Missouri’s defense is going to lean hard on transfer help in 2026, and two names from Auburn are already standing out as possible Week 1 starters.
Robert Woodyard Jr. and Kensley Louidor-Faustin arrived in January and could end up playing major roles right away for the Tigers. Woodyard looks like the cleaner projection of the two.
After starting 11 games for Auburn last season, the redshirt junior is close to a lock to line up next to Nicholas Rodriguez at linebacker. That pairing has the makings of a real problem for opposing offenses.
Woodyard played in all 12 games for Auburn and finished second on the team with 67 tackles. He was especially productive in SEC play, piling up 50 of those stops in conference games.
At 6-foot and 245 pounds, he also earned a spot on PFF’s All-SEC first team after posting an 86.6 run-defense grade. That mark ranked 58th out of 788 linebackers, and it came with serious volume against elite competition: 432 snaps overall and 304 in SEC games.
His best performance came against Missouri in Week 8. In that double-overtime game, Woodyard was on the field for 62 snaps and delivered 11 tackles and four tackles for loss. Those tackles for loss matched the most by an Auburn Tiger since at least 1995.
What Missouri is getting there is straightforward: a linebacker with a strong motor, real power against the run and enough pass-rush juice to matter. That kind of profile can change the feel of a defense fast.
Louidor-Faustin brings a different kind of value. The 5-foot-11 safety had an uneven sophomore season at Auburn, but the overall body of work was still encouraging.
He appeared in 11 games and made three starts, finishing with 20 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. Most of his work came in the slot or around the box, with 188 snaps in the slot and 44 in the box.
The junior’s run defense graded out well, with a 72 rating from PFF. Of his 242 total snaps, 92 came in run defense and 150 in coverage.
The bigger question is coverage consistency. At 183 pounds, he allowed a 64 percent completion rate in 2025, though he did improve as the season went on.
In the first three weeks, Louidor-Faustin gave up eight catches on nine targets. Over the rest of the season, he allowed eight receptions on 16 targets. That late-season growth matters, especially for a player Missouri may be eyeing at the STAR spot.
He is not as obvious a Week 1 starter as Woodyard, but his versatility gives him a real shot to win the starting STAR role. Missouri is trying to replace Daylan Carnell, a three-year starter there, and Louidor-Faustin’s blend of run support and coverage ability could make him a strong fit.
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Jevon Porters return to Missouri was supposed to give the Tigers another familiar name in the frontcourt, but the season quickly turned into a stop-and-start stretch after a leg injury cut into his role. He had begun the year in the rotation, and his last appearance came against Bethune-Cookman, where he scored 6 points in 16 minutes before his minutes and availability became a bigger question.
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