The transfer portal continues to reshape rosters across college football, and Missouri is feeling the effects more than most. On Tuesday, head coach Eli Drinkwitz added another name to the growing list of Tigers headed elsewhere: freshman defensive lineman Javion Hilson.
Hilson’s departure wasn’t public knowledge before Drinkwitz’s press conference. But when asked directly, the coach confirmed it: “He’s not practicing with us,” Drinkwitz said, signaling that Hilson is officially on his way out.
Hilson’s journey to Columbia was anything but straightforward. The Cocoa, Florida native originally committed to Alabama before flipping to Florida State. After decommitting from the Seminoles in September, he made the rounds-visiting UCF, Syracuse, Michigan, and finally Missouri, where he signed in December.
He saw limited action in his lone season with the Tigers, appearing in three games and logging 31 snaps. Still, his departure is notable-not just because of his recruiting pedigree, but because it underscores a larger trend that’s becoming hard to ignore in Columbia.
Hilson is now the third member of Missouri’s 2025 recruiting class to hit the portal after just one season. That follows a rough pattern from the previous cycle: ten of the 21 scholarship players from the 2024 class transferred after their freshman year. That group included the top three rated signees in the class.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for any program, especially one that’s been working to build momentum both on the field and on the recruiting trail. Drinkwitz acknowledged that more movement is likely coming after the Tigers wrap up their season in the Gator Bowl on December 27. The transfer portal officially opens on January 2nd, and with the way things are trending, Missouri fans should brace for more changes.
Roster turnover is part of the modern game, but when it hits this hard, this early, it raises questions about player development, fit, and long-term retention. For now, the Tigers will look to finish the season strong-but the offseason ahead is shaping up to be just as important as anything that happens on the field.