Curtis Peagler’s rise at Missouri has turned into one of the more unusual stories in college football. After logging just three games across his first three seasons with the Tigers, he didn’t chase a fresh start in the transfer portal. He stayed put, kept grinding and wound up earning a full-time starting job ahead of 2025.
That decision has put Peagler in a different place entirely. Once a player with almost no game action, he’s now the starting right guard and one of the voices shaping Missouri’s offensive line.
“I just felt like I had something to prove to everyone,” Peagler said to the media Tuesday. “I know with the portal a lot of guys (are) leaving, (but) I had a lot of support here and I was just like, 'Why would I leave that?' I really love the people, so just being able to come back and finish my last year, it's a great decision.”
His workload jumped in a massive way last season. After playing in 36 snaps through three seasons, Peagler handled 833 snaps and 746 of them came at right guard.
He gave up only one sack and three quarterback hits over the year. On PFF, his 63.4 overall grade landed in the top half at his position, while his 79.1 pass-block grade ranked inside the top 100 among 631 guards.
Peagler pointed to preparation and confidence as the biggest reasons for that leap, but he also made it clear he didn’t get there alone.
“I was a late bloomer, so just having the ability to come in and having Dom (Giudice) and having Tristan (Wilson) and all those guys help me along the way has been really helpful,” Peagler said.
Now he’s the one helping others. Missouri brings back three starting linemen, and Peagler is one of the leaders on that group alongside NFL draft prospect Cayden Green and Giudice, who was a transfer sensation last season.
That’s a sharp change from a year ago, when Peagler was still battling for a starting role. Now he’s the veteran setting the tone for younger players who could face the same kind of uphill climb in the years ahead.
“Having that ability to bring the younger guys along has been really wonderful and seeing them develop as players has been a great sight to see,” Peagler said.
At 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds, Peagler brings both size and stability to Missouri’s roster. Just as important, he brings the kind of leadership that comes from sticking around long enough to turn patience into a starting job.
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