Missouri football is back in the preseason picture.
On Tuesday, the American Football Coaches Association released its preseason poll, and the Tigers landed at No. 25.
It marks the second time Mizzou has shown up in the preseason coaches poll during the Eli Drinkwitz era. Last year, the Tigers opened at No. 11 in the August 5 preseason poll.
The ranking puts Missouri among nine Southeastern Conference teams in the poll. Georgia checked in at No. 3, followed by Texas at No.
4, Texas A&M at No. 8, Oklahoma at No.
9, Mississippi at No. 10, Alabama at No.
11, Louisiana State at No. 13 and Tennessee at No. 18.
Mizzou will face five of those teams this season.
For Missouri, the timing makes the ranking feel more like a marker than a destination. The Tigers are in the poll, and the schedule ahead is packed with SEC heavyweight matchups.
Oklahoma is one of the more interesting names on that slate. Missouri beat the Sooners in dramatic fashion in 2024, then followed that up with a rough outing in Beau Pribula’s rushed return in 2025.
The Sooners could have plenty riding on their trip to Columbia, but Missouri may be building toward something as well. If the Tigers can improve on last year’s campaign, that game could become a sneaky marquee matchup.
The all-time numbers still lean heavily toward Oklahoma, which leads the series 68-25-5. But when Missouri does get the better of the Sooners, the moments tend to stick. The source of those wins points to 2024 and 2010 as examples of how big those victories can feel.
Elsewhere around Rock M, the focus shifted to Missouri wrestling and Brian Smith’s ability to keep the program rolling in a changing sport. Smith acknowledged how difficult the transfer portal and NIL era can be for someone who values recruiting and building a roster over multiple seasons. Even so, he and his staff landed transfers Zan Fugitt and Luke Goeg this offseason, additions that only strengthen a group with All-American potential.
That kind of adaptability has become part of the story too. Missouri football is in the preseason poll, and Missouri wrestling is still finding ways to stack talent.
In Other News...
Mizzou Fall Camp Is Already Shaping Two Crucial Position Battles
Missouris second fall camp practice with media access offered an early look at a roster already sorting itself into tiers, and a couple of the most watchable battles are right where the Tigers can least afford uncertainty. Redshirt senior defensive tackle Marquis Gracial set the tone at the opening rally, while the edge group continued to sort through its pecking order as Darris Smith, Langden Kitchen and Daeden Hopkins handled the bulk of the snaps with a fourth rotation spot still up for grabs.
The competition is just as real on the other side of the ball, where Austin Simmons has been leading drills and Matt Zollers, Nick Evers and Gavin Sidwar are all trying to separate in the backup quarterback race. Special teams also got a closer look, with punter Brunno Reus taking first-team reps, and there was another notable presence at practice in four-star linebacker JJ Bush, who was back with the team after his charges were dropped. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris New QB Is Bringing An Early Tigers Storyline Into Focus
Austin Simmons has wasted little time settling into a new role in Columbia. The former Ole Miss quarterback, now Missouris starter for the 2026 season, is already at the center of the Tigers early camp storyline as he works to get comfortable in a different offense and build timing with a new group of pass catchers. Among the most familiar faces is fellow Ole Miss transfer Cayden Lee, giving Simmons at least one important connection as he learns the rhythm of his new team.
For Missouri, the appeal goes beyond the transfer headlines. Simmons is approaching fall camp with a day-by-day mindset, leaning on preparation as he adapts and tries to turn early reps into real chemistry. The Tigers do not need a fully polished product in August, but they do need signs that the quarterback-room transition is moving in the right direction, and Simmons presence is already making that one of the more closely watched developments of the preseason. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Is Getting National Respect With One Brutal Test Still Ahead
USA Todays preseason Coaches Top 25 gave Missouri a fresh reminder that the program has earned a seat at the national table, and the Tigers have a few individual accolades to match. Ahmad Hardy, Cayden Green and Brett Le Blanc all landed on national award watchlists, with Hardy in the Maxwell Award mix, Green up for the Outland Trophy and Le Blanc on the Patrick Mannelly Award list. Hardy and Green were also voted to the Preseason All-SEC First Team, another sign that Missouri has some recognized talent up front and in the backfield.
The ranking matters because it comes with expectations, and Missouri now has to live up to them while still carrying one brutal test on the schedule that will help define how real this respect is. For a program trying to turn preseason praise into something more lasting, the watchlist buzz is nice, but the bigger question is whether the Tigers can back it up when the spotlight gets brighter. [Read more 🡒]