In case you missed it, the Tigers had a busy morning on Friday, securing commitments from four more players in the transfer portal. Minneosta receiver Kenric Lanier II, Charleston Southern tackle Colin Sorenson, Montana running back Malae Fonoti, and Tennessee State punter Mark Shenouda all landed with Mizzou in the span of a few hours.
The good news, is that with those commitments, the Tigers have now landed 23 new players through the portal, and just two shy of the amount of players that left in it. The bad news, is that while Eli Drinkwitz and company have done a nice job backfilling the roster, they haven't added enough elite talent to replace the huge stars that have departed.
The Tigers are losing ground in the SEC
According to 247Sports, the Tigers have the No. 22 ranked class in the portal and No. 10 class in the SEC. Those aren't terrible numbers, but a closer look reveals big gaps at key positions that still remain. Mizzou has yet to address the huge losses at edge with the departures of Zion Young and Damon Wilson II. Florida State transfer Jaden Jones has some upside, but fans can't expect him to put a dent in the 15.5 sacks the star duo combined for this past season.
Now, with the four additions today, all of whom project to be depth pieces, the Tigers are left with needs at offensive line, edge and more with their options dwindling. Of course, it was always going to be a huge task replacing 25 transfers, but unless some big names enter the portal over the next day, there won't be many program-changing opportunities out there.
It ain't over until it's over, so a final judgement on the 2026 transfer class will be put on hold for now. But at this point it's reasonable to think that fans, and maybe the Drinkwitz himself, thought there would have been a few more splashes. Ultimately, if the internal development is way ahead of where its thought to be, Mizzou will be in good shape regardless of how the portal finishes.