For the third time in about an hour, Mizzou has heard its name called on one of the NFL’s biggest nights. Chris McClellan is going to be a Green Bay Packer.
McClellan became the Tigers’ key piece at defensive tackle as a senior, starting every regular season game and tallying 48 tackles with six sacks and eight tackles for loss. He helped MU’s defense make the middle of the line a danger zone for opposing teams in the running game, ranking among the top 15 in the nation in run defense.
The North Tulsa,
Oklahoma, native was a two-year starter for Mizzou. He earned the starting nod in nine of his 13 games during the 2024 season and recorded 39 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
McClellan spent his first two collegiate seasons at Florida, where he appeared in 25 games and made one start.
He was part of a wave of transfers at the defensive tackle position that took a leap in their development after arriving at MU from other power conference schools, a group that also included Jayden Jernigan and Kristian Williams.
Now, he becomes the first member of that group to hear their name called in the NFL Draft, and the Tigers’ first defensive tackle drafted during the Eli Drinkwitz era.
