Missouri is on the verge of bringing back a familiar face to its football program - and in a big way. Jake Breske, currently serving as Tennessee’s director of player personnel, is expected to take on a newly created “lead” front office role with the Tigers. According to reports, he’ll be stepping in as the chief recruiting officer under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, a move that signals Missouri’s intent to keep raising the bar on the recruiting trail.
This isn’t Breske’s first stint in Columbia. He originally joined the program back in 2016 as a recruiting assistant under then-head coach Barry Odom.
By 2018, he’d earned a promotion to director of recruiting, a role he held through the early days of the Drinkwitz era in 2020. His work during that stretch helped lay the foundation for Missouri’s evolving recruiting infrastructure.
But in 2021, Tennessee came calling. Josh Heupel, who’d just taken over the Volunteers program, brought Breske to Knoxville to help elevate their recruiting efforts - and that’s exactly what he did.
During his time with the Vols, Breske played a key role in assembling some of the most talent-rich classes Tennessee has seen in recent years. That includes helping land 5-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava in 2023, elite edge rusher Jordan Ross in 2024, and top offensive line prospect David Sanders Jr. in 2025. And the momentum hasn’t slowed - Tennessee has already locked in 5-star wide receiver Tristen Keys and 5-star quarterback Faizon Brandon for the 2026 class.
Now, Breske returns to Missouri with a wealth of experience and a proven track record of attracting top-tier talent. His new role is designed to centralize and elevate the Tigers’ recruiting operation. According to the job description, he’ll oversee the entire recruiting process - from evaluating personnel and organizing campus visits to managing NCAA compliance.
For Drinkwitz and Missouri, this hire is more than just a homecoming. It’s a strategic move to keep pace in the ever-intensifying SEC recruiting arms race. With Breske at the helm of recruiting, the Tigers are making it clear: they’re not just looking to compete - they’re looking to win big, both on the trail and on the field.