Missouri’s fall camp is wrapping up, and with the media window closed, a few names have clearly separated themselves from the pack. After watching portions of 10 practices and talking with players and coaches throughout camp, the clearest risers are coming into focus ahead of the regular season.
On the offensive line, Luke Work has gone from seeming like depth insurance to looking like the answer at right tackle. Work arrived from Mississippi State with an uncertain path to immediate snaps, especially with Missouri bringing back Cayden Green at left tackle, Curtis Peagler at right guard and Dominick Giudice shifting to center, while veteran transfer Josh Atkins was expected to handle right tackle and Zack Owens and Tristan Wilson were in the mix at left guard. Then Atkins went down with a leg injury in March and had a setback in June, opening the door for Work.
At SEC Media Days, Eli Drinkwitz said Work had “as good of an offseason as I've ever seen an offensive lineman have.” That momentum has carried into camp. Work was competing with senior Logan Reichert for the starting job, but Drinkwitz said Saturday he feels “pretty good” about Work starting at right tackle, which leaves Work in line to win the spot unless Reichert or sophomore Jack Lange makes a late push.
The left guard competition ended with a bit of a surprise. Tristan Wilson, who had spent four seasons as a backup interior lineman and had played just 206 snaps across those years, took over the job.
He had already shown he could handle a bigger role when he filled in for Peagler against Arkansas in the regular-season finale and posted a 74.5 PFF offense grade on 40 snaps at right guard. Missouri also brought in Zack Owens, a 6'6, 330-pound transfer who started 10 games on the interior for Mississippi State in 2025, but Wilson took every rep with Giudice and Green during the media viewing periods and looked like part of the first unit.
Drinkwitz was quick to point to Wilson’s growth.
"Tristan has developed himself into a starter in the SEC and really one of our most versatile players," Drinkwitz said. "With holding (Dominick Giudice) out today, we moved Tristan into the center position, and I mean he handled everything from cadence to snap count to identification.
You know we didn't really miss a beat, so just impressed with his commitment. He's got a great routine."
Giudice, who played Wilson’s spot in 2025, was just as complimentary.
"He's a grinder, he's a dog," Giudice said Aug. 7.
"He's super about his business, no-BS kind of guy, and love playing next to him. I mean, he's gonna get the job done - and you know it - every single time, and he pushes us, and we push him.
So it's been it's been good to be able to grow with him these past couple years."
Another player making noise is Elijah Dotson, who came to Missouri after a freshman year at Michigan that included 207 snaps, more than half on special teams. He entered a defensive back room that had lost six starters, and even after surgery in March to repair a torn labrum, he has been working with the first team at STAR at times during camp. Auburn transfer Kensley Louidor-Faustin has also been in that mix, but Dotson’s athleticism has stood out.
Safety Trajen Greco didn’t hide his admiration.
"He's another really good football player," Greco said Tuesday. "I want to translate some of his game into my game, not gonna lie.
The way he flies around to the ball is like no other. He has so much energy on a daily basis, and he's gonna go out there and do do his job no matter what it takes."
On the edge, Kitchen has gone from a useful surprise in 2025 to a player positioned for a bigger role. Last season, the Huntsville product played the fourth-most snaps among Missouri’s edge rushers even though it was his first year in Division I. He had spent his first two seasons at Northwest Missouri State and started only three of his 20 games there.
Missouri added plenty of competition at the position after the departures of Zion Young and Damon Wilson II, bringing in Kamauryn Morgan, CJ May, Demarcus Johnson, Jaden Jones, Malik Bryant and Cavan Tuley through the portal. Even with that influx, Kitchen appears to be the front-runner to start opposite Darris Smith in Week 1. He has taken more first-team reps with Smith than any other edge during camp.
Drinkwitz grouped Kitchen with players who “haven't had a ton of playing time but have played, and now it's time for them to take the next step.” Brian Early echoed that view, naming Kitchen one of three players he thinks could have a “breakout” season, alongside Smith and Daeden Hopkins.
Kitchen also sounds like a player who has grown into a leadership role.
"Being a leader is just talking to everyone on the team, not belittling anyone, talking to walk-ons, talking anyone," Kitchen said Aug. 14.
"Everyone's the same here, no matter what. Don't matter if you're one, no matter if you're five.
Everyone's here as we're a brotherhood."
In Other News...
Mark Mitchell Just Reopened A Mizzou Question Fans Thought Was Closed
Mark Mitchells path back into the NCAA picture just got a lot more interesting. The former Duke wing was granted eligibility for the 2026-27 season and access to the transfer portal after a temporary restraining order from Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards, a development tied to a broader lawsuit challenging NCAA eligibility rules for players who used up eligibility under older formats. It is the kind of legal wrinkle that can quickly shift the conversation around a player whose college options seemed settled.
For Missouri fans, the timing matters because Mitchell has already been linked to the Tigers, along with Kentucky, even as Missouri is currently operating with a full roster. That leaves the Tigers in a familiar waiting game: watching a talented frontcourt piece stay in the mix while the bigger question remains where he will actually land once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Hoops Has A Fall Chance Dennis Gates Cant Waste
Dennis Gates and his staff are heading into the fall with a recruiting window that could shape Missouri basketballs next class in a big way. Several of the Tigers top targets are lining up official visits over the coming weeks, giving the program a chance to put its pitch in front of priority prospects when attention is highest and the roster picture is coming into focus.
Cameron Barnes, Tyran Frazier and Devin Cleveland are all part of that group, each carrying a different timeline and a different set of schools still in the mix. Missouri also has committed guard Scottie Adkinson in the fold, and his presence during some of those visits should help the staff keep the momentum moving as the Tigers try to turn a busy fall into real traction on the trail. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Wasted A Record Crowd And Exposed An Early Concern
Mizzous home opener drew a record crowd of 2,324, but the night ended in frustration anyway as the Tigers fell 1-0 to Saint Louis University. Senior goalkeeper Kate Phillips kept them in it with seven saves, and for long stretches the defense gave the home fans a reason to stay engaged, even as the attack never quite found a rhythm.
The bigger concern was on the other end, where Mizzou struggled to generate much of anything and spent most of the match chasing the game. The Tigers will get little time to dwell on it, though, with another in-state road matchup next on the schedule, a quick chance to reset before the early offensive questions start to linger. [Read more 🡒]