CBS Lists Mizzou Football Roster as 1 of Most Improved; The Buzz, Sunday, June 8, 2025

Your daily briefing on what’s going on with Mizzou athletics, including full TV listings.

Oct 26, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz walks the field during warm ups before a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images | Butch Dill-Imagn Images

Though most expect a drop-off from the Missouri Tigers in 2025 after back-to-back seasons with 10+ wins, CBS Sports' Brad Crawford considers Missouri as one of the six rosters that improved the most through the offseason.

"Replacing multi-year starters Brady Cook (quarterback) and Luther Burden III (wideout) would make most coaches lose sleep, especially in the SEC, but Eli Drinkwitz is confident in his portal assessments," Crawford writes.

Drinkwitz said in March that the 2025 roster is the most talented he's had yet in his six years at Missouri.

The Tigers replaced the starters at quarterback and wide receiver with transfers Beau Pribula and Kevin Coleman Jr. respectively. Neither will be direct replacements for their predecessors.

However, Pribula being an upgrade over Missouri's quarterback situation from last year is feasible, after Cook's 2024 season was riddled with injuries and inconsistency.

Missouri also arguably upgraded at the edge rusher position, adding the top-ranked player at the position in Damon Wilson II, who transferred over from Georgia. The Tigers did lose two-year starter Johnny Walker Jr. to the NFL, and former five-star prospect Williams Nwaneri did transfer to Nebraska. But, Wilson paired with returning starter Zion Young could create for an elite duo off the edge.

In addition to Missouri, Crawford listed the following schools on his list of the most-improved rosters; LSU, Miami, Texas Tech, Florida State and Oklahoma.

Upcoming Mizzou Events:

• June 11-14; Track and Field NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oregon

SEC News

Landmark House Settlement Approval is Only the Beginning

Did you notice?

• Missouri baseball commit Codey Gauff celebrated his sister, Coco's, victory in the French Open. With the victory, Coco is the first American to win a singles title at the French Open since Serena Williams did so in 2015. Codey will look for his own success at Missouri as a catcher beginning in the 2027 season.

@codeygauff on Instagram

• Missouri football extended an offer to 2026 defensive lineman Braylon Ellison, who took an official visit this weekend. Braylon is the son of Atiyyah Ellison, formerly a defensive lineman at Missouri and currently the team's director of player and alumni relations.

After a great conversation with @CoachDrinkwitz, I’m extremely blessed and excited to announce a scholarship offer from the University of Missouri!@CoachJonesB @JAbercrombie51 @Journeymanball @BIGboehmTHEORY @MizzouFootball #MIZ pic.twitter.com/eYGCjzWRqL

— Braylon Ellison (@braylonellison) June 7, 2025

• Six former Missouri players will compete in the UFL Playoffs, which begin Sunday.
  
  The Michigan Panthers, featuring safety Tyree Gillespie and defensive tackle Walter Palmore will face off against the Birmingham Stallions, featuring Harrison Mevis and Larry Rountree. Then, offensive linemen Michael Maietti and Yasir Durant will suit up for the D.C. Defenders against the St. Louis Battlehawks.

it all comes down to this.

🏆 usfl conference championship
📍 protective stadium
🆚 michigan
📺 sunday at 2 PM CT on ABC
🎟️ https://t.co/EGgopZaTEy pic.twitter.com/rLx3IOhWZv

— B2B2B CHAMPION STALLIONS 🏆🏆🏆 (@USFLStallions) June 7, 2025

Countdown to Mizzou Football's 2025 Season Opener:

81 days.

Mizzou quote of the day:

"Losing! Nobody likes to lose. I've been in this business a long time but we will get back. We need to do a better job coaching. I mean we lost all three of our timeouts in the third quarter. Are you kidding me? And that's on me.”

Gary Pinkel after a loss at Nebraska