Missouri landed four players on the 2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC team Wednesday, giving the Tigers a strong early showing in the league’s annual vote of all 16 head coaches.
Ahmad Hardy and Cayden Green both made the first team, while Brett Le Blanc was named to the second team and Robert Woodyard Jr. earned third-team recognition.
Hardy, a returning consensus All-American, is still working his way back from an offseason injury after putting together a monster sophomore season. He set a Mizzou record with 1,649 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, added seven 100-yard games and became just the sixth player in SEC history to run for 300 yards in a single game.
The first-team All-American was also a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back. Along the way, he forced 97 missed tackles and got 71.9 percent of his rushing yards after contact, totaling 1,186.
Green, a senior left tackle from Lee’s Summit, picked up preseason SEC honors for the second straight year after being a first-team All-SEC selection a season ago. Now entering his third season as a key part of the Tigers’ front, he helped open holes for a rushing attack that ranked No. 8 nationally with 2,968 yards. In pass protection, he allowed only two sacks across 362 pass attempts.
Le Blanc, a senior long snapper from Elkhorn, Wisconsin, earned second-team honors after starting all 13 games last season and delivering 108 clean snaps in 2025. He remains an important piece of Missouri’s special teams heading into 2026.
Woodyard Jr., who transferred in from Auburn, was tabbed for the third team after a productive first season in Columbia. The senior linebacker made 11 starts and finished with 67 tackles, including 50 in SEC play. The Mobile, Alabama, native also earned first-team All-SEC recognition from Pro Football Focus for his 2025 work.
Missouri opens the season with “Kickoff in CoMo” on Thursday, September 3, at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will air on the SEC Network. The Tigers’ opener will be their fifth straight season starting in primetime and the ninth weeknight home game since 2015.
In Other News...
Mizzous Final Open Practice Took A Concerning Turn For One Freshman
The final open practice of Mizzou football fall camp had the usual mix of special teams work and competitive one-on-one coverage, a last look before the Tigers pull back the curtain on the preseason. Media members watched kick return drills and receiver-defender matchups as the team moved through one more public workout before shifting to closed sessions and, eventually, the season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The most sobering moment came when freshman wideout Jabari Brady went down with a leg injury during practice and had to be carted off the field. It was a concerning turn in an otherwise routine camp session, and now the Tigers head into a brief break with the kind of injury situation that can change the feel of a preseason in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Newton Just Gave Mizzou An Offseason Spotlight Fans Will Love
Cam Newton made an offseason stop in Columbia this week, dropping in on a Missouri football practice and showing up in Tigers gear while talking with players. For a program that has built real momentum under Eli Drinkwitz, a visit like that carries a little extra weight, especially when it comes from a former NFL MVP who still draws attention whenever he walks into a room.
Newtons ties to Missouri are not just ceremonial, either. He has been a mentor to wide receiver Cayden Lee and helped guide him through the transfer decision that brought him to Columbia, and he also knows Drinkwitz and Curtis Luper from their days on Auburns 2010 staff. For Mizzou, it is another reminder that the programs network reaches well beyond the usual offseason clinic circuit. [Read more 🡒]
Curtis Peagler Became The Missouri Leader Fans Love To See
Curtis Peaglers path to becoming a steady presence for Missouri has taken some patience. The offensive lineman played sparingly through his first three seasons, then made the decision to stay put instead of transferring and eventually earned a full-time starting job in 2025. Last season, he logged 833 snaps mostly at right guard, allowed only one sack and drew solid grades from PFF, a strong reflection of how far he has come since being a bit player.
Peagler says the growth has come from preparation, confidence and the help of teammates, and that combination has turned him into more than just another body up front. He is now one of the leaders on the offensive line, the kind of player Missouri can point to as an example of what happens when a player keeps working through the early wait and ends up becoming someone others rely on. [Read more 🡒]