Darris Smith is set up to be the face of a very different edge-rushing room at Missouri.
A year ago, the Tigers could lean on a proven boost from Georgia transfer Damon Wilson II and major jumps from returners like Zion Young and Smith. That formula helped cover a lot of ground. Now, Wilson is gone, Young is gone and Khalil Jacobs is gone, leaving Missouri to replace a combined 112 tackles and 18.5 sacks without the kind of headline transfer that softened the blow in 2025.
Smith is back for his final season of eligibility, and the 6-foot-5, 265-pound fifth-year senior looks like the steady hand in a group that suddenly feels wide open. Last season, he posted 16 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks while working in the JACK role, bouncing around the line and giving the Tigers production off the edge.
The rest of the room is a mix of familiar names and fresh arrivals. As of the second week of camp, Missouri’s EDGE group includes Langden Kitchen, Daeden Hopkins, Jaden Jones, Demarcus Johnson, Kamauryn Morgan, Malik Bryant, CJ May, Cavan Tuley and Aidan Dubbert alongside Smith.
Among the returners, Kitchen, Hopkins and Dubbert appear positioned to be the most productive complements to Smith. Smith has been especially vocal about Kitchen’s work early in camp.
“[Kitchen] knows the playbook very well, and I feel like it’s just the effort with him, and he’s doing that pretty well,” Smith said after practice Friday. “Every time we’re in the film room with each other, we talk about what we can do right here or what we can get better at.”
He also liked what he’s seen from Hopkins.
“For D Hop, he moves like a pro. Ever since he first came in, he’s been moving like a pro.
At pass rush, he was very natural at it and for him it was just getting tough in the run game. He’s doing that this week,” Smith said.
“D Hop is turning into a four-down D-end.
The turnover behind that top layer is massive. Jones and Bryant arrived from the transfer portal after long stretches at Florida State and Miami, giving Corey Batoon some seasoned options right away. Bryant could end up being especially valuable because the new 5-in-5 rules give him an extra year of eligibility in Columbia.
Johnson comes in as the top-rated JUCO defensive lineman transfer after spending last season at Hutchinson, where he played in one game. His freshman season, though, showed more of what he can bring: 29 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. With his size, he could carve out a rotational role, and he still has three seasons to develop at this level.
Morgan and May represent the longer-term upside. Both were 4-star recruits out of high school and both arrive with four seasons of eligibility, giving Missouri two younger edge defenders to build around.
Still, the Tigers will need help from the middle of the line while this group sorts itself out. Marquis Gracial and Jalen Marshall are back as experienced run-stoppers, and Sterling Webb’s late return adds another veteran presence. Smith said Webb’s return meant a lot to him.
“Sterling’s one of my best friends, so you know it’s cool having him back. I remember the first day of fall camp. I was just looking for him, and I seen him up there, and it was crazy,” Smith said.
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The timing matters even more now because the backdrop at Memorial Stadium is changing, too. With construction work reshaping the North end zone area, Missouris special teams staff has to sort through a new set of kicking conditions while also figuring out how to reintegrate Craig after a year away. For a team that already learned how much hidden yardage and reliable kicking can swing a season, its an issue that will linger well into 2026. [Read more 🡒]