SEC Media Days have arrived, which means the college football season is basically at the doorstep, and Missouri is almost ready to find out what this group really is. The Tigers open Thursday, September 3rd against Arkansas Pine-Bluff, and the early read from the betting market is pretty modest: FanDuel Sportsbook has Missouri’s win total at 6.5.
That number says plenty about the outside view of this team. Mizzou has talent, no question, and the backfield could be the headline act.
Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts are being talked about as what could be the best running back duo in the country. But there are real unknowns around them, starting with whether Austin Simmons can be “ the ” guy at quarterback and help push Missouri past the line it missed last season.
The defense is another major storyline. Corey Batoon is taking over a new-look unit, and that adds another layer of uncertainty to a roster that already has some big questions attached to it.
The schedule won’t do Missouri many favors, either. Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma are all waiting on the conference slate, which is a brutal stretch by any standard. But that’s life in the SEC.
The Tigers are coming off an 8-5 season after back-to-back 10-win years in 2023-2024, and that makes this fall feel especially important for Eli Drinkwitz in his seventh season. The big question hanging over the program is simple: is this a College Football Playoff or bust type year?
In Other News...
Mizzou's New O-Line Leader Arrives At A Critical Time
With Connor Tollison gone after anchoring the middle of Missouris offensive line for four years, the Tigers have turned to Dominick Giudice to handle the pivot to center. The move comes at a key moment for an offense that needs stability up front, and head coach Eli Drinkwitz has liked what he has seen from Giudice as he shifts from left guard into a new role.
Giudice is also being asked to do more than just make the snaps and calls. As one of the older voices in the room, he is part of the group setting the tone for a line that still has to blend returning starters with transfers, and that leadership matters even more with the right side of the line still in flux. Missouri can live with a little uncertainty in August, but the longer that uncertainty lingers, the more the Tigers will lean on Giudice to steady everything around him. [Read more 🡒]
Former Missouri Wing Jacob Crews Just Took An Unexpected Next Step
Jacob Crews college run ended with two seasons in Columbia, but the former Missouri wing has already lined up his next basketball stop. After six seasons in college and a career path that included stops at UT Martin and Daytona State College, Crews is moving on to the pro game with a rsum that shows he has already been productive at multiple levels.
The next challenge comes in a new setting, with Crews headed overseas to test himself in the Dutch-Belgian BNXT League with Donar Groningen. He said he was excited for the opportunity and eager to compete for a championship, a fitting next step for a player whose college journey was long, winding and ultimately good enough to open a professional door. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Enters A New Era As Trusted Athletics Leader Steps Away
Missouri athletics is going through a significant front-office reshuffle this summer, with deputy athletic director Marcy Girton set to retire in mid-August after more than four decades in college athletics. Her departure marks the end of a long run in a department that has leaned on steady administrative leadership while navigating facility upgrades, staffing changes and the day-to-day demands that come with running a major program.
The move also comes as Missouri adds Bryan Maggard to the leadership structure as chief operating officer and one of three deputy athletic directors, while the department begins a national search for another deputy AD to oversee Olympic sports and fill the senior woman administrator role. Along with other staff transitions and promotions, it is a clear sign that Mizzou is not just replacing people, but adjusting the shape of its athletics leadership for the next phase. [Read more 🡒]