Missouri freshman offensive tackle Johnnie “DJ” Jones has received a heart transplant, with coach Eli Drinkwitz saying Thursday morning that the surgery was completed Wednesday night and went well.
Drinkwitz first disclosed Tuesday that Jones needed a transplant, and he followed up two days later with an update on X that Jones is now recovering. In the team’s statement, Missouri thanked the medical staff involved as well as the donor and donor family.
“We are incredibly grateful for the medical team who cared for DJ and for the donor and donor family whose extraordinary gift made this possible,” the statement read. “Please continue to keep DJ, his family, the donor family, and his caregivers in your prayers as he begins the recovery process.
We are so thankful for the incredible prayers and support from the entire Mizzou Family. We will continue to update you when we can.”
A Support Now page has also been set up to help Jones’ family with donations during his recovery. The page says the goal is to ease the burden on the family so they can stay focused on Jones, his treatment and being together.
“We are creating this support system to help ease some of that burden, allowing the Jones family to focus their energy where it belongs - on DJ, his care, his healing, and being together as a family,” the page reads.
It also says, “Any contribution, no matter the amount, will help provide support with immediate and ongoing expenses. If you are unable to give financially, we simply ask that you keep DJ and the entire Jones family lifted in prayer and share this fundraiser with others.
Every prayer, kind word, and act of support means more than you may ever know. “DJ is a young man with so much life ahead of him, and he is surrounded by a family and community that loves him deeply.
We are trusting God, taking things one day at a time, and believing with all our hearts for the best possible outcome.”
Jones’ heart issue was first found during Missouri’s freshmen intake in the summer, and the school sent him to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, for care. Last week, it was determined that he needed a transplant. He watched Missouri’s win over Florida from the hospital Saturday.
“It’s just hard. A(n) 18-year-old with everything in front of him, and you're just not prepared for that kind of news," Drinkwitz said Tuesday.
"Our team wasn't prepared for that kind of news, but we're praying for him and I know a lot of Mizzou fans will hopefully join in that prayer because he does need help in a hurry. We're pulling for you, buddy.”
In Other News...
Red River History Shows How Rarely This Rivalry Gets Out Of Hand
The Red River Rivalry has a way of making even the most confident predictions feel shaky, and the history backs that up. Over 121 years, Oklahoma and Texas have produced far more tense, back-and-forth afternoons than runaway results, with blowouts of 30 points or more happening only 16 times. Most of the series has lived in the margins, which is part of why this annual meeting still feels like one of college footballs purest pressure games.
Even in a rivalry that usually stays tight, the extremes have surfaced often enough in recent years to remind everyone how quickly things can unravel. Since 2000, there have been six blowouts of that size, including Texas 49-0 win over Oklahoma in 2022, the largest margin in series history. Oklahoma has accounted for nine of the 16 lopsided wins, Texas for seven, but the broader story remains the same: this matchup is far more often decided by a handful of plays than by a runaway. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Let Red River Slip Away In The Worst Possible Moment
In a rivalry game that already had its own pulse, Oklahoma found the break it needed late and turned it into the kind of finish that lingers. The Sooners toppled No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry on Tate Sandells last-second 47-yard field goal, a kick that capped a wild sequence built on defense, special teams and the sort of pressure that can unravel even the best-laid plans.
Texas had been dragged into a tense fourth-quarter fight long before the final drive, and the Longhorns never quite recovered from the momentum swings that defined the afternoon. Oklahoma had already changed the game with a punt-return touchdown and a pick-6 off Arch Manning, then got one more chance when its defense forced the decisive interception in the closing seconds, setting up a finish that left the Sooners celebrating and Texas staring at how quickly the game slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Handed Oklahoma Fans A New Rivalry Talking Point
Texas left the Red River Rivalry with a familiar kind of frustration, the kind that lingers because the game was there to be taken. Oklahomas 27-24 win came down to Tate Sandells 47-yard field goal at the buzzer, but the postgame conversation from the other sideline quickly shifted toward self-inflicted damage. Longhorns edge rusher Colin Simmons pointed to Texas mistakes as the difference, a fair read considering Arch Manning threw two interceptions in a game that featured a late turnover on a promising final drive.
For Oklahoma, the result was the same regardless of how Texas explained it. The Sooners took advantage when it mattered most and walked away with a rivalry win that came after a night of swings, miscues and pressure-packed possessions. For fans on the Oklahoma side, Simmons assessment only adds another layer to a game that already delivered plenty of fuel for bragging rights, and a reminder that the Red River meeting rarely needs much help creating a talking point. [Read more 🡒]