Missouri went into the transfer portal with a clear mission this offseason: patch the holes left by the NFL draft, departures and a quarterback room that never settled down in 2025. The Tigers lost six players to the draft, including four in the first three rounds, and also watched starting quarterback Beau Pribula and edge rusher Damon Wilson II leave through the portal. That kind of turnover forced Missouri to target experience where it mattered most.
The result was a transfer class built to stabilize key spots rather than chase headlines. At cornerback, the Tigers added Sione Laulea, Jahlil Florence and Graves to help replace Dreyden Norwood and Toriano Pride Jr.
Graves stands out as the most obvious immediate starter. He spent the last three seasons at Ole Miss, appeared in 41 games and started nine times last season for a College Football Playoff semifinal team.
As a redshirt junior, he played 783 snaps, lined up for 606 of them at outside corner, and finished with 33 tackles and four pass breakups. He brings both playoff experience and a steadier hand to Missouri’s secondary.
Linebacker is another spot where Missouri found a transfer who can change the feel of the unit. Woodyard may be the most statistically proven newcomer on the roster, but because Nicholas Rodriguez was already in place, he lands just outside the top three.
Even so, pairing Woodyard with Rodriguez gives the Tigers one of their strongest starting groups. Woodyard started 11 of 12 games for Auburn in his redshirt sophomore season, finished second on the team in tackles and third in pass breakups, and put up 50 of his 67 tackles in SEC play.
He also had seven pass breakups and earned an 86.6 run defense grade from PFF, which helped him land PFF first team All-SEC honors. He arrives with the kind of experience and youth that make linebacker a position to watch in 2026.
Missouri also filled a major need at receiver after Kevin Coleman Jr. ran out of eligibility. The Tigers turned to Cayden Lee, who comes in for his senior season after three years at Ole Miss.
Lee earned All-SEC third team honors as a sophomore, then started all 15 games in the slot last season. His numbers dipped a bit in a crowded receiver room, but he still produced 44 catches, 635 yards and three touchdowns.
Over his two seasons as a full-time starter, he topped 1,500 receiving yards. Like Graves, Lee adds playoff experience to a room that needed more of it.
On the offensive line, Missouri brought in Arizona State transfer Josh Atkins to handle a major assignment at right tackle. He is expected to protect Austin Simmons in 2026, a different job from the one Keagen Trost handled last season.
Trost had been one of Missouri’s most influential transfers and had played for three teams before arriving in Columbia. Atkins, meanwhile, is set to move from left tackle to the blindside side for a left-handed quarterback.
That change may take some adjustment, and a leg injury in spring could delay his start, but the expectation is that he will be in the lineup when healthy. At Arizona State, Atkins started every game over the last two seasons at left tackle, played 791 snaps and allowed just three sacks in 439 pass sets.
PFF ranked him the 53rd best left tackle in college football.
And then there’s Simmons, the transfer that may matter most of all. Missouri’s quarterback situation in 2026 was a moving target.
First it was Beau Pribula and Sam Horn. After Horn’s early injury, Pribula took over.
When Pribula went down midseason, freshman Matt Zollers handled a large chunk of the remaining games. That instability helped keep Missouri from reaching the top tier of the SEC despite four All-SEC first team selections.
Simmons is Missouri’s answer to that problem. He began last season as Ole Miss’ starter, then moved to backup after an ankle injury in Week 2.
He has started only two games, so the résumé is thin. But the Tigers were looking for a quarterback with the upside to lead the offense, and Simmons fits that description.
A four-star recruit and top 10 quarterback coming out of high school, he showed steady growth at Ole Miss before the injury interrupted his progress. Missouri’s biggest transfer addition isn’t the most proven name on the list.
It’s the one with the most riding on his left hand.
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