Following Missouri's 27-24 victory over Iowa in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, the offseason began, and head coach Eli Drinkwitz has been hard at work strengthening the Tigers' program.
The effort appears to be paying off, as On3's latest transfer rankings place Mizzou as the No. 1 SEC program in transfer portal acquisitions to date.
Updated Transfer Portal Team Rankings for the SEC🔥https://t.co/uYFccXOwzw pic.twitter.com/ytBcPw99BQ
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) January 10, 2025
As transfer portal activity slows, the Tigers have added 14 players while losing 15. However, the incoming transfers appear to be significant upgrades, while many of the outgoing players were unlikely to see much playing time.
The most significant loss of this portal season was undoubtedly five-star freshman Williams Nwaneri, who transferred to Nebraska after just six months in Columbia. According to On3, he entered the portal as a four-star transfer.
Mizzou lost just one four-star player in the portal but gained five highly rated additions. Kevin Coleman (WR), Jalen Catalon (DB), Josiah Trotter (LB), Nahthan Johnson (EDGE), and Ahmad Hardy (RB) are all set to join the Tigers next season, bolstering the roster across multiple key positions.
Beyond the star ratings, head coach Eli Drinkwitz might be most pleased about securing a potential successor to Brady Cook at quarterback. Cook, who has been the Tigers' starting quarterback throughout Drinkwitz's tenure, exhausted his eligibility following the 2024 season.
Penn State transfer Beau Pribula is poised to become Missouri's next starting quarterback after reportedly receiving a $1.5 million NIL deal. A dynamic dual-threat player, Pribula brings an exciting skill set to the Tigers with two years of eligibility remaining.
The next few weeks will be worth watching to see if any changes occur ahead of spring camp. One thing, however, is clear: the competitiveness of Mizzou's program shows no signs of slowing down.