Mizzou football’s season opener against Arkansas Pine-Bluff will have a distinctly Missouri touch.
Mizzou Athletics announced that Sheryl Crow will sing the national anthem at Memorial Stadium for the home opener. Crow is a Kennett, Mo., native and a Missouri graduate, having finished school in 1987.
The announcement adds a notable name to the start of the Tigers’ season, with one of the state’s most recognizable artists set to take part before kickoff.
Elsewhere around Mizzou football, there’s been plenty of attention on the road ahead. A 2026 opponent deep dive took a closer look at the “dirty dozen” the Tigers will face on the regular-season schedule, with the piece noting that the slate is tough but fun and aimed at helping readers get a better sense of what Mizzou is staring at in Eli Drinkwitz’s seventh year at the helm.
On the defensive side, Darris Smith is expected to be at the center of an unproven EDGE group. Smith, along with Kitchen, Hopkins and Dubbert, is among the returning pass rushers, and the Tigers may need that group to carry a lot of the load off the edge. Smith, after posting 16 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in the JACK role, appears to be the leader of that unit.
There’s also been discussion about the newcomers on defense. In an SBN Reacts survey, readers were asked which defensive transfer will make the biggest impact for Mizzou this season, with the question framed around whether these new faces can thrive under Corey Batoon.
In Other News...
Which Mizzou Defensive Transfer Can Change This SEC Unit Fastest
Mizzous defense has been a steady strength under coordinator Corey Batoon, finishing among the nations best in total defense in back-to-back seasons. Now the Tigers are trying to reload with help from the transfer portal, and the additions have plenty of pedigree: JaDon Blair, Elijah Dotson, Jahlil Florence and Robert Woodyard Jr. all arrived from major programs as former four-star recruits, giving this unit a deeper look and a higher ceiling heading into the season.
The question now is which newcomer can make that jump fastest and give Missouri the biggest immediate lift in the SEC. A fan survey is already underway to sort through the possibilities, which says plenty about how many different directions this could go for a defense that has been so reliable. With several transfer pieces in the mix, the Tigers do not need all of them to hit at once, but they do need at least one to separate quickly and become a difference-maker. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Backfield Picture Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Missouris preseason media day brought a little more clarity to a backfield that already had plenty of moving parts. Running backs coach Curtis Luper spent his Q&A session talking through the groups depth and the different ways the Tigers can piece it together, with Ahmad Hardys recovery, Jamal Roberts place in the room and newcomer Xai'Shaun Edwards all factoring into the conversation as camp approaches.
The most pressing question is how quickly Hardy can get back into the mix after his offseason setback, while Roberts decision to stay gives Missouri another experienced option to lean on. Edwards is the name that adds a fresh wrinkle, though, and Lupers comments suggested the Tigers like what they have seen from his prior production and work ethic as they sort out what this rotation is going to look like. [Read more 🡒]
Blake Craigs Return Puts Mizzous Biggest Special Teams Question Front And Center
Blake Craigs return gives Missouri something it sorely lacked over the second half of 2025: a proven kicker with a track record the Tigers can trust. Craig was lost early in the season to a knee injury and spent the rest of the year watching a kicking game that never really found its footing, with the Tigers struggling to cash in from distance when drives stalled near scoring range.
The timing matters even more now because the backdrop at Memorial Stadium is changing, too. With construction work reshaping the North end zone area, Missouris special teams staff has to sort through a new set of kicking conditions while also figuring out how to reintegrate Craig after a year away. For a team that already learned how much hidden yardage and reliable kicking can swing a season, its an issue that will linger well into 2026. [Read more 🡒]