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Fairly abbreviated edition this week. Not a ton going on. Football recruiting is in a dead period after what used to be National Signing Day passed this week with no activity from Mizzou. The next step will be the spring transfer portal in April. We expect the Tigers to look for the following:
Cornerback
Interior offensive lineman
Quarterback depending on Sam Horn's health
Then possibly just a best available type guy you can't turn down
The portal will be open from April 15-30. Here are some other football recruiting notes:
- Four-star WR DJ Miller released a Top 8 over the weekend that included Missouri, Michigan, Oregon, Kansas State, Tennessee, Michigan State, Kentucky, and Miami. He is among a deep group of talented WR targets that Missouri has keyed in on and have a good standing with, others include Dillon Alfred, Isaiah Mozee, Joakim Dodson, Eugene Hilton, Jr., and Corey Simms. For more on Miller and his Top 8 - CLICK HERE
- Speaking of WR's, Joakim Dodson is set to make his college decision on Saturday with Missouri and Tennessee among his two finalists. We expect he'll pick Tennessee, a school he's been to a half a dozen times already. The three-star has visited Missouri twice previously, for the LSU game in October and he also returned for the January Jr. Day. His former high school QB, Aidan Glover, signed with Missouri in the 2024 class. However, the Tigers are going to finish in second place here.
- Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney recently caught up with four-star safety Charles Bass out at a 7-on-7 tournament in California for an update on his recruiting process. Missouri sets in a very good spot here as Michigan, Arkansas, and Illinois are other programs in the mix for the East St. Louis product. CLICK HERE for the full story.
- On Thursday, we posted a story on De Smet (Mo.) LB target Jason King (CLICK HERE TO READ), who is another in-state product Missouri appears to be making a strong push for. Linebacker is also a position group where the Tigers set well with a lot of other top guys like four-stars Dawson Merritt, Christian Thatcher, who both plan to return in the spring and take June officials. Coleman Lewis also came in for a return visit in January while Mizzou also hosted Sam Haley and Josiah Broxton for their recent Jr. Day.
- After a recent visit with Missouri, four-star QB Matt Zollers put the Tigers among his Top 4 alongside Pittsburgh, Georgia, and Penn State. Next phase for Zollers is to make return visits to all four programs during spring practice then make a decision after his final spring visit. Not surprisingly, Penn State is the school he's been to the most out of his final list. Zollers is one of three QB targets that visited Missouri during January, the others include Brennen Ward, who also visited for a game in November. In-state product Dillon Duff out of De Smet has also been at Missouri numerous times already.
- Missouri's next Jr. Day appears to be on March 9th, where the Tigers will also have a spring scrimmage. Of course, we'll keep you updated as that date draws closer on potential visitors, etc.
BASKETBALL RECRUITING
Obviously we've got about six weeks left in the season so February isn't a super active recruiting month. Let's take this chance to lay out what may lie ahead.
Players definitely gone after this year: Sean East, Nick Honor, Noah Carter, Connor Vanover
Players who could get one more year based on injuries: John Tonje, Caleb Grill
Players with eligibility remaining: Jesus Carralero-Martin (1), Tamar Bates (1), Curt Lewis (1), Aidan Shaw (2), Trent Pierce (3), Anthony Robinson (3), Jordan Butler (3)
Incoming freshmen: Annor Boateng, Marcus Allen, Peyton Marshall, Trent Burns, T.O. Barrett
Theoretically if everyone who still can come back does, Missouri already has 14 players on scholarship. That won't happen. Dennis Gates has said the goal is to get Grill back and playing, so that takes him out of the equation for next year. That means there are 13 eligible to return. You've got to think they plan to bring Tonje back, otherwise they'd have played him. You do everything you can to keep Bates, obviously, though he'll certainly be courted by other programs (and likely already is). You assume they want to hang on to all three freshmen. So the determinations to be made are really Carralero, Lewis and Shaw. For every one of those players that leaves, you have a portal spot available.
Missouri has to add at least two starting caliber players in the portal and maybe three. You've got to think they'll pursue a veteran point guard, probably a guy with one year left to give Robinson another year before he's the guy running the show. Then you need a front court player who can help turn around a two-year trend of terrible rebounding. You'd like a guy who's built a little more like a traditional big man than another skinny player who gets pushed off his spot. Whether that's a power forward, a center, whatever, doesn't really matter, but Missouri needs someone who is a factor down low on both ends of the court. Those are basically non-negotiable. If you use another spot or two in the portal, you're just looking at the best available players to round out the rotation and create competition.
The regular season ends March 17. The portal opens the next day and remains open through May 1.
