As the offseason speeds along, On3 released their Way-Too-Early Top-25 rankings for the upcoming 2026 season. Missouri finished 8-5 last year and fell to Virginia in the Gator Bowl, leaving the Tigers in somewhat of a precarious position in the SEC. Eli Drinkwitz and company have been active in the portal however, reeling in over 20 transfers so far in an effort to re-tool the roster, but apparently it hasn't been enough in the eyes of On3's Top-25 voters.
The Tigers went unranked in the first poll, falling out of the top-25 after finishing 2025 ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll.
Mizzou comes up just short of the top-25 in first rankings of 2026
Considering the Tigers will bring back the best running back in the country in Ahmad Hardy, and also figure to have another strong defense, it's a bit surprising Mizzou didn't crack the Top-25 rankings over teams like Arizona or Houston. Missouri has been able to add some promising players through the portal, but there's still room to improve.
While the Tigers portal class has been solid, and currently ranked as the No. 23 class, it's still not without flaws. Mizzou has yet to really address their huge losses at edge after the departures of Zion Young and Damon Wilson II. And although they've brought in plenty of high-upside players, like quarterback Austin Simmons, many are still unproven.
Still, while the Tigers lost a lot of talent to the transfer portal and the NFL, so has everyone else, and it seems like the On3 voters have leaned more pessimistic towards the Tigers' high-risk, high-reward newcomers. If Simmons can elevate the offense like Drinkwitz hopes he can, Missouri could be a top-15 team. If his injuries or inexperience rear their ugly heads though, the voters may have been right.