With the transfer portal winding down and the team starting to look like a team again, the Tigers sit in a position a lot better than they were feeling a month ago.
Missouri added a plethora of players
across all positions in hopes of rejuvenating a roster that lost almost all of its splash players this offseason. The Tigers added 28 transfers in the portal and rank 24th on 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings. Despite losing players like Zion Young and Kevin Coleman to the NFL Draft and Damon Wilson to the portal, the Tigers brought in new threats that are going to be names to remember for Mizzou fans this upcoming season.
Here’s a look at my five favorite additions the Tigers made this offseason to bolster its team in hopes of higher goals next season.
Quarterback Austin Simmons (Ole Miss)
I’ll get the obvious out of the way and just introduce the Tigers new starting quarterback: Austin Simmons.
Simmons declared his intentions to join Mizzou on Jan. 6th, just a few days after sharing his plans to enter the portal on Jan. 2. The Florida product was the first headline player to announce his intentions to come to Columbia and it’s safe to say it has played a role on how the rest of the portal went.
Simmons was originally named the starter in Ole Miss but an injury against Kentucky resulted in Divison II transfer Trinidad Chambliss to get a shot with the first team. The rest is history, but, can you really blame Austin Simmons?
Sure, he has an interception problem, but he originally beat out Chambliss for the starting gig before Week 1 and who knows what would’ve happened if Simmons kept the starting gig.
Simmons will have two years of eligibility with the Tigers and could be the future face of Mizzou over the next two seasons.
Since the commitment, two other Rebels have joined him (one of which is on this list) and he’s clearly been an attractive option for receivers in the portal. Drinkwitz got his guy under center, and he’s surrounded him with plenty of options. There’s a lot to be excited about in this area for the Tigers, but also a still lot left to prove.
Wide receiver Cayden Lee (Ole Miss)
I promise that after this one there will be no more Rebels on the list. I’m a really really big fan of this addition for the Tigers. This doesn’t only bring in a new WR1 for your new QB1, but this also tells Austin Simmons that Drinkwitz and the staff are riding with him. Imagine moving to a new place to become an SEC school’s quarterback, and then suddenly your best friend is coming with. I think this move has to make Simmons feel like he made the right decision.
Aside from this building early trust between coach and offense, Lee has also proven to be a beast. Appearing in all three of his seasons with the Rebels, the Kennesaw, Georgia, product found a majority of his production in 2024 with a standout stud in Jaxson Dart at quarterback. He finished 2024 with 874 receiving yards and 57 receptions.
Lee will be alongside talent like Donovan Olugbode and Caleb Goodie so it’s not like he will be getting all the work but I’d expect him to immediately become Simmons’ favorite target.
Assuming the connection picks up where it left off in Oxford, Mississippi, this is a dangerous duo to look out for this upcoming season.
Linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr. (Auburn)
When it comes to Mizzou’s defense, last season it thrived on splash plays. When it comes to Auburn transfer linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr., he thrives on splash plays. I am super excited to see if Robert Woodyard Jr. play in black and gold.
I think there’s an art to picking up portal players that dominated whenever you saw them last season. For any soccer fans, Jürgen Klopp did this to a T at Liverpool. This was the case when the linebacker took on the Tigers in a Jordan-Hare night game. Woodyard had one of his strongest performances of the season finishing with 11 tackles and an impressive four for loss. Assuming that translates from one SEC team to another, Mizzou could have a really strong addition.
Woodyard will have competition in the linebacker room with Nicholas Rodriguez returning and Houston’s Cavan Tuley — who played in all 12 games this season as a redshirt junior — and Miami’s Bobby Washington who also joined the Tigers this offseason. It’s going to be a competitive room but I think there’s major upside with Woodyard.
Oh… and there’s this.
Offensive lineman Josh Atkins (Arizona State)
I’m headed back to the offense for this one, but this time in the trenches. The Tigers made multiple moves to improves their offensive line following departures of starters Connor Tollison and Keagan Trost who were out of eligibility. Arizona State’s Josh Atkins is definitely one of those additions that has a chance at making the starting lineup.
The Arlington, Texas, product started 12 games for Arizona State at left tackle in 2024 and started all 14 games during 2023. Lots of experience headed to Columbia.
Atkins will only have one year of eligibility remaining as prior to two seasons with the Sun Devils, the journeyman spent a season with Hawai’i — racking up 13 starts and 888 snaps — along with a redshirt year at Houston.
It’s easy to overlook the offensive line position but I think Drinkwitz did well addressing it. Plenty of options to slot in and help as the Tigers look to navigate the post-Tollison era.
Safety Elijah Dotson (Michigan)
The final player on my list was a younger guy who joins a Mizzou secondary crew that struggled last season. Michigan safety Elijah Dotson impressed during his freshman year with the Wolverines and now he’ll be repping a new Block ‘M’.
Dotson finished his freshman campaign with 11 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup. I think for Dotson to be getting reps with a solid Big Ten defense is a strong sign that Dotson could be on the verge of breaking out.
The safety was a four star recruit and a high school track star proving pure athleticism that might just be a location away from leveling up. Dotson has more time than a lot of these guys on the list to develop, so even if this isn’t his season, there’ll be opportunity down the line. Either way, I really like this addition from Drinkwitz.
