I’ll be taking a look at recruiting classes next week so let’s set the table for that discussion by looking at the roster as it is currently manned.

I’ve removed those that have hit the transfer portal but those who are opting out for this season - due to COVID or other health issues - are still listed, albeit in parenthesis. The common logic is that opt-outs probably won’t be returning to the team but we’ll keep them on the roster until they are officially gone.

We start, of course, with the offense:

Offense

Quarterback

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Shawn Robinson - Redshirt Junior

Connor Bazelak - Redshirt Freshman

Brady Cook - Freshman

Tyler Macon - incoming

Remember, thanks to NCAA idiotic short-sightedness, the class that every player is currently listed as in 2020 will be the same class they are listed as in 2021.

You can wonder if Robinson leaves after this year but that’s not really yours, or my, call to make or even project. Missouri currently has three scholarship quarterbacks and will probably add Tyler Macon as the fourth in December. No need to add any more at this time.

Running Back

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Dawson Downing - Redshirt Senior

Larry Rountree III - Senior

Tyler Badie - Junior

Simi Bakare - Junior

Elijah Young - Freshman

Taj Butts & B.J. Harris - incoming

Missouri will probably lose Downing and Rountree and Badie might enter the NFL Draft early but that’s just my projection, I haven’t heard any inclination that he would do so. That means three possibly leaving with two - Butts and Harris - probably singing in this class. That means either as many as seven backs or as few as four (barring any other transfers) for 2021 but, for this exercise, I’m assuming Downing and Rountree are gone while Badie comes back. Assuming that does come through there won’t be any need for more recruits in this class.

Wide Receiver

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Keke Chism - Redshirt Senior

Damon Hazelton, Jr. - Redshirt Senior

Micah Wilson - Redshirt Senior

Barrett Banister - Redshirt Junior

Dominic Gicinto - Junior

Jalen Knox - Junior

Tauskie Dove - Redshirt Sophomore

Kris Abrams-Draine - Freshman

Javian Hester - Freshman

Jay Maclin - Freshman

No incoming receiver recruits for the 2021 class! Yikes!

Chism and Hazelton came here to show their talent on the SEC level and leverage that into an NFL job so we’ll see what grades they get back. At this point we haven’t seen anything from Chism; if that means he stays or goes, your guess is as good as mine. Hazelton has shown some stuff but nothing game breaking, maybe he comes back as well. Regardless, Missouri needs some pass catchers to come in for the 2021 signing class; whether that’s late-blooming high schoolers, JUCOs, or transfers, I’d expect Drinktwitz to take at least two this year to keep some semblance of roster balance and talent infusion.

Also worth remembering: Chance Luper is currently a walk-on and will probably be getting a scholarship at some point.

Tight End

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Brendan Scales - Redshirt Senior [health opt-out]

Logan Christopherson - Redshirt Junior

Daniel Parker, Jr. - Junior

Messiah Swinson - Redshirt Sophomore

Niko Hea - Sophomore

Ryan Hoerstkamp and Gavin McKay - incoming

Scales has never been healthy enough to see the field and is missing all of 2020 for injury-related reasons. DPJ might be leaving depending on NFL feedback. That could be two out/two in with highly coveted Ryan Hoerstkamp and Gavin McKay slated to join the fold in 2021. That’s a lot of tight ends with scholarships, by the way; this is a position that could see some attrition via transfer portal.

Offensive Line

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Michael Maietti - Redshirt Senior

Angel Matute - Senior [health opt-out]

Larry Borom - Redshirt Junior

Case Cook - Redshirt Junior

Hyrin White - Redshirt Junior

Zeke Powell - Junior

Xavier Delgado - Redshirt Sophomore

Javon Foster - Redshirt Sophomore

Bobby Lawrence - Redshirt Sophomore

Mike Ruth - Redshirt Sophomore

Thalen Robinson - Sophomore [COVID opt-out]

Jack Buford - Redshirt Freshman

Luke Griffin - Redshirt Freshman

Drake Heismeyer - Freshman

Dylan Spencer - Freshman

Mitchell Walters - Freshman

Connor Tollison - incoming

So...Angel Matute and Thalen Robinson are no longer listed on Mizzou’s official roster. I’d assume that because they opted out - Matute for injury, Robinson for COVID - but Brendan Scales is still listed on the roster and he was an injury opt-out as well so...I dunno.

Anyway.

Maietti is the only one slated to leave and, technically, he doesn’t have to. He’s played well and maybe that translates to the NFL but this is a large group and one or zero leave is a good thing considering they only have one recruit coming in.

The o-line rotation has been very tight, even with injuries, so there might be a chance most of these guys aren’t ready for the SEC yet. If one year of full, normal program progression can get them there that’s fine but I’m sure the coaching staff would be willing to entertain a transfer or JUCO to bring on and add depth along with incoming freshman Connor Tollison. There’s also a few offers to uncommitted high school linemen that could be deciding soon-ish so it seems like the staff isn’t settling on just one o-lineman recruit for this class.

Defense

Defensive End

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Tre Williams - Redshirt Senior

Sci Martin, Jr. - Senior

Chris Turner - Senior

Jatorian Hansford - Junior

Z’Core Brooks - Redshirt Freshman

Johnny Walker, Jr. - Freshman

Travion Ford, Jonathan Jones, Kyran Montgomery, Shemar Pearl, Daniel Robledo - incoming

Three possible departures, five incoming recruits, two of which are JUCOs. We’ve discussed the lack of talent in this group enough over the past year and a half and Drinkwitz’ recruiting machine has attacked this position fervently. Even though they have five commits at end they could possible take two more as they’re looking at two high schoolers and a JUCO prospect. In addition, they could also possibly have Williams, Martin, and Turner return...but it would be best for long-term team development if they didn’t.

Defensive Tackle

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Chris Daniels - Redshirt Senior [COVID opt-out]

Markell Utsey - Redshirt Senior

Akial Byers - Senior

Kobie Whiteside - Senior

Ben Key - Junior

Isaiah McGuire - Sophomore

Darius Robinson - Sophomore

Mekhi Wingo - incoming

Four potential departures, one incoming. McGuire has done well while being pressed into service but we haven’t seen much of Robinson and I’m pretty sure Key hasn’t even seen the field at all. It’ll be interesting if any of the seniors come back; Whiteside had All-SEC preseason accolades but has missed a ton of time due to injury and might want to prove something in another year.

Linebacker

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Jamal Brooks - Senior

Nick Bolton - Junior

Cameron Wilkins - Junior

Chad Bailey - Redshirt Sophomore

Gerald Nathan, Jr. - Redshirt Sophomore

Devin Nicholson - Sophomore

Jamie Pettway - Redshirt Freshman

Will Norris - Freshman

Zachary Lovett and Dameon Wilson - incoming

Eight guys are currently in line to man two linebacker spots and that’s after some transfer portal losses. Nick Bolton should scurry away to the NFL after this year and get that money but Jamal Brooks is the only other potential loss. Two high schoolers are coming in to offset any losses but the Tigers still have too many linebackers, in my opinion. We’ll see if they keep this amount of linebackers in order to transfer to a 4-3 in the future or transition some of the lighter, faster guys to safety.

Cornerbacks

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Adam Sparks - Senior

Jarvis Ware - Junior

Chris Mills - Redshirt Sophomore

Chris Shearin - Sophomore [COVID opt-out]

Ishmael Burdine - Redshirt Freshman

Ennis Rakestraw, Jr. - Freshman

Daylan Carnell, Darius Jackson, Zxaequan Reeves, Davion Sistrunk - incoming

One potential departure, four incoming high school recruits. The Tiger defensive bros have a type when recruiting corners: over six feet tall, over 180 pounds, and all four guys fit the bill. Unless one of these four goes elsewhere they won’t be signing anymore for this position but some of these guys might also be able to play safety once they get on campus.

Safeties

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Joshuah Bledsoe - Senior

Tyree Gillespie - Senior

Stacy Brown - Sophomore

Aidan Harrison - Sophomore

Martez Manuel - Sophomore

Jalani Williams - Redshirt Freshman

Jaylon Carlies - Freshman

Tyler Jones - Freshman

Tyler Hibbler - incoming

Two possible departures in Bledsoe and Gillespie but a whole ton of returning youth, including Tyler Hibbler coming in from Trinity Catholic. Like I said in the corners, some of those guys might translate to safety once Walters, Gibbs, and Harbison get a better look at them so I don’t anticipate anymore safeties being taken in this class.

Specialists

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Grant McKinniss - Redshirt Senior

Harrison Mevis - Freshman

McKinniss could come back but I wouldn’t count on it. Our beautiful, bountiful Thiccer is here for another four year unless he leaves for the NFL after his second Heisman. There are a few ranked punters that the Tigers could take to replace McKinnis but it’s not a position of need at this point.

Math!

If we assume that those who are in the transfer portal are truly gone and those who opted-out are going to come back then Missouri currently has 77 scholarship players, well below the 81 limit imposed by NCAA penalties. They can get back to 85 next year - ignoring the obvious fallout from the “no one progresses in eligibility in 2020” rule - and will absolutely find a way to do so.

If every senior plus Nick Bolton leaves after this season that would be 20 guys off the roster with, currently, 19 recruits coming in, putting the Tigers at 76 scholarships for 2021. Let’s assume Chance Luper gets put on scholarship to make it 77: that means the Tigers have 8 scholarships to dole out in this class for high school/JUCO/transfer candidates, meaning they could field a class of 27. We’ll see what the transfer market yields but we’ll take a further look at the high school ranks next week to see where those scholarships can go.

Next week we’ll dive into the status of the 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes!