ST. LOUIS--Missouri defensive coordinator Steve Wilks took the microphone at a makeshift stage at The Midwestern in downtown St. Louis Wednesday night to address a raucous crowd of a couple hundred of Mizzou's most die-hard supporters.

"We believe in recruiting our state," Wilks said between chants of M-I-Z and Z-O-U. "We believe in keeping our guys home."

This has always been the city most key to Missouri's success. It is the most populous city in the state and produces the most high-level talent to which Mizzou coaches consistently have access.

It isn't novel thinking. It's a mantra that's been preached by every Missouri football coach for decades. Gary Pinkel did it pretty well. No others really have; not consistently anyway. But Eli Drinkwitz is off to a hell of a start.

A year after signing seven St. Louis area players in the Class of 2021, Drinkwitz nabbed four more on the first day of the 2022 early signing period among his ten in-state (or just across the border) signees.

"This," SLUH four-star safety Isaac Thompson said as he thanked the crowd, "This is why we stay home."