It’s no secret to anyone reading this that Mizzou is in something of a bind on the defensive end of the ball. Despite having one of the country’s premier coordinators in Corey Batoon, this year’s excellent Mizzou defense is… well, gone. The Tigers starting outfit has been decimated by eligibility, the NFL draft and the transfer portal, leaving the staff with a puzzle to put together. You’ve got some excellent starting and rotation pieces in guys like Nicholas Rodriguez, Marquis Gracial, and Santana
Banner. But you also need a whole lot both starting and depth guys. And with the market continuing to balloon for top-level players, the staff have started to backfill their underclassmen depth with former blue-chippers looking for more playing time.
Enter a guy that’s sure to pop up on “College Football Freak” lists from here until he’s no longer in school.
One look at the rising redshirt freshman probably tells you exactly why he’s such an exciting player to have on Mizzou’s roster. But let’s break it down just a little bit…
Where He Fits
Here’s the thing about a guy who measures 6’5” and more than 200 pounds – you can find a fit for him just about anywhere. Blair like to operate as a hard-hitting nickel, and it’s easy to see why. He’s got a massive stride that allows him to glide to the point of contact, where he throws his massive frame into tackles with power and precision. And he’s got the arm length (and strength) to lock defenders up and finish tackles. So you could see a future for him as Corey Batoon’s box crashing safety.
But Blair’s unique physical gifts also allow him to recover quickly in coverage. He doesn’t need to be the fastest to diagnose a route in order to be disruptive. Get close enough and he’ll be in position to disrupt or grab any passes that aren’t put exactly where they need to be. He’s not a man coverage specialist, but that’s something you can coach into him with time.
The real takeaway with Blair is that, even though he’s still a bit raw, you can still give him plenty of reps and his size and speed will make him a disruptive piece. You would hope for more than pure athleticism being his calling card, especially at the SEC level. But if he takes to Batoon’s coaching and puts on a little more weight, Blair could be a type of safety prospect that Mizzou hasn’t seen since William Moore.
When He Plays
Here’s something you might not be used to hearing in these transfer resets: This guy might not play right away… in his home position that is.
If I had to put the chances on it, Blair would be seeing the field sooner rather than later. After all, there’s a reason the staff worked so hard to bring him in. But Blair is still a redshirt freshman with very limited experience at the college level, so he might not Mizzou’s starting Nickel next season. In fact, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him play limited snaps on defense and get most of his reps on special teams. But Blair is still an elite talent who Mizzou will want to put on the field to maximize his unique profile.
What It Means
Something you’ve likely noticed if you’re paying attention to Mizzou’s transfer strategy – the staff is targeting elite prospects from the 2025 class who’ve spent a year developing but not playing at other programs. Not only does this allow Mizzou to backfill some of the underclassmen depth they lost to the portal this offseason, it effectively resets their 2025 recruiting class with more blue-chip prospects who are, in theory, ready to contribute right away.
Blair is a great example of this. He’s spent a year at Notre Dame building into a more college-ready frame and will step into a Mizzou secondary that’s in need of impact right away. The Tigers didn’t have a player quite like Blair in the fold, and his commitment gives their defense a higher ceiling for 2026 and beyond.
