What's next for Mizzou on the recruiting trail
What was expected to be a banner start to the early signing period for the Missouri football team got even better Wednesday when, to the surprise of head coach Eli Drinkwitz, three-star defensive end Arden Walker announced he would sign with the Tigers. Drinkwitz said Missouri had been in frequent contact with Walker in the days leading up to signing day, but Tuesday night, the staff was supposed to talk to him on the phone, and Walker never answered. He figured Walker had chosen either Colorado or UCLA, one of his other two finalists.
Instead, Drinkwitz found out when Walker announced his decision on Instagram Live that he would be a Tiger. Drinkwitz said he later learned that Walker had fallen asleep Tuesday evening after a grueling workout. His mother was supposed to wake him up to talk to the Missouri staff but forgot.
“I told her she had me worried, and I told Arden I’m gonna get him back at some point,” Drinkwitz joked.
Walker was one of 21 players to ink a National Letter of Intent with Missouri on Wednesday, the first day members of the class of 2021 were allowed to do so. Missouri’s class currently ranks No. 20 nationally, which would rank higher than any class for the program since Rivals started its rankings in 2002. The class includes 18 high school prospects — five rated as four-star recruits, the most Missouri has signed in one year since 2015 — two junior college products and one traditional transfer in former Oklahoma offensive lineman EJ Ndoma-Ogar.
Yet the class is not finished. Drinkwitz said the Tigers have “potentially five spots” to add to the group. That may not include a few spots reserved for transfers, too, as we believe the team has room for about seven or eight more players this offseason. Here’s a look at where the staff could target additional prospects, both on the recruiting trail and through the transfer portal.
The most obvious place Missouri could add to its signing class is from its own commitment list. Two players who had committed to the Tigers prior to Wednesday did not sign: running back BJ Harris and junior college defensive end Shemar Pearl. Asked whether he expected any more signatures to arrive prior to the end of the early signing period on Friday, Drinkwitz gave a cryptic reply.
“Recruiting’s 365, 24-7,” he said. “Never done. Don’t know that we’ll get any, but … .”
Even if Harris and Pearl don’t submit NLIs this week, they could still sign with Missouri on National Signing Day in February. This is the second time Pearl has committed to Missouri but not wound up signing during the early period. He was originally part of the 2019 recruiting class but ended up going the junior college route because he failed to qualify academically.
If Pearl doesn’t wind up at Missouri, the Tigers would likely have a need on the defensive line, ideally for someone who could help right away. The defensive front has always been the focus of this class. Missouri has just three scholarship defensive linemen on its roster in the freshman and sophomore classes, combined. As a result, the Tigers signed seven defensive linemen on Wednesday, three of whom are classified as defensive tackles and four as defensive ends.
“Our roster was a little bit out of whack and a couple of areas, specifically the defensive line and defensive backs,” Drinkwitz said. “And so we really went hard to sign both of those. And we felt like we really got what we needed there to build, not necessarily just quality depth but quality at that position. You know, we talked about specifically that defensive line is where you're going to win championships, and when this program has been at its best, D-Line Zou was producing NFL players at the defensive line position.”
Drinkwitz also said Missouri will look to bolster the other side of the line of scrimmage. Missouri signed just one high school offensive lineman in Connor Tollison, although it also added Ndoma-Ogar to the group, and Drinkwitz noted that Zeke Powell, who joined the roster last summer and has started every game but one at left tackle this season, will count toward this year’s signing class. Still, he said the staff would like to bring in one more lineman in this class, particularly a tackle.
One-time Holy Cross commit Austin Uke would seem to fit that bill, but the Tigers will face tough competition to land him, as he’s also picked up recent offers from the likes of Florida State, Penn State, USC and Texas. If Missouri doesn’t land Uke, the staff could dip back into the transfer portal or junior college ranks.
“We're still going to be looking for one more offensive lineman potentially,” Drinkwitz said. “Not sure with the NCAA rules if I can say what specific position, but we’re looking for length, and really creating some length at that position. ... There was a couple of guys we had reach out to us and wanted to come, but just to be blunt, it wasn't a position that we felt like we had to have in this class. And so, again, we have to have length, need a freshman with length or an instant-impact player.”
Other positions where Missouri could stand to bolster its numbers include wide receiver and defensive back. As Drinkwitz noted, defensive back was another position of need in this class, and the Tigers inked five players in the secondary Wednesday. Top remaining targets there include junior college cornerback Jadarrius Perkins, a one-time Oregon commit, and high schooler Dontae Balfour.
Of course, in the spirit of 2020, there’s one additional variable involved in who Missouri will look to add to its roster: which seniors return. The NCAA passed a ruling prior to this football season that this year won’t count against the eligibility of any player, meaning seniors will have the option to return in 2021. Those seniors who exercise that option won’t count against a school’s 85-player scholarship limit, but they could determine where the Tigers are in need of depth or an instant contributor.
Prior to Missouri’s Senior Day celebration on Dec. 5, Drinkwitz said players who didn’t participate in the festivities would likely return. Five seniors sat those out: defensive tackle Kobie Whiteside, defensive end Sci Martin, linebacker Jamal Brooks, wide receiver Micah Wilson and punter Grant McKinniss. McKinniss has confirmed he plans to return next season. Drinkwitz has also publicly lobbied for a few other seniors to return, most notably center Michael Maietti. The Rutgers graduate transfer has started every game this season.
Wednesday, Drinkwitz said he wouldn’t reveal which Missouri seniors plan to come back, but he assured that some will, particularly on the defensive front.
“Again, with our roster, let's just say it was out of sorts on the defensive line,” Drinkwitz said. “It's going to be imperative that we get some of these seniors to come back, and we are. I don't want to steal their thunder, and there’s still a couple of games to be played, which may change your mind. But, we are going to get a few of those guys back.”
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