Missouri got some help in the safety room early Monday morning with the commitment of Northern Illinois transfer Santana Banner, MizzouToday confirmed.

Banner is a redshirt freshman who will have three years of eligibility remaining.

After going to NIU as a two-star high school recruit from Lawrenceville, Ga., Banner redshirted his first season, but played in five games, including NIU's bowl.

As a redshirt freshman, Banner became a key member of the Husky secondary, playing in all 12 games and recording 54 total tackles, including 1.5 for loss, one interception which he returned for 29 yards, four batted passes and one forced fumble.

Banner joins a Mizzou safety room with two possible returning starters in Daylan Carnell and Marvin Burks, but lacking in depth after losing Joseph Charleston, Sidney Williams and Tre'Vez Johnson to eligibility and Phillip Roche to the transfer portal. The Tigers could still lose Carnell to the NFL draft as well.

Banner stands at 6-foot-3, 202 pounds and visited Georgia Tech and Cincinnati before coming to Columbia over the weekend. He was scheduled to go to Wisconsin today, but instead committed to the Tigers.

Mizzou will likely continue it's search for more safeties as the Tigers are still trying to add at least safety Devin Turner from Northwestern and one cornerback, but there's a possibility for more.

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