The Tigers’ group of pass rushers on the outside has been an underrated piece of the team over the past five seasons or so. 15.5 combined sacks from their two starters last season and two EDGE rushers taken in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft over the past three seasons.
Heading into 2026, things appear murkier than they have in a while. In 2025, Mizzou had the benefit of nabbing 5-star transfer Damon Wilson II from Georgia and seeing big production jumps from returners like Zion Young and Darris
Smith. The Tigers are keeping Smith in Columbia for his last season of eligibility, but this time around, there’s no marquee transfer to pair with him.
Between Wilson, Young and Khalil Jacobs – an outside linebacker who often lined up on the EDGE – Mizzou loses a combined 112 tackles and 18.5 sacks. The group going into this season has potential, whether it was a lack of opportunity at a bigger school or purely youth not being ready for a substantial role, but potential only goes so far if it can’t be turned into real production.
As of the second week of camp, the roster breakdown looks like this:
- Darris Smith, 6-foot-5, 265lbs, fifth year senior
- Langden Kitchen, 6-foot-6, 265lbs, senior
- Daeden Hopkins, 6-foot-6, 250lbs, sophomore
- Jaden Jones, 6-foot-5, 260lbs, fifth year senior
- Demarcus Johnson, 6-foot-6, 270lbs, junior
- Kamauryn Morgan, 6-foot-4, 250lbs, sophomore
- Malik Bryant, 6-foot-2, 240lbs, senior
- CJ May, 6-foot-3, 245lbs, sophomore
- Cavan Tuley, 6-foot-3, 245lbs, senior
- Aidan Dubbert, 6-foot-3, 240lbs, senior
The Tigers’ returning pass rushers – Smith, Kitchen, Hopkins and Dubbert – could be the most productive off the edge. Smith looks to be the leader of the group after a season that saw him log 16 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks playing in the JACK role that rotates all over the line. Kitchen and Hopkins will almost assuredly play some sort of rotational role, but Smith has spoken glowingly about the former so far in camp.
“[Kitchen] knows the playbook very well, and I feel like it’s just the effort with him, and he’s doing that pretty well,” Smith said after practice Friday. “Every time we’re in the film room with each other, we talk about what we can do right here or what we can get better at.”
Smith also commented on Hopkins growth from year one to now.
“For D Hop, he moves like a pro. Ever since he first came in, he’s been moving like a pro. At pass rush, he was very natural at it and for him it was just getting tough in the run game. He’s doing that this week,” Smith said. “D Hop is turning into a four-down D-end.
The other six EDGE players – Jones, Bryant, Tuley, Johnson, Morgan and May – all came via the transfer portal this offseason. Five are coming from Power Four programs, while Johnson is the top-rated JUCO defensive lineman transfer. Jones and Bryant provide an immediate influx of experience having played over the course of multiple seasons at Florida State and Miami, respectively. Production from Bryant could be particularly useful, as the new 5-in-5 rules mean he’ll have an extra year of eligibility in Columbia.
Johnson gives Corey Batoon plenty of experience as well, albeit from the JUCO route.He only played in one game last season at Hutchinson, but as a freshman he posted 29 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Johnson’s physically imposing build could get him on the field in a rotational role, but he has three seasons left to grow at this level.
Morgan and May make up the future of the EDGE position, as both enter the program with four seasons of eligibility. Both were 4-star recruits coming out of high school.
While the prospect of so many new faces can be exciting, they’ll need help from the interior of the line. Fortunately, some familiar faces should help ease the transition on and off the field. Marquis Gracial and Jalen Marshall are experienced run-stoppers in the middle, and the late return of Sterling Webb – who also benefitted from an extra year of eligibility – gives Smith another veteran leader to lean on.
“Sterling’s one of my best friends, so you know it’s cool having him back. I remember the first day of fall camp. I was just looking for him, and I seen him up there, and it was crazy,” Smith said.
