SEC Media Days usually serves up the expected coach-speak and polished talking points, but Missouri managed to sneak in a little summer personality while the 2026 season crept closer.
The conversation started with Nicholas Rodriguez, the Miami native who’s expected to be one of Missouri’s starting linebackers this season. When his recruiting path came up at the press conference-style table, the question was simple: did he ever seriously think about staying in Florida?
Rodriguez said no. For him, it came down to fit, and he pointed to Eli Drinkwitz and Missouri as the place that made the most sense.
"I think I made the right choice," Rodriguez said. "We have something great going on in CoMo.
The locker room is great. We’re all building team chemistry, being good, having cookouts, competitions, playing pickleball - even though we just started that."
That last part opened the door to the day’s lighter theme. Pickleball kept popping up, and Drinkwitz got the same question when he later stepped into the room: how good is he at it?
He didn’t waste the opportunity.
"Pickleball is a very dangerous game invented by orthopedic surgeons to create revenue generation," he said, "and if they could just use that money for third-party NIL, I could really get behind it."
Pickleball has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and Missouri football apparently got in on the action this summer. It’s a paddle game with elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, with a ball that looks a lot like a wiffle ball.
So now the obvious follow-up hangs in the air: who’s the best pickleball player on the team?
In Other News...
Mizzou Suddenly Has A Major Preseason Question Up Front
Missouris offensive line plans took a hit this week when Eli Drinkwitz confirmed that projected starting right tackle Josh Atkins has had a setback in his lower-leg recovery. Atkins had been working back with a midseason return in mind, but the latest update pushes that timeline back and leaves the Tigers with a little less certainty up front as camp progress continues.
That opens the door for a handful of options, and junior transfer Luke Work looks like the safest one because of his SEC background and familiarity with the level of competition Missouri is facing. Work has experience the staff can trust, even if his history at right tackle has not always been smooth, and the Tigers now have to sort through how best to stabilize one of the most important spots on the line while Atkins keeps working his way back. [Read more 🡒]
Ahmad Hardy Just Gave Mizzou Fans A Return Update Worth Watching
Ahmad Hardys first public comments since being injured in a May shooting in Mississippi offered Missouri fans a long-awaited glimpse into where his recovery stands. The running back said he is ready to get back on the field when he can, and he also acknowledged how difficult the rehabilitation process has been while thanking the people who have supported him through it.
Eli Drinkwitz provided the clearest football update yet, saying Hardy has been medically cleared even as the return-to-play path remains uncertain because of the nature of the injury. For Missouri, the encouraging part is obvious: Hardy is moving forward. The part worth watching next is how the Tigers handle the progression from clearance to actual game action, especially with the coach expressing optimism about what Hardy can become once he gets all the way back. [Read more 🡒]