Meet the Mizzou Transfer: Keagen Trost's Ceiling, Background, Fit with Tigers

A look at everything the veteran has to bring to the Missouri starting offensive line.

Nov 20, 2021; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Missouri Tigers helmet against the Florida Gators during the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Missouri Tigers lost a wealth of experience along the offensive line this offseason.

Three different three-year starters (Armand Membou, Marcus Bryant, Cam'Ron Johnson) moved on from the Tigers. This left rising junior Cayden Green and graduate center Conor Tollison as the only two returning starters along the line.

Missouri was active in the transfer portal to replace this talent, adding Wake Forest transfer Keagen Trost less than two weeks after the portal opened. Trost, entering his seventh year of college football, brings plenty of experience with him.

He's already been named Missouri's starting right tackle for the upcoming season.

Here's what to know about the veteran protector.

Player info:

Height: 6-4
Weight: 305
Hometown: Kankakee, Illinois
High school recruiting rating: Not rated
Transfer recruiting rating: Three stars, per 247Sports

High School Career

During his junior and senior seasons, Trost was a team captain for Kankakee High School while also being named first-team all-conference in both seasons. Based off a highlight clip Trost posted to social media, he spent atleast some time in high school playing at left tackle.

Caught a Body 🙆🏽‍♂️🤣 pic.twitter.com/k59utHO1Zu

— Keagen Trost (@KTrost72) March 25, 2019

Morgan State (2019), Indiana State (2020-2023), Wake Forest (2024)

Trost started his collegiate career in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with Morgan State. He started the first game of the season at left tackle, tacking 35 snaps at left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). He earned a pass blocking grade of 83.8 from PFF for his debut performance.

After this first game though, Trost only appeared sparingly through the rest of the season.

Trost transferred closer to home after his first season, going to Indiana State ahead of the 2020 season. He didn't play during the 2020 COVID season, which didn't count against eligibility. After seeing limited playing time in 2021, Trost became a full-time starter in 2022, and starting in eight more games in 2023.

PFF gave Trost an overall grade of 72.0 in both 2022 and 2023. In his time at Indiana State, nine of his starts came at left tackle, one at right guard and nine at right tackle.

Trost again entered the transfer portal ahead of 2024, landing offers from Houston, Central Michigan and Georgia State before choosing Wake Forest.

With Wake Forest in 2024, Trost was again a full-time starter, making one start at left tackle and 11 others at right tackle. PFF gave him a 71.9 overall grade on the 2024 season.

The 2024 season generated a lot of attention for Trost once he entered the portal one last time, gaining offers from Florida State, Nebraska and Kansas before choosing Missouri.

Fit with Tigers:

Trost is an ideal one-year stopgap while Missouri develops a handful of young offensive lineman such as Jack Lange, Johnny Williams IV or Ryan Jostes.

His big frame fits the archetype Missouri has recently liked at right tackle that Bryant and Javon Foster, the two most recent starters at right tackle, fit.

He also has lateral movement ability that stuck out to the Missouri coaching staff.

"It was a little bit hard to tell on tape how physical and athletic he was just because of the system he played in last year," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference after spring practices. "Watching Keagen compete, watching him be physical, watching him go against those guys, get beat, respond — he’s got athleticism."

Trost will often be asked to move quick laterally in Drinkwitz's wide-zone run system.

Coach’s Take:

"He's got athleticism, he's got toughness, he's got a lot playing experience. And so I feel very confident for him to man that side."

- Drinkwitz on Trost

Ceiling and Floor:

Ceiling: Anchors the right side, combination of size and athleticism makes him a driving force in the run game.

Floor: Struggles to adjust to speed and power of pass rushers in the Southeastern Conference.

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