How Transfer Bralen Henderson Shakes Up the Mizzou Defensive Tackle Room

After three additions to the offense in the spring window of the transfer portal, the Missouri Tigers added to their defense Saturday, with former Ohio defensive tackle Bralen Henderson transferring to the program.

Henderson also received offers from Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Miami amongst other schools.

Henderson, entering his redshirt senior season, adds experience and proven production to a Missouri defensive tackle room that could use both of those traits. He's played on 700 defensive snaps over the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), recording 45 total tackles and two sacks over that time.

The addition makes for an interesting equation for dividing up playing time along the interior of the defensive line.

Dec 30, 2022; Tucson, AZ, USA; Ohio Bobcats defensive tackle Bralen Henderson (81) against the Wyoming Cowboys during the 2022 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Missouri's defensive tackle room was already deep, and heavily rotated through in 2024 — five players at the position took over 100 snaps on the season, according to PFF.

The group's leader, Kristian Williams, is now onto the NFL, but the position group returns every other player who took snaps in 2024. The group also added Jason Dowell, a three-star freshman.

The two unquestioned leaders of the group for the season are returners Chris McClellan and Sterling Webb. McClellan is a reliable run stuffer but also has some surprising athleticism as a pass rusher with his 320-pound frame, recording 18 pressures in 2024 according to PFF. Alongside McClellan will be Sterling Webb, taking on a larger role after rotating in last season.

Behind those two is where Henderson slots in to shake some things up in the lineup. He likely comes in at the same tier of the depth chart as Marquis Gracial and Jalen Marshall, both entering their redshirt junior seasons.

"Challenging both Jalen Marshall and Marquis Gracial to take that next step," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference April 8. "They've been in the rotation and kind of waiting their turn. We don't need them to wait any longer. It's their time to play."

Both players bring similar skills sets, with Gracial standing 6-4, 330 pounds, and Marshall 6-3, 325 pounds.

For spring practices this year, Gracial focused on cutting down weight to harness some more of his athleticism.

"Marquis has really improved with his weight, getting his weight more under control so he can be more explosive and continue to find that next disruptive player," Drinkwitz said.

Since that cut down, Gracial has shown more potential to be an every-down player in 2025.

"He's gonna be a first, second-down player for us, but he showed us some pass rush through this spring camp, and that's what we needed him to show us he can play first, second and third down," defensive line coach Al Davis said in a press conference March 15.

For Marshall, he's showing off his ability in practice, but the coaching staff is looking to see more effort.

"We really are challenging Jalen Marshall," Drinkwitz said. "He's got all the potential in the world to be a dominant football player, but he's got to want it more every single day. And so we're challenging him to do that."

A proven player competing for playing time might but the right push Marshall needs. But, as last year's rotation showed, the addition of another defensive tackle in the form of Henderson still leaves enough playing time and roles for each of Gracial and Marshall to earn.

But, Henderson adds a bit more security and depth, with no certainty the two younger players will make the steps the coaching staff is hoping for.

When, Missouri set out looking for players in the spring window of the transfer portal, there was no checklist of positions they had to add at. The reason Missouri added to its defensive tackle room is likely the same reason why it added experienced players at both wide receiver and offensive line.

"I don’t anticipate that we have to go get this position or that position," Drinkwitz said a week before the portal opened. "If we feel like we need to create some competition because certain players aren’t achieving at the level we want them to, and we need to challenge them, because the only thing better than competition is a lot of competition — then yeah, we may factor that in."

There might not have been an immediate need, but the Tigers managed to add some extra insurance if younger depth pieces don't make the expected growth.

Henderson also does bring a bit different of a skill set to the position group, playing at a lighter frame, which led to him being used more heavily as a pass rusher for Ohio in 2024. At 280 pounds, he's the lightest out of the five options likely to receive the most playing time at the position.

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