Evaluating Mizzou's Defensive Ends After Transfer Portal Additions

In 2025, arguably the biggest strength of the Missouri Tigers' roster was its pass-rushing tandem on the perimeter of the defensive line. The pairing of Zion Young and Damon Wilson II combined for 15.5 sacks last season, creating one of the scariest defensive end pairings in the country.

That won't be the case in 2026.

Young is trying his luck in the NFL after exhausting all of his collegiate eligibility, while Wilson shocked many by entering the transfer portal and heading to the ACC to play for the Miami Hurricanes. Because of that, the Tigers were forced to rebuild that position group in the transfer portal, combined with a sparse number of returners.

On top of that, the guys that Eli Drinkwitz and his staff brought in aren't the most proven bunch. There isn't a ton of starting experience at all, or production for that matter, which left many confused and somewhat concerned in the buildup to the new season.

There is still talent within the three players that Drinkwitz added. They all have recruiting pedigree out of high school, along with impressive physical traits that you can't just teach. With all that being said, those players are still going to have to put it together and be productive quickly.

Jaden Jones, a redshirt senior who came over from Florida State, was the first player the Tigers added at the position. He's intriguing for a variety of reasons, starting with his natural athleticism. He has Darris-Smith level speed and is listed at 6-foot-5, 257 pounds. Those are certainly eye-catching measurables for an athletic pass rusher.

The immediate downside to Jones is his lack of playing time and injury history. He's suffered two torn ACLs in his career, coming in 2022 and 2024, after playing only playing two seasons of college football. His most productive year was in 2025, recording seven total tackles and a pass deflection in five game appearances.

That's not the level of production, experience, or durability you'd ideally want out of a potential starter on the defensive line. This means one of two things for the Tigers.

First, though he's the oldest, Jones may only be viewed as an experienced depth piece. His lack of production and potential for injury is viewed as a massive concern and it may keep him off the field.

The second of those options is that the Tigers are taking a flyer on him being healthy to be a starter or one of the three or four in the main rotation. Both of those are possible and only time will tell.

Rotationally, Malik Bryant from Miami is in a similar situation. The junior had the most productive season of his career in 2024 and took a massive dip in 2025, having suffered an injury that kept him out for most of the season.

Bryant is a smaller, twitchier pass rusher, getting measured at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds. He's a former composite top-200 recruit in the class of 2023 and is another intriguing athlete, like Jones, with a potentially concerning past of injuries.

Where Bryant fits in the rotation is a near-identical question to Jones. They have somewhat similar playstyles and similar pasts, as well. One of those two will have to prevail in this rotation, however, because the Tigers simply need bodies.

They'll be relying on their two top returners from last year's rotation in Smith and Langden Kitchen. Neither has starter-level experience, but both became consistent contributors by the end of the season. That's going to have to be enough for them to consistently start and get after the quarterback in 2026.

Daeden Hopkins and DeMarcus Johnson are also worth mentioning. They're both freak athletes and could play more than expected because of the lack of clarity or depth. Hopkins showed flashes of being an impressive player in 2025 and will likely see more run in 2026. Johnson is an athletic freak who has enough size to play inside but the speed to play on the outside.

Those will both be intriguing names to watch this coming season.

To add to that group, Missouri earned the commitment of C.J. May from Louisville. He redshirted this past season and has yet to touch a college football field in game action. It feels like that won't be the case in 2026, despite his lack of experience.

May doesn't have a history of injuries in college, but he doesn't have any production to his name so far. He's listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, however, and like the other two, is an extremely high-level athlete.

The commitment of May made it clear what the plan was when it came to adding players to the position group. All of them are elite athletes with incredible straight-line speed for their size, but have some raw, untapped potential that's yet to be harnessed. For both Missouri's sake and the players, that needs to be the case.

Compared to 2025, this is not an experienced position group. Over the last three seasons, it's been an area of strength for the Tigers, as well. That might not be the case this year, at least to start. There's no telling who's going to emerge as the best for Missouri on the perimeter of the defensive line, but someone's going to have to do it quickly.

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