With the transfer portal now officially open, the Tigers have lost their first defensive starter.
According to 247Sports, Missouri safety Marvin Burks Jr. has entered the NCAA transfer portal after serving as one of the Tigers’ most relied-upon defenders this season, and an impactful starter the past two seasons at that.
Burks started 11 games and saw action in all 12 contests, leading Missouri in defensive snaps over the course of the year. He finished the season with 46 total tackles, including 26 solo stops. The former three-star recruit ends his time in Columbia with 131 total tackles and two interceptions.
The Tigers will now need to rebuild a decimated secondary
Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz mentioned in a previous press conference slip-up that Mizzou would be active for "a couple of corners," before saying "players." After the loss of Burks, that won't be the only defensive position the Tigers will be needing to fill in the now open transfer portal.
Burks’ decision adds to significant turnover in the Tigers’ secondary, as Missouri has also lost safeties Daylan Carnell and Jalen Catalon, leaving the program with multiple vacancies at the position heading into next season. The team announced right after the Burks transfer news that safety Trajen Greco has re-signed with the program for 2026
Mizzou has already been linked to several top quarterbacks in the portal, and now there's no doubt they'll add multiple players in the secondary as well.