Missouri’s season opener on Thursday at Faurot Field comes with a few notable absences, and that makes Week 1 more than just a tune-up against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Tigers will be without starting running back Ahmad Hardy and starting lineman Cayden Green, giving other players an early chance to step into bigger roles.
That matters because this opener is also the first real look at a new quarterback and a reworked defensive leadership group. Missouri has several things to sort through before SEC play arrives, and Thursday should offer the first clues.
At quarterback, the focus shifts to Simmons, whose first start since getting injured in the second game of the 2025 season will be watched through a different lens than a box score. Missouri knows all too well that opening-day numbers can be misleading after last year’s quarterback situation, when Beau Pribula and Sam Horn were competing for the job before Horn’s injury handed Pribula the reins.
Pribula flashed in his debut against Central Arkansas, finishing with an 82.1 completion percentage, 348 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns. Even so, Missouri ended the year at the bottom of the SEC in several passing categories.
That’s why the most important thing to watch with Simmons isn’t touchdowns or raw yardage. It’s whether he looks comfortable and confident in the system.
That evaluation matters because Simmons was praised throughout the offseason for his intelligence and arm strength, two traits Missouri felt it was missing last season. Pribula’s decision making and reluctance to throw deep left the Tigers stuck in one dimension, and Thursday will be the first hint of whether that changes in 2026.
The defense has its own leadership test. Zion Young was the emotional center of Missouri’s defense last season before being selected in the second round of the NFL draft, and now Rodriguez and Banner are expected to carry the unit forward. They won’t replace Young’s energy, but the Tigers believe they can anchor the group.
"I don't know that (we) have somebody with the same amount of juice and outside energy that maybe Zion did, but I do sense a lot of leadership and a lot of commitment out of the group," Drinkwitz said Saturday.
Rodriguez and Banner finished second and third on the team in tackles last season, and both are stepping into even larger roles as Missouri’s defensive captains. Against UAPB, the numbers on the stat sheet may not tell the full story, but how the group communicates and functions together will matter.
Missouri’s rushing game will also look different with Hardy sidelined by an upper leg injury. Jamal Roberts is expected to start in Hardy’s place, while sophomore Jack Lange and junior Whit Hafer should see some of Green’s snaps up front.
Roberts was No. 11 in rushing yards among SEC running backs last season even while playing behind Hardy, and Thursday will be just his third start in a Tiger uniform. With Hardy still out, Roberts’ performance could shape both the opener and the weeks ahead.
Green’s absence creates a path for Lange and Hafer, two players who could end up being important pieces of Missouri’s offensive line in the future. Lange played in only one game last season and is listed as the backup left tackle, so this will be a first big look at the 6-foot-8 homegrown lineman.
Hafer has his own unusual path, having moved from tight end to lineman last year, and he is listed as the second right tackle. Credited as a utility player, he could even see action at left tackle against UAPB.
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The filing is meant to keep the school from taking steps that would sideline him next season, including ruling him ineligible. A hearing on the motion, along with the NCAAs bid to dismiss Webbs original request, is set for Wednesday, giving Missouri another off-field issue to monitor just as the on-field attention turns to opening week. [Read more 🡒]