Missouri’s pass rush has been one of the early bright spots of the 2026 defense, but Saturday brings a different kind of test - and maybe a depth chart stress test too.
Through four games, the Tigers have piled up 12 sacks and 77 pressures, a strong start after losing Zion Young and Damon Wilson in the offseason. Now comes No.
8 Florida at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Columbia, and the matchup asks a direct question: who else can help Daeden Hopkins?
Hopkins has been the headliner. The sophomore leads Missouri with 20 pressures and six sacks, and those numbers don’t just lead the Tigers - they sit among the best in the country. His 20 pressures rank first in Power Four and second nationally, while his six sacks are tied for third in the nation.
The problem for Missouri is that the gap after Hopkins is wide. Donta Simpson is the only other Tiger with more than one sack, and Darris Smith is the only other player with double-digit pressures at 12.
Simpson has nine pressures, Langden Kitchen has seven, and Nicholas Rodriguez is next with six. No one else has reached five.
That matters even more because Missouri may be short-handed off the edge. Kitchen and Smith were both listed as questionable on Wednesday night’s SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report.
Smith has been dealing with a lower-leg injury suffered against Troy, while Kitchen is working through a lower-body injury from the Mississippi State game. Neither practiced Monday, and coach Eli Drinkwitz said Tuesday he doubted either would practice that day.
“Daeden has been playing at a really high level, and that's something that we got to continue to watch. It's going to get more and more challenging on him because people are now more and more aware of who he is. I mean, he was battling chippers and pretty much the entire game in known-throw situations, and we got to have somebody on the other side step up, especially with the injuries we're battling with with Darris and Langden.”
If Smith and Kitchen are able to go, Missouri can at least pair Hopkins with more help on the edges. If they can’t, the Tigers will have to lean on names that flashed last week.
Fifth-year senior Jaden Jones played a season-high 39 snaps against Mississippi State and has three pressures and three tackles this season. Sophomore Kamauryn Morgan also got the first SEC action of his career and came away with half a sack.
There’s work to do inside, too. Simpson has been effective as a pass rusher, but he’s the only defensive tackle with more than three pressures. Sophomore Jason Dowell has also chipped in with a sack against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
“They've been doing really good things, getting to the quarterback, making plays, especially with them being younger,” defensive lineman Marquis Gracial said. “That was kind of a thing, going into this season, like the depth was like a question, but they've really worked hard over summer and during fall camp, and it's showing like they've done a lot of really good things.”
Missouri could also use a lift from fifth-year senior Sterling Webb, who had 23 pressures in 2025 but has only two on 63 pass-rush snaps this season. Gracial and Jalen Marshall, both primarily known for their run defense, would help as well.
Florida has been stingy up front, allowing an SEC-low two sacks this year, and quarterback Aaron Philo has been well protected. The Gators have thrown only 105 passes, the second-lowest total in the conference, but the line has still done its job.
That makes the next step pretty clear for Missouri: if the pass rush can keep winning, it can force Philo into mistakes and make Florida play in the air more than it wants. And if the Tigers can get a couple timely sacks, they may be able to take Jadan Baugh out of the game plan on the kind of downs Florida would prefer to stay out of.
In Other News...
Missouri Gets An Early Read On Key Defensive Help Vs Florida
Missouri got its first injury snapshot ahead of Homecoming against Florida, and the initial SEC availability report immediately put some focus on the defensive front. The Tigers listed eight players in varying statuses, with EDGE Darris Smith and DE Langden Kitchen both tagged questionable as they work back from ailments that affected their availability last week.
Smith sat out the previous game with an ankle injury, while Kitchen left early with a lower-body injury, leaving Missouri to monitor two important pieces as the Florida matchup approaches. The Gators own report was lighter, with two questionable wideouts in Vernell Brown III and Bailey Stockton, but for Missouri the bigger question is how much of its defensive line rotation it can count on when the conference deadline forces the first public update before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Florida's Breakout Season Faces A Huge Test At Missouri
Floridas visit to Columbia arrives with both teams trying to sort out what kind of October run they can make, and college football analyst Greg McElroy sees the matchup tilting toward the visitors. He pointed to Floridas running game as the most reliable edge in the game, with Jadan Baugh powering a ground attack that has helped shape the Gators breakout start.
Missouri, meanwhile, is being pressed by issues that have shown up in the margins, especially in finishing drives and keeping opponents from turning limited chances into points. The Tigers also face a Florida team whose defensive tendencies could create a tougher day for Missouris passing game, which makes the October 3 meeting feel like more than just another conference game for a team trying to keep its league standing from slipping. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Suddenly Has A Defensive Concern Heading Into Florida
Missouris trip to No. 8 Florida picked up an extra layer of uncertainty Wednesday night when the injury report listed several key defenders as questionable, including edge rushers Langden Kitchen and Darris Smith and linebacker Bobby Washington Jr. For a Tigers defense that will need to bring pressure and stay sturdy in the middle against a ranked opponent on the road, those names jumping onto the report immediately changed the look of the matchup.
Eli Drinkwitz had already acknowledged Kitchen and Smiths status during his Tuesday media session, so the situation was not a complete surprise, but it still leaves Missouri waiting on important pieces at a critical spot on the field. Florida has injury questions of its own, with leading receiver Vernel Brown III and third receiver Bailey Stockton also listed as questionable, but Missouris bigger concern is whether it can get enough speed and depth back on defense before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]