The college football transfer portal opens in a little over three weeks. Bowl games haven’t even started yet. So why do I find myself doing a daily dive on the portal websites looking for familiar or interesting names.
That’s the life of a football writer these days. When you’re not tracking the thousands of players who could possibly become Mizzou Tigers in a matter of weeks, you’re sweating over which current Mizzou Tigers won’t be in the same time frame. It’s a chaotic process that, unfortunately,
cannot be improved in any meaningful way. This is the way it is forever, and we have to embrace it.
Anyway, with the Tigers in need of some help in key areas, here are a few target that would make the Tigers much stronger headed into the 2026 offseason.
Aidan Kilstrom, Center
Former school: Harvard
Years of Eligibility: 1
Mizzou has an All-American running back returning in 2026, but that won’t do much for the Tigers if they can’t block anyone. And with captain Connor Tollison on his way out, the Tigers need to find a new center. Luckily, Eli Drinkwitz has experience plucking ready-made offensive linemen out of the portal and succeeding, specifically at the center position. And, hey would you look at that, there’s a really good center available!
Harvard’s Aidan Kilstrom is looking to play his final season of college ball outside of the Ivy League, and he’d be a great fit for the Tigers line. He’s bigger than Tollison and grades out better than Mizzou’s former captain in both pass and run blocking. Shoring up the offensive line is priority number one in my book, and Kilstrom would be an A+ addition to a line that could return as many as three starters in 2026 (assuming Cayden Green is back.)
Ben Murawski, Tackle
Former school: UConn
Years of Eligibility: 1
Speaking of run blocking. And large men. UConn’s Ben Murawski is… how do you say this nicely… a monolith? At 6’7” and 335 pounds, Murawski was a towering figure on the Huskies’ line in 2025 and now he wants to play at a higher level. And you know what Murawski is really, really good at? Run blocking. Murawski played over 700 snaps this season and graded out as the second-best run blocker in the country just behind, oh would you look at that? Keagen Trost!
Murawski is a left tackle by trade, so acquiring his services would likely bust Cayden Green back inside. But it would make the left side of Mizzou’s line one of the most formidable in the country. Murawski would need to clean up his pass blocking, but that’s something for the staff to figure out if they bring him on board. If the run game is still how Mizzou wants to lay its foundation, Murawski would be an asset.
Miles McVay, Offensive Line
Former school: North Carolina
Years of Eligibility: 2
Anyone care to try for this guy a third time? I think I’d give it a shot!
The once (and future?) Tiger recruit from East St. Louis has had a wayward career thus far, spending two seasons at Alabama before testing his luck under Bill Belichick for one season. Given how disastrous that turned out, McVay is back in the portal, and Mizzou could be a nice landing spot. He hasn’t exactly been prolific in his three year career, but he scores as an above average linemen with experience at multiple positions. His familiarity with the program, plus his ability to give Drinkwitz a plug-and-play veteran across the line, would make this a nice pairing and – hopefully – give McVay some stability for the rest of his college years.
Scooter Jackson, Cornerback
Former school: UCLA
Years of Eligibility: 1
Mizzou desperately needs cornerbacks to play for them next season and, preferably, they’d be cornerbacks with a wealth of experience. Scooter Jackson fits that mold with more than 1,500 college snaps to his name. Jackson portalled up last offseason when he came to UCLA from Utah Tech, and is now in line for another raise (literally) after notching two interceptions and three pass breakups in his one season as a Bruin. Jackson isn’t going to blow anyone away with his coverage ability, but he’s a ready and willing pass-rusher, an above-average tackler and has played against the best of the best. On his own, he’s probably not the answer for Mizzou’s corner depth, but as part of a larger group he could be an excellent pickup.
Mister Clark, Cornerback
Former school: Florida International University
Years of Eligibility: 2
Am I choosing this guy because of his name? No, of course not. You wouldn’t log onto this site to read analysis like that HAH! Unless…
Apart from having an incredible name, Clark fits the mold of a cornerback transfer the staff would like to target in this cycle. He’s productive at a lower level, with three interceptions and an above average coverage score in 2025. He’s also due to be around for two seasons, which means you can cycle him in as a rotational option in 2026 with an eye toward developing him as a starter for 2027. He’s not as tall as an outside corner you might find in the SEC, but he’s got good quickness and would add good depth to a position unit bereft of it.
