can add and how it will get back down to 85 scholarship players after doing so.

This piece is intended to offer some answers to those questions. We will break down the Tiger roster position by position looking at which scholarship players have to leave, who else might leave and how many new names will likely be added at each spot. We’ll also note how many remaining years of eligibility each player has remaining. The result should be a comprehensive projection of what the roster will look like next season.

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Graduating: None

Slated to return: Connor Bazelak (3 years of eligibility remaining), Brady Cook (4 years remaining*), Tyler Macon (4)

*If Cook plays in the Armed Forces Bowl, he would no longer be eligible to redshirt this season and would have three years remaining.

Committed: Sam Horn

Offseason projection: The biggest question facing Drinkwitz this offseason is what he will do at the quarterback position. After Bazelak struggled mightily down the stretch, it seems a given that there will be an open competition for the starting spot next year. But could the coaching staff bring in a new competitor in that race? It’s not out of the question. Missouri has expressed interest in Oklahoma transfer Spencer Rattler. The former five-star recruit threw for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2020 but struggled this season, ultimately losing his starting job to Caleb Williams. Our impression is that Drinkwitz isn’t desperate to add to his quarterback room, but if he will at least kick the tires on players that seem like sure-fire upgrades at the position, and that would include Rattler. If the Tigers do add a quarterback via the transfer portal, it’s a virtual certainty that at least one returning player would transfer. That could happen regardless.

Graduating: Dawson Downing

Graduating but eligible to return: Tyler Badie, Simi Bakare

Slated to return: Elijah Young (3), Michael Cox (3), BJ Harris (3), Taj Butts (4)

Committed: Tavorus Jones

Offseason projection: Badie has said he plans to play in the Armed Forces Bowl, but after that, he will almost certainly leave for the NFL. That will create a huge void in the Tiger backfield. Young, Cox and Harris have combined to record just 74 career carries. As a result, we expect the staff to add one more running back to the roster. That player could come from the high school ranks — Missouri has extended offers to a pair of Texas prospects in De’Anthony Gatson and Andrew Paul — or the transfer portal. Louisville transfer Hassan Hall told Rivals that he has talked with Missouri about setting up a visit. Hall, who has one season of eligibility remaining, would bring much-needed experience to the running back room, as he has carried the ball 270 times for 1,299 yards and 11 touchdowns across the past four years. By the way, we do not expect Bakare to return in 2022.

Graduating: Keke Chism, Micah Wilson

Graduating but eligible to return: Barrett Banister, Boo Smith

Slated to return: Tauskie Dove (2), Mookie Cooper (3), Dominic Lovett (3), JJ Hester (3), Chance Luper (3)

Committed: Luther Burden, Mekhi Miller, Jamarion Wayne

Offseason projection: We do not foresee Missouri adding any more players to the wide receiver room between now and next season. The staff is excited about its crop of incoming freshmen, which is of course headlined by Burden, as well as Cooper and Lovett, who played sparingly as freshmen this season. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Banister and/or Smith came back for one more season should the staff offer them the opportunity to do so.

Graduating: None

Slated to return: Niko Hea (2), Ryan Hoerstkamp (4), Gavin McKay (4)

Committed: Max Whisner

Offseason projection: Missouri has experienced quite a bit of turnover in its tight end room since the regular season ended. Daniel Parker Jr. and Messiah Swinson both entered the transfer portal, and tight ends coach Casey Woods left to become the offensive coordinator at SMU. Drinkwitz said Sunday that he won’t start looking for Woods’ replacement until after the team’s bowl game. This would seem like a logical spot for Missouri to add another player, preferably a transfer, but the lack of a position coach complicates that a bit since the majority of players will look to find a new school prior to the early signing period, which runs from Dec. 15-17. If the Tigers do pursue a transfer at tight end, it may not happen until after spring practices.

Graduating: Michael Maietti

Graduating but eligible to return: Case Cook, Hyrin White, Zeke Powell

Slated to return: Connor Wood (1), Javon Foster (2), Xavier Delgado (2), Bobby Lawrence (2) Richard Taylor (2), Luke Griffin (3), EJ Ndoma-Ogar (3), Drake Heismeyer (3), Mitchell Walters (4), Connor Tollison (4)

Committed: Valen Erickson, Armand Membou, Tristan Wilson, Deshawn Woods

Offseason projection: Neither White nor Powell participated in Missouri’s Senior Day ceremony prior to its final home game of the season, which would seem to indicate both plan to return for their final season of eligibility. That would give the Tigers some needed depth and experience at tackle. Whether or not Cook will return remains unknown. The three-year starter missed the final half of this year due to a season-ending shoulder injury. Taylor, who received a scholarship prior to the season, could be a candidate to move on, as well, as he has already graduated. We expect the coaching staff to add at least one more player to the offensive line over the coming weeks and quite possibly more than one. The Tigers are pursuing several high school prospects, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the staff add a player from the transfer portal, as well, particularly on the interior of the line.

Graduating: Akial Byers, Chris Turner, Kobie Whiteside

Graduating but eligible to return: Ben Key

Slated to return: Realus George (2), Trajan Jeffcoat (2), Isaiah McGuire (2), Darius Robinson (2), Cannon York (2), Mekhi Wingo (3), Johnny Walker (3), Daniel Robledo (3), Arden Walker (4*), Travion Ford (4), Jonathan Jones (4), Kyran Montgomery (4)

*If Walker plays in the Armed Forces Bowl, he would no longer be eligible to redshirt this season and would have three years remaining.

Committed: Jalen Marshall, Marquis Gracial

Offseason projection: It would come as a surprise if Key were to return in 2022 considering he didn’t see the field this season. With four players likely leaving the position group, we expect Missouri to add at least two more to the roster, with one of those playing on the interior of the defensive line. Both of the team’s two commits on the defensive line play tackle, but the Tigers could use some experience there, as Byers and Whiteside are both multi-year starters. That could come in the form of junior college prospect Jeffrey M’Ba, who is visiting Columbia this week, or from the transfer portal. Look for the Tigers to add one or two defensive ends from the high school ranks, as well. Boonville native DJ Wesolak looks to be a likely addition to the 2022 signing class.

Graduating: Blaze Alldredge, Chance May

Slated to return: Chad Bailey (2), Devin Nicholson (2), Chuck Hicks (2), Will Norris (4), Dameon Wilson (4), Zach Lovett (4)

Committed: Xavier Simmons

Offseason projection: Missouri already added one linebacker via the portal when Hicks joined the team from Wyoming shortly before the start of the season. As a result, the staff doesn’t necessarily have to add another player to the group, but they appear open to doing so. Missouri extended an offer to UNLV transfer Jacoby Windmon last week. Windmon has received several offers since entering the portal and took a visit to Michigan State last week. We think this situation is similar to quarterback: the staff isn’t likely to take a transfer just to add a body, but if they can find someone who could make an impact next season, they’ll make room.

Graduating: Allie Green

Graduating but eligible to return: Akayleb Evans

Slated to return: Kris Abrams-Draine (3), Darius Jackson (3), Ennis Rakestraw (4), Daylan Carnell (3), Zxaequan Reeves (4), Davion Sistrunk (4)

Committed: Marcus Scott

Offseason projection: Missouri has made it clear that it wants to add experience in the secondary, and that will likely include taking a transfer at cornerback. The Tigers will lose both Green and Evans (who has committed to play in the Senior Bowl, which would mean he cannot return next season) and already saw Ish Burdine transfer, so it would make sense to bring in an upperclassman. As the roster currently stands, Rakestraw would be the only returning player to play cornerback for more than one college season. Missouri has expressed interest in Alabama transfer Marcus Banks, although it’s uncertain whether he will make it to campus before deciding on a new school. If the Tigers don’t get Banks, look for them to explore other transfer options. We also expect the staff to add another corner from the high school ranks, as well.

Graduating: Mason Pack

Graduating but eligible to return: Shawn Robinson

Slated to return: Martez Manuel (2), Stacy Brown (2), Jaylon Carlies (3), Jalani Williams (3), Tyler Jones (4), Tyler Hibbler (4)

Committed: Isaac Thompson

Offseason projection: Robinson, who has missed several games with an injury, recently told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he plans to return to Missouri next season. Even if that’s the case, the Tigers will also look to bolster the position group with a transfer. The team had two safeties on campus last weekend in Clemson transfer Joseph Charleston and Auburn transfer Ladarius Tennison. We think the staff will look to grab one more safety from the high school ranks, too. It wouldn't come as a shock if one of Brown, Jones or Williams leaves the roster, as none of the three have found consistent playing time during their Missouri careers.

Graduating: Grant McKinniss

Graduating but eligible to return: Sean Koetting, Jake Hoffman

Slated to return: Harrison Mevis (3), Daniel Hawthorne (3)

Committed: None

Offseason projection: We have been told that Koetting plans to return for one final season. The kickoff specialist will likely take on punting duties, as well, with McKinniss set to graduate. Koetting punted instead of McKinniss during Missouri’s loss at Arkansas. Given the scholarship squeeze, it would come as a shock if the Tigers brought in a new special teams player that wasn’t a walk-on.

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