Note: all rankings are via On3 Industry

In college football, the season never truly ends. Recruiting new talent can be a process just as intense as being on the field. Missouri has picked up multiple top prospects over the last three seasons, gaining pledges from highly-touted prospects such as 5-stars Williams Nwaneri and Luther Burden III. The Tigers have the 17th rated recruiting class in the country for 2025, with 18 recruits from across the country. With most players in this class committed at this point, Missouri’s recruitment is now shifting its focus onto the class of 2026 as well as a couple of players that are currently committed to other colleges. 

Hard Commits

Matt Zollers, Quarterback 

Zollers is Missouri’s most hyped recruit, a 5-star quarterback in line to succeed Brady Cook. Zollers, a 6-foot-3-inch Pennsylvania native, possesses a lively arm to go along with  improvisation that allows him to make plays like his viral 79-yard touchdown scramble in September that showed his ability to effortlessly weave through defenders. 

Zollers’ senior season was cut short after a lower leg injury ruled him out for the year. He showed flashes of his potential in his first four games as a senior, throwing for 611 yards and three touchdowns. The year prior, he threw for 2,917 yards to go along with 37 passing touchdowns and seven touchdown runs — and perhaps most impressive, Zollers only threw two interceptions on 290 pass attempts. 

It is unknown how the leg injury will affect Zollers’ 2026 season, with no timetable announced so far. Tiger fans shouldn’t expect him to step in as a day one starter, but his high school play indicates a bright future.

Lamont Rogers, Offensive Tackle

Rogers is a physically imposing player, towering over opposing defensive lineman with a 6-foot-7-inch, 305 pound frame. The Tigers won his recruiting battle in July, beating out fellow SEC competition like the University of Texas and Oklahoma University for the Mesquite, Texas native. 

Rogers ranks as the seventh-best offensive tackle in the country and the third-best in the state of Texas. He is a talented vertical blocker with a penchant for making his way downfield on screen plays and run plays, but he can struggle moving laterally. However, Rogers has a seven-foot wingspan that can be used to rectify those issues under the guidance of Missouri’s offensive staff. Offensive line coach Brandon Jones will be sure to utilize Rogers’ physical gifts like he does with 6-foot-7-inch Marcus Bryant, the team’s current left tackle. 

Donovan Olugbode, Wide Receiver 

Missouri has become a highly-touted landing spot for wide receiver recruits under head coach Eli Drinkwitz. Burden and Theo Wease Jr. have marked the Tigers’ place among the targets for elite wideouts — players like freshman Courtney Crutchfield and James Madison II, as well as Olugbode, are continuing that trend. 

Olugbode plays for IMG Academy, one of the country’s premier high school football programs. In two games this season, he has had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. He had 561 yards and five touchdowns during his junior year. 

Scouts have noted his proficiency as a run blocker as well. With soft hands and very long arms, Olugbode has the potential to contribute to the passing game as a freshman once Burden and Wease have exited the program. 

Jack Lange, Interior Offensive Line 

Like Rogers, Lange has outstanding measurables, standing at 6 foot 8 inches tall. He’s 275 pounds, which places him below many fellow offensive lineman in weight, but he has plenty of time to fill out. For now, his relatively lean frame allows him to win the speed battle against any defensive lineman, combining quickness and strength to be a coach’s dream in the run game. 

Fans at Eureka High School can often spot the lineman throwing pancake blocks several yards downfield. They may also see a familiar face in attendance — Coach Drinkwitz has gone to several of Lange’s games and continues to emphasize the importance of recruiting within Missouri. Between Lange and Rogers, Drinkwitz may have his offensive line anchors of the future. 

Daeden Hopkins, EDGE

After picking up Nwaneri from Lee’s Summit, Mo., the Tigers stayed within the region to pick up Hopkins as another piece of the defensive line. Hopkins is one of the fastest risers in the country, jumping 40 spots in On3’s September rankings. Hopkins possesses an elite first step and a 6-foot-6-inch frame that makes him challenging to contain. 

A junior year consisting of 67 tackles and nine sacks earned Hopkins the second overall ranking in Missouri, behind only his future teammate Lange. As a senior, he has recorded several sacks, wreaking havoc for any quarterback and forcing bad throws. 

Jamarion Morrow, Running Back 

After transferring from Germantown High School to play for his father at Melrose High School in Memphis Tenn., Missouri’s next backfield weapon has continued to show his effectiveness. After a junior season where he garnered over 1,200 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns, Morrow has continued to display how he will fit into offensive coordinator Kirby Moore’s running scheme. Morrow projects to be a player much like current running back Nate Noel, excelling in outside zone concepts but potentially struggling up the middle due to his 5-foot-9-inch frame. 

The Tigers have had a strong rushing attack for years, with Cody Schrader anchoring the backfield for multiple seasons before the duo of Noel and Marcus Carroll took over. With freshmen Kewan Lacy and Jamal Roberts next up in the run game for the Tigers, Morrow could have a decent chunk of playing time in his freshman year. 

2026 Targets

Jackson Cantwell, Offensive Tackle 

Cantwell is not only the top player in the state of Missouri for his class, he is one of the two best recruits in the entire country. At 6-foot-8-inches and 300 pounds, Cantwell has an intimidating physical stature. In his sophomore season, he had 89 pancake blocks in 10 games — which pales in comparison to the pace he is on as a junior, with 64 pancakes through his first five games. 

Cantwell comes from Missouri athletics royalty. His father Christian was a seven-time all-American in track and field for the Tigers and the family lives just a few hours from Columbia in Nixa, Mo. Although there is a lot of time left in his recruitment, with plenty of suitors (Nebraska and Oklahoma are two of Missouri’s biggest competitors for the lineman), Missouri is in the driver’s seat thus far, and nailing down a commitment from the junior would be a massive step for their 2026 class.

Anthony Kennedy, Defensive Line 

Missouri is still taking time to gain traction in the 2026 recruiting class, but Kennedy is one defensive target that the Tigers are honing in on from an early stage. The defensive lineman out of Maumelle, Ark., has forced two sacks and four tackles for loss to start his junior season. Already a notable physical presence at 6-foot-3-inches and 285 pounds, Kennedy has the potential to put on more size and strength as a defensive tackle, where he projects to play at the collegiate level. 

Schools like SMU, Kansas State and Arkansas are other programs in the early running for Kennedy. The Tigers have established themselves as a premier destination for elite defensive line talent after landing names like current freshmen Nwaneri and Jaylen Brown, and Kennedy would be another notch in that continually-growing history. 

Flip Targets

Jeremiah Jones, Nebraska Safety Commit

Jones is a versatile athlete who committed to play for the Cornhuskers in July. He possesses the ability to play multiple spots on the field — hence the positionless label. In high school, he took snaps at quarterback, wide receiver, safety and more. During a workout for Florida State, he excelled at the tight end position, which is where he would likely play if the Tigers were able to persuade Jones to make the switch. 

Jones was in attendance at the Tigers’ win over Boston College despite committing to Nebraska earlier in the year, so Missouri’s recruitment is still very much in effect. Should the Tigers steal Jones’ talents from the Huskers, they would have themselves a potential successor to Brett Norfleet at the tight end position.

Jacob Washington, Michigan Wide Receiver Commit

When 4-star Jayvan Boggs decommitted from Missouri to stay home and play at UCF, the Tigers were forced to examine other options to bolster their future receiver room alongside players like Olugbode and fellow receiver commit Shaun Terry. Washington, a New Orleans native who committed to Michigan in June, is one such target. 

Washington was a Missouri target before committing to the Wolverines, taking his official visit to Columbia only two weeks before committing. The speedy wideout will be on Missouri’s campus again for the rivalry matchup against Oklahoma and the Tigers will do their best to swing a commitment from the senior before he leaves. 

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com