Should Mizzou Football Fans Be Worried About the Future?

When Eli Drinkwitz stood in front of the cameras at SEC Media Days on Thursday, he acknowledged some frustration that’s been swirling in the Mizzou fan base.

“I know there is some angst among the fan base… about recruiting,” Drinkwitz said. “I would just say, ‘relax.'”

Controversy has been percolating for Drinkwitz and Mizzou Football as they struggle to find talent in the 2026 recruiting class.

The team finds itself near the bottom of the SEC when it comes to recruiting rankings — which isn’t something Missouri fans are used to. Per 247Sports, Mizzou ranked 14th in the 2025 recruiting class and 21st in 2024.

The decline is definitely a concerning look to the eye, but with the titanic changes to the landscape of the sport through the addition of NIL and the House settlement, it’s hard to fairly evaluate recruiting rankings in a traditional sense — especially for programs like Mizzou that are still adapting to the financial demands and strategic shifts of modern college football.

While high school recruiting has been — and will most likely always be — an important part of college football, the transfer portal has become more and more enticing for both players, and coaches. Can you really argue with a coach that prefers a player with one or two years of college experience under their belt versus a senior in high school?

Transfer Portal

Missouri may have had some struggles on the high school recruiting side, but the transfer portal has been a different story for Drinkwitz and company.

Tigers fans will be relieved to see that Missouri places near the top across all ranking platforms when it comes to the transfer portal. It’s interesting to also note that Kentucky and Auburn — two other teams struggling on the high school cycle — also rank among the top in the transfer portal.

A big part of the generous ranking is likely due to the addition of five-star portal recruit Damon Wilson II, a 6’4 edge rusher from Georgia.

“The Florida native was ranked as the top available transfer and the No. 5 overall transfer. He’s also tied with Cayden Green for the highest-rated transfer that Mizzou has ever landed,” Quentin said of Wilson in his transfer story.

The team also added numerous four-star recruits including a potential starting-quarterback candidate this upcoming season, Beau Pribula.

Pribula reigns from Penn State and spent a bulk of his time there shadowing Drew Allar. The four-star portal recruit reportedly received $1.5 million in NIL funds to come to Columbia.

The team also filled out positions like wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line and running back. It’ll be interesting to see if these portal players can live up to their high expectations right from the start.

High School Recruiting

Back to high school. Aside from the low number of commitments — 10, which ranks second to last among the SEC — the team has struggled to score high ranked recruits.

Mizzou began its window strong, pulling four-star quarterback Gavin Sidwar. The team then followed it up with two more four-stars in Keenan Harris and Jabari Brady. Since then, Mizzou has struggled to pull blue-chip talent, securing a lot of three-star recruits as the recruiting window slows down.

Numbers definitely aren’t everything, and it’s hard to ignore the size and strength that Mizzou has added with its 2026 class, but it’s definitely of note that Drinkwitz is struggling to pull these guys. It’s also hard to see top prospects with serious interest in Mizzou select other SEC programs like Tennessee and Arkansas.

What Does It All Mean?

Despite Missouri’s recent struggles in high school recruiting, it’s clear that the story of the 2026 class isn’t as simple as a drop in rankings. The traditional way of evaluating recruiting success has been disrupted by shifts in the college football landscape — mainly NIL, the House settlement, and the growing influence of the transfer portal. Programs like Mizzou, which may not yet have the financial firepower of some SEC giants, are being forced to adapt quickly or risk falling behind.

“Each year you’ve got to figure out how you want to build your team,” Drinkwitz said to reporters at Media Days. “Where do you want to invest your money? How much do you want to invest in returning players? How much do you want to invest in future players? And that’s a formula that we’re working to build.”

While the Tigers sit near the bottom of the SEC in high school recruiting rankings, their transfer portal success tells a more encouraging story. The addition of elite talent like Damon Wilson II and Beau Pribula — both high-impact, college-ready players — signals that Drinkwitz is leveraging the portal effectively to keep the team competitive in the short term. This strategy aligns with broader trends in the sport, where proven experience is becoming just as valuable — if not more so — than high school potential.