FOOTBALL RECRUITING Notebook: Tigers offer Rivals250 ATH; Transfer visitors

[Kenny Van Doren]

As focus turned to the transfer portal, Missouri still branched new relationships with high school recruits this past week.

Maalik Moore, a Rivals250 four-star athlete, picked up an offer from Tigers defensive assistant Christopher Ball on Friday. Ball, who was busy on the trail during the NCAA Contact Period in January, used his Indiana connections this past week.

"I really like Coach Ball," Moore said. "He seems like a real cool guy and had a lot of laughs when we talked. It was really nice talking to him."

Listed as the No. 18 athlete in the 2027 class, Moore fielded interest from Missouri as a defensive back, albeit the Tigers liked his film from both sides of the ball. Moore totaled 21 tackles and four interceptions this past season at Fort Wayne (Ind.) North Side.

Moore plans to visit Michigan State and Missouri this summer.

 

[Kenny Van Doren]

A source told MizzouToday on Thursday, Missouri will host Florida State transfer offensive tackle Jaylen Early on Monday. Offensive line coach Brandon Jones recruited Early out of high school at Houston.

Relatedly, Jones hit the recruiting trail Monday morning.

 

[Kenny Van Doren]

Caden Harris, who swapped out his June 20 official visit with Alabama for Missouri, moved up his commitment date to April 29 from July 4. He'll choose from Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt, his projected landing spot.

 

[Kenny Van Doren]

Per his agent, Ali Barnes, Miami (FL) transfer edge defender Elias Rudolph will visit Missouri on Monday. The Tigers lost two defensive ends -- Eddie Kelly Jr. and Jahkai Lang -- at the position to the portal, and Rudolph, who overlapped with new linebackers coach Derek Nicholson on the Hurricanes, will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Rudolph, who was offered Saturday, only scheduled a visit with Missouri, waiting to see where things stand after his trip. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder totaled one tackle in three appearances in 2024.

 

[Kenny Van Doren]

Offered by Missouri on April 4, Landry Brede will receive an in-school visit from Jones on Tuesday. As the Tigers stay in pursuit of linemen from Ohio, they are making quick work the 6-foot-6, 290-pound three-star.

"It's good to have someone in the program that's from near my home," said Brede of offensive assistant and Ohio recruiter Brendan Boylan earlier this month. "I am working out a date to get there as soon as possible, so I can meet all the coaches and check out the place and see if it is somewhere I can see myself."

The Tigers like how Ohio linemen are coached as well as the competition in the trenches at the prep level. There's always going to be an excess number of them, too, since Big Ten schools and Notre Dame can't sign all of them.