Cayden Lee’s road to Missouri runs through a few familiar names, and one of them is a little surprising: Cam Newton.
Lee, who officially entered the transfer portal on Jan. 17 after Ole Miss’s 31-27 loss to Miami (Fla.) in the College Football Playoff national semifinals, kept his options open for a while. The portal window had already closed Jan. 16, but players from playoff teams got extra time.
At the time, there was still a chance Lee could remain in Oxford if quarterback Trinidad Chambliss received a waiver for 2026, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. That issue wasn’t settled until February, when Chambliss was granted an injunction against the NCAA to play what will be his sixth college football season in 2026.
Lee chose a different path. Roughly a week after entering the portal, he committed to Missouri after three seasons at Ole Miss and two productive years on the field. He’s expected to step in as the Tigers’ starting slot receiver and is already being viewed as a major piece of Mizzou’s 2026 offense.
“I’m excited to be here,” Lee said Tuesday, during Mizzou’s off day in fall camp. “Definitely took a little bit (to get settled), but from the moment I got here, the players, coaching staff, people around town, everybody has welcomed me with open arms.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity.”
The easiest connection to make is Austin Simmons. The former Ole Miss quarterback is now with Missouri too, and the two spent three years together in Oxford. Lee got more snaps while Simmons waited his turn, then Simmons started two games last season before an ankle injury opened the door for Chambliss.
Simmons mattered in Lee’s decision, but he wasn’t the only voice Lee leaned on.
That’s where Newton comes in.
Both are Georgia products - Newton from Atlanta, where he played at Westlake High School, and Lee from Kennesaw, where he attended Kennesaw Mountain. Newton was already a household name by the time Lee was a kid.
Lee was 6 when Newton won the Heisman Trophy and led Auburn to the national title in 2010. When Lee was 11, Newton was named NFL MVP and played in the Super Bowl.
Years later, Lee attended one of Newton’s 7-on-7 camps while he was in middle school, and the relationship stuck. Lee said they’ve stayed in touch, and he calls Newton a mentor.
“Me and Cam Newton have a really good relationship,” Lee said Tuesday. “He's been an amazing mentor to me, just helping me make this decision. I was on the phone with him several times, discussing the options and weighing the pros and cons.
“He felt like this was a good decision for me. I did, too. I'm excited to be here.”
Newton had his own reasons to point Lee toward Missouri. During Newton’s Heisman season at Auburn, that staff included Eli Drinkwitz, now the Tigers’ head coach, and Curtis Luper, then Auburn’s running backs coach. Drinkwitz has spoken highly of Newton before, saying on the SEC teleconference last season, “I thought Cam Newton was one of the best leaders that I've ever seen in a locker room,” and adding, “We faced a lot of adversity, he faced a lot of personal adversity ... but he stayed steady.”
Missouri receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Jacob Peeler also played a big part. Peeler spent three seasons at Ole Miss before coming to Mizzou in 2022, and his track record mattered.
He recruited Elijah Moore and helped develop A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf, all of whom became All-Americans and are now in the NFL.
Brown and Metcalf have since become All-Pro players.
Lee was a 3-star recruit in the 2023 class, and Missouri never formally offered him, though he and Peeler had talked some during the recruiting process. After Ole Miss, Peeler went to Texas State for two years before joining Drinkwitz’s staff.
That history left an impression on Lee.
“He recruited me out of high school,” Lee said. “I had that relationship with him, so having that tie made this decision a little easier for me.”
At Ole Miss, Lee put together a strong resume. Over three years, he played in 38 games with 28 starts and caught 106 passes for 1,623 yards and seven touchdowns. Pro Football Focus says he has just two career drops on 144 targets.
Simmons and Lee also built a connection on the field at Ole Miss, even if it wasn’t a huge sample. They first crossed paths on the Rebels’ third-string offense in 2023, and Simmons has thrown to Lee at least 12 times over the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Those throws produced seven catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.
The two are similar in more ways than one. Both are quiet by nature and prefer their play to do the talking. Lee picked up the “Silent Assassin” nickname in Oxford, and Newton gave him another one: Honeycomb.
They said they made their choices on their own, but having a familiar face in Columbia clearly helps. Lee said the bond with Simmons is real.
“I've known Austin for three years now,” Lee said, “so I feel like we have a pretty good connection, on and off the field. He throws the ball really, really well, one of the best arms that I've ever seen. He's really, really smart as well.”
Missouri is hoping that chemistry can lift a passing game that has spent much of the last five seasons stuck in the bottom half of the SEC, including a last-place finish last year at 188 pass yards per game.
A week and a half into fall camp, Lee is the veteran in the room at only 21. He says he likes what he sees from Simmons and believes the offense has plenty of weapons around them.
“I feel like he's got that confidence,” Lee said of Simmons. “He's always had the confidence and swagger, but now, he's regaining that confidence and trusting himself to make those throws. We know he's going to lead us in the right direction.”
“We have so many talented playmakers that I feel like anybody can make a play at any moment.”
Lee figures to be one of them, with a little help from Simmons, Peeler and, yes, Cam Newton.
In Other News...
Ahmad Hardys Status Just Became A Bigger Mizzou Camp Concern
Ahmad Hardy was back around Missouris fall camp on Monday, but not back in the work that matters most. The running back watched practice while continuing to recover from a gunshot wound to his left leg, a reminder that the Tigers are still waiting to see what their backfield really looks like once camp starts to speed up.
Eli Drinkwitz said Hardy will stay out of practice this week and spend his time on rehab and walkthroughs instead, with the next meaningful update not expected for about two weeks. Missouri is also monitoring transfer defensive lineman Donta Simpson, who did not take part in drills, while kicker Blake Craig continues to trend in the right direction after his ACL injury by hitting multiple kicks. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Newest Receiver Could Speed Up One Big 2026 Question
Missouri added a pair of offensive transfers from Ole Miss in wide receiver Cayden Lee and quarterback Austin Simmons, giving the Tigers a built-in connection to lean on as they sort through the next phase of their offense. Lee and Simmons have spent the last three seasons working together, which matters in a room where timing and trust can speed up the transition for everyone around them.
Lee also has been encouraged by what he has seen from Missouri since arriving, pointing to a positive experience with the coaching staff and his new teammates. The fit looks natural on paper, but one of the more interesting parts of this addition is how quickly that comfort level can translate once the Tigers get into real offseason work. [Read more 🡒]