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Mizzou TE Daniel Parker Jr., three others to transfer

Missouri tight end Daniel Parker Jr. informed the coaching staff on Sunday evening that he intends to enter the transfer portal, per a source. Monday morning, Parker officially entered his name into the portal. The fourth-year player will not participate in Missouri's bowl game. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Parker, known for his run-blocking ability, caught 41 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns across his Missouri career. He caught three of those touchdowns this season. In his final play in a Tiger uniform, Parker caught the game-winning two-point conversion against Florida on Nov. 20. Parker was honored as a part of the team's Senior Day ceremony prior to that game.

Parker is not the only player to move on from Missouri following the team's final game of the regular season, a 34-17 loss at Arkansas on Friday. Three other players submitted their names into the transfer portal Monday morning: tight end Messiah Swinson, cornerback Ish Burdine and defensive back Chris Shearin. Both Swinson and Shearin tweeted their decisions to transfer, and while Burdine hasn't officially entered the portal yet, a source confirmed to PowerMizzou that Burdine informed the coaching staff of his decision Monday.

Missouri tight end Daniel Parker Jr. will transfer. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Missouri tight end Daniel Parker Jr. will transfer. He has one season of eligibility remaining. (Denny Medley/USA Today)
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Parker, a former four-star defensive end prospect out of Blue Springs high school in Kansas City, signed with Missouri and former coach Barry Odom in the class of 2018. Parker was the only member of the "Tiger 10," a group of coveted in-state prospects who visited campus together, to enroll at Missouri. Shortly after arriving on campus, Parker transitioned to the offensive side of the ball.

Parker battled injuries and other ailments throughout his college career. Following the 2019 season, a tooth infection spread to his eye, forcing him to undergo emergency surgery and prompting fear that he might lose his vision and see his football career end. A year ago, he missed five games due to a concussion. Parker missed Friday's loss at Arkansas as a result of the flu.

Swinson enrolled at Missouri in the 2018 class but suffered a torn ACL during fall camp prior to his first season and never really got his career on track. He caught seven passes for 84 yards during his the past three years. Five of those receptions came this season.

Burdine started five games at cornerback for Missouri this season before being sidelined by a foot injury. The redshirt sophomore also missed all but one game of the 2019 season due to injury. He played in eight of Missouri's 10 games a season ago. During his time in a Tiger uniform, Burdine totaled 17 tackles.

Shearin, the only player to opt out of the 2020 season and return to the roster in 2021, played quite a bit on special teams across his two seasons at Missouri but also filled in some at nickelback this season before being sidelined by an injury. During his Tiger career, Shearin recorded four tackles.

Burdine will have three seasons of college eligibility remaining. Both Shearin and Swinson have two.

With the departures of Parker and Swinson, Niko Hea will likely play the majority of Missouri's snaps at tight end during the team's bowl game. He will also be the only returning tight end on the roster next season who has caught a pass in a Missouri uniform. True freshman Ryan Hoerstkamp, who played a season-high 19 snaps against Arkansas, will likely also be asked to assume a larger role. Hoerstkamp has only participated in three games this season, according to Missouri's team website, so he can play in the bowl game and still have four seasons of eligibility left following this season.

At cornerback, Missouri is also expected to lose Tulsa transfers Akayleb Evans and Allie Green from this year's roster. Green has exhausted his eligibility and Evans is not expected to return for his final season, as he has committed to play in the Senior Bowl. The Tigers will hope to get Ennis Rakestraw back during the offseason. Rakestraw played in four games this year before having his season ended by a torn ACL. Kris Abrams-Draine will be the favorite to start at nickelback as long as he's healthy, and DJ Jackson, who made two starts as a true freshman in place of the injured Evans this season, will likely play an expanded role in 2022.


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