Missouri appears likely to have a major piece back on the offensive line for Friday’s Border War showdown.
Starting left tackle Cayden Green is trending toward playing against Kansas in Lawrence, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Green sat out Thursday’s season opener, when Missouri rolled past FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14 at Faurot Field, but he was back at practice Monday.
His absence last week pushed sophomore Jack Lange into the starting role at left tackle, and Lange handled the assignment cleanly. He played 46 snaps against the Golden Lions and did not allow a pressure. If Green is cleared to return, Lange would move back into the second-string left tackle spot.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz did not go into detail about the medical issue that kept Green out of the opener. Before Thursday’s game, Green was seen during pregame warmups with his right leg wrapped.
Green’s return would bring back one of Missouri’s most important linemen. The 6-foot-5, 324-pound senior was a first-team All-SEC selection last season, entered this year as a preseason All-SEC pick for 2026, and was voted a team captain. In 2025, he started 11 of 13 games at left tackle and gave up only seven pressures and two sacks across 750 offensive snaps.
Friday night’s game carries plenty of weight on its own, too. It will be the 122nd meeting between Missouri and Kansas, with the Tigers holding a 58-54-9 edge in the series.
Missouri won last year’s matchup in Columbia, 42-31. The game is set for 7 p.m.
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Missouri Heads To Kansas With More Than Rivalry Bragging Rights
Kansas and No. 23 Missouri will renew their historic football rivalry in Lawrence, giving the matchup a little extra edge beyond the usual early-season measuring stick. Both teams arrive off opening-week wins, and coaches Lance Leipold and Eli Drinkwitz have each framed the game through the lens of preparation, poise and what this rivalry still means in a landscape where so few old border battles remain on the calendar.
For Missouri, there is also the practical matter of getting healthier up front, with left tackle Cayden Green possibly back from injury for the trip. The long pause in the series only adds to the stakes, because unless the teams cross paths in the College Football Playoff, they will not see each other again until the 2031 and 2032 seasons, making this one of those rare games where history, timing and timing again all seem to matter at once. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Faces A Border War Test That Could Swing On One Matchup
The Border War is back on the calendar, and Missouri heads into David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium knowing this one has the feel of more than just an early-season measuring stick. Kansas brings an offense shaped by coordinator Andy Kotelnicki that has been built to push the pace and stress defenses, while the Tigers are preparing for the kind of game where one clean matchup or one busted assignment can change the tone fast. Add in the rivalry history and the buzz around both young quarterbacks, and the setup is exactly what you would expect when these two get together.
For Missouri, the challenge is not simply matching intensity but handling the swings that come with a game like this on the road. The atmosphere should be lively, the stakes feel bigger than a normal nonconference date, and Foxs broadcast slot only adds to the spotlight. The quarterback play on both sides is part of what makes it intriguing, but the real question is whether Missouri can manage the one area that could tilt everything before the night is over. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Suddenly Has A Running Back Problem At The Worst Time
Missouris backfield was already thin, and now it has been hit hard before the season has really had a chance to settle in. Running back Malae Fonoti is done for the year after suffering a non-contact ACL tear in the season opener, and head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Fonoti will undergo surgery. It is the kind of early setback that can ripple through an offense quickly, especially for a team trying to establish depth behind its top options.
The concern does not stop there, either. Backup Ahmad Hardy remains unavailable while he recovers from a gunshot wound, which leaves Xai'Shaun Edwards in line as the likely No. 2 back behind Jamal Roberts. For Missouri, that makes every snap in the run game feel a little more fragile, and it puts added pressure on the players still standing to absorb a workload the Tigers were not planning on this soon. [Read more 🡒]