Missouri’s first official depth chart of the season is out, and it arrives with five days left before the Tigers kick off Thursday night against Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
Eli Drinkwitz released the Week 1 chart on Saturday, giving the first real look at how Mizzou lines up after three weeks of preseason camp. The offensive side starts with Austin Simmons at quarterback, with Matt Zollers listed behind him.
At running back, Jamal Roberts is the top name, followed by Malae Fonoti or Xai'Shaun Edwards. The receiver group shows Cayden Lee and Shaun Terry II on one side, Donovan Olugbode and DaMarion Fowlkes on the other, and Caleb Goodie or Naeshaun Montgomery ahead of Kenric Lanier II at the next spot. Tight end lists Brett Norfleet or Jordon Harris ahead of Jude James.
Up front, the offensive line opens with Cayden Green at left tackle, Tristan Wilson at left guard, Dominick Giudice at center, Curtis Peagler at right guard and Luke Work at right tackle. The backups listed are Jack Lange, Zach Owens, Colin Sorenson, Khalief Canty Jr. and Whit Hafer, respectively.
On defense, Darris Smith and Malik Bryant are listed at defensive end, with Marquis Gracial and Jason Dowell at defensive tackle, and Jalen Marshall with Sterling Webb on the other interior spot. Langden Kitchen and Daeden Hopkins are listed at the other end position.
At linebacker, Robert Woodyard Jr. is paired with Jeremiah Beasley or Brian Huff, while Nicholas Rodriguez is listed next to Dante McClellan. The STAR spot shows Kensley Louidor-Faustin or Elijah Dotson, with CJ Bass III behind them.
In the secondary, Chris Graves Jr. or Jahlil Florence is listed at one corner with Nick DeLoach Jr. behind, and Sione Laulea or Jahlil Florence is listed at the other corner with Cameron Keys next. Santana Banner and Jayden McGregory are the safeties, while Trajen Greco is joined by JaDon Blair or Jackson Hancock at the other safety spot.
Special teams features Blake Craig as the placekicker, Brunno Reus as the punter and holder, and Brett LeBlanc as the longsnapper with Henry Crosby behind him. For kickoff returns, DaMarion Fowlkes is first up, followed by Naeshaun Montgomery or Chris Graves Jr.
In Other News...
Mizzou Finally Settles A 1960 Title Debate Fans Never Forgot
More than six decades after the season ended, Missouri has officially added its 1960 football team to the schools list of national champions. The recognition came after a U.S. Senate resolution introduced by Sen. Eric Schmitt was adopted, giving formal weight to a claim Tigers fans never really let go of and putting the programs place in that title conversation in an entirely different light.
The review behind the resolution leaned on historical records, including the forfeiture of Kansas wins because of an ineligible player, which technically left Missouri with an undefeated season. Even with several schools staking a claim to the 1960 crown, the Tigers now have the university and the Senate on record in their corner, a long-awaited acknowledgment of a debate that has lingered for generations. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Freshman Core Already Looks Ready For The Spotlight
Missouris volleyball team opened the season with a clean start at the Mizzou Invitational, rolling past Western Illinois and Towson in back-to-back sweeps. The early results gave the Tigers a quick jolt of momentum, but the bigger takeaway was the way the freshman class immediately fit into the action, with Ceylin Kuyan making an eye-catching debut and Eva Smith following with a strong showing in the second match.
Dawn Sullivan had plenty to like about the groups energy and consistency across the day, and that matters for a team trying to build its identity early. What makes the opening weekend even more interesting is how quickly those first-year players seem capable of shaping the rotation, giving Missouri a deeper and more versatile look as the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Backfield Picture Just Got Clearer Ahead Of The Opener
Missouris first depth-chart clues for the opener are starting to come into focus, and Jamal Roberts is right in the middle of it. Eli Drinkwitz said the veteran running back will be part of the starting group as the Tigers line up for the new season, a notable step for a player entering his fourth year after a career-best campaign. Roberts is joined on the list by left tackle Cayden Green, center Dominick Giudice, linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez, safety Santana Banner and kicker Blake Craig, giving Missouri a clearer sense of the core it expects to lean on early.
The rest of the group also speaks to where the Tigers believe their experience is strongest. Green and Giudice anchor the offensive line, Rodriguez and Banner give the defense familiar names in the middle and back end, and Craig handles a specialist role that can quietly matter in a tight September rhythm. For Missouri, the bigger takeaway is less about any one spot than the way the picture is settling ahead of kickoff, even if the full rotation in the backfield still leaves a little room for the opener to take shape. [Read more 🡒]