According to the Post-Dispatch's Dave Matter, Missouri has landed Georgia offensive lineman Darvis Holmes, a late addition to its 2016 recruiting haul.
Darvis Holmes, a lineman from Hinesville, Ga., plans to sign with the Tigers Sunday night after taking an official visit to campus this weekend, he said in a phone interview while traveling back from Columbia. [...]
Holmes said other major conference schools backed off of him because of eligibility concerns, but he expects to be fully eligible to enroll at Mizzou this summer, perhaps as soon as this week, he said.
I Just Signed ! It's Official University Of Missouri Is Home Sweet Home
— Darvis Holmes (@ThatDamnDeebo) June 13, 2016
# MIZZOU'MADE
If he really has qualified, this could be a late-game steal. Holmes is awfully light on his feet for being a reported 6'6, 330 pounds. Watching his film he lines up as a defensive tackle and as a massive blocking tight end. Adding him on either side of the line would bring sizable depth to the Tigers.
We'll find out soon enough if he is enrolled, but for now this is lovely news.
UPDATE: According to 247sports.com:
"My coaches kept telling big schools that I wasn't eligible but the whole time I was eligible," Holmes said. "I had a 2.7 core GPA and I had the test scores. My coach kept telling people that I wasn't eligible and schools backed off of me."
Missouri didn't take no for an answer
"Missouri called my guidance counselor and my guidance counselor told them I was eligible and I had a 2.7 core. After they said that, they said do you want to come on an official visit."
The point of contention was a pre-calculus class that wasn't registered with the NCAA. When Missouri asked Long County High School to submit the class to the NCAA, it was approved and gave Holmes the GPA he needed to qualify. From there, things happened quickly.
It would give Missouri 13 known scholarship linemen: juniors Nate Crawford, Alec Abeln, Tyler Howell, and Kyle Mitchell (a recent JUCO commit), sophomores Samson Bailey, Kevin Pendleton, and Paul Adams, redshirt freshmen AJ Harris, Tanner Owen, and Tyrell Jacobs (unless Jacobs moves back to defense), and now three incoming freshmen: Trystan Castillo, Tre'Vour Simms, and Holmes.
For more on the current structure of Missouri's offensive line, visit our projected depth chart page here.