Welcome home, Brandon Lee!

Former Tiger linebacker Brandon Lee, who played for the Tigers from 2014-18, is coming home to lead the newly created Assistant Athletic Director — NIL position and comes back to CoMo after working as Notre Dame’s Director of Student-Athlete Professionalism.

From the MUTigers.com press release:

“During the interview process, Brandon’s ability to connect and his vision for what our NIL program could be was outstanding,” said Rachel Blunt, Senior Associate AD/Student-Athlete Development & Championship Performance/SWA. “I am excited to welcome him to our team, to lead our NIL program and to have an opportunity to work with our community and Tigers student-athletes on a day-to-day basis.”

Lee is a two-time Mizzou graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in personal finance in 2018 and a Master of Business Administration degree in 2020. The former football student-athlete (2014-18) served on the Southeastern Conference Leadership Council and took part in the 2018 NCAA Convention.

I have especially fond memories of Lee, and remember him as an exceptionally bright and thoughtful guy. I remember reading about him working on his MBA after he got his Finance degree, and taking part in an internship between summer workouts, and another the following school year. Lee was always hustling, trying to do great things for his community in Indiana and for his large family.

Mission accomplished, Brandon!

MUTigers.com (circa April 2019)

If you want to refresh your memory about the sheer impressiveness of this young man while he was in school, check out Eric Lee’s Missourian article from way back in 2018. It’s SO good. Here’s a snippet:

In the summer of 2017, Lee interned with Krilogy Financial in St. Louis. Two or three days a week, the linebacker went to summer workouts with the Tigers in the morning, then hopped in the car to drive to the Krilogy offices in Creve Coeur, where he worked the rest of the day before driving back to Columbia at about 6:30 p.m. And he wasn’t just the intern who makes coffee runs. Lee helped analyze client portfolios and evaluated risk and return projections while working under Kent Skornia, Krilogy’s president and CEO.

He was knee deep in everything for us,” said Skornia, who played football at Missouri in 1995 and 1996. “... He’s a hard worker, which can get you pretty far, but he also has some God-given talents in terms of his brains that are pretty off the charts.”

I’m super excited about this hire, and think it’s going to be absolutely AWESOME for the university’s developing NIL education. You can read more stories (like Dave Matter’s!) about the hire below.

On to the links! Have a nice weekend!

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Yesterday at Rock M:

• In a new BTBS, Nate and BK talk QB1s, and have a chat with Mike Bratton about the SEC East.
• Aaron wrote about the Tigers “cutting it loose” with an expansive and more explosive offense.
• IN CASE YOU MISSED IT/COMING UP: Read Nate’s nerdy (his words, not mine) team DNA piece, and Parker’s season preview and predictions piece. BK is talking about getting behind the Tigers’ new QB1 this morning.

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More Links:

Football

• Columbia Tribune: Matt Stahl shared with readers Drinkwitz is pleased with Mizzou’s competitive camp atmosphere, and Former Tiger Brandon Lee named Mizzou’s assistant athletic director for NIL
• Kansas City Star: On a new KC SportsBeat podcast, Blair Kerkhoff looked at why Eli Drinkwitz picked Brady Cook as Missouri Tigers’ starting quarterback.
• PowerMizzou/Rivals: Sean Williams took an early 2024 look at the defensive line while Gabe’s commentary asked if third time’s a charm for Drinkwitz’s QB selection.
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Dave Matter wrote about the remodeled defense, which leans heavily on veteran safeties and held his weekly subscribers-only chat. He also wrote about why former Mizzou linebacker Brandon Lee is coming home to oversee NIL, AND how Brady Cook won the 4-man QB competition. Ben Fred also got in on the writing party, and wrote about Brady Cook, who will start the season-long test of Drinkwitz’s ability to develop Mizzou quarterbacks.
• Thursday marked 21 days till kickoff. Who was your fave no. 21 in any sport? LoBo and Mr Larry Budweiser Sasser stand out most for me.

• Lookin good, Luther! The sleeping on the ball one made me giggle. (Why this has that sensistivity warning is beyond me, lol)

• Hear from coach:

Other Mizzou Sports / Former Tigers Doing Good Stuff

• SQUAD. Of many, many new faces.

• AB! We miss you and this is awesome!

Mizzou in the Pros

• I spy Joshuah Bledsoe as a Pats starter!

• Sigh. Looks like Drew Lock will be starting the Seahawks preseason as a backup, as Geno Smith has been named the starter, per The Associated Press (via the Missourian).
• JOSH.DAY.

• TYLER BADIE!!! Killin’ it already!

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