Mizzou Earns Transfer Commitment of Mississippi State Offensive Lineman

The Tigers are adding some more depth to the interior of their offensive line.

Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs offensive linemen Zack Owens (52) and Jayvin Q. James (77) wait for the snap during the first quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Missouri has added another piece to its offensive line, bringing in Zack Owens from Mississippi State, per On3. Owens is a former four-star recruit and will be playing at his fourth school next season for the Tigers.

Owens, a redshirt sophomore this season for Mississippi State, should have two years of eligibility remaining.

BREAKING: Mississippi State transfer OT Zack Owens has signed with Missouri, @PeteNakos and @Hayesfawcett3 report.https://t.co/zRdYpf0OTo pic.twitter.com/OiqOGUijZq

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 19, 2026

Owens appeared in all 13 games for Mississippi State this season, starting in 10 of them. He appeared at both guard positions six times this season for the Bulldogs, starting the season at left guard.

This was the first season of real action for Owens. He joined Mississippi State after a one-year stint with Colorado in 2024, where his primary role was on special teams with no starting appearances on the offensive line. Owens did appear in 10 games during his redshirt freshman season.

Owens' true freshman season was at Clemson, appearing in two games and playing 13 snaps. His redshirt was not burned that year. Owens did overlap with current Missouri offensive staffer Garrett Riley, who was the offensive coordinator for Dabo Swinney and Clemson from 2023 to 2025.

He also crossed over with Missouri transfer commit Luke Work, who earned snaps at both tackle and guard spots this season. The two will have some familiarity with each other.

Owens was a four-star recruit in the class of 2023, ranked No. 251 in the country according to composite rankings. The McDonough, Georgia, native was the No. 22 player in the state of Georgia during that cycle and No. 20 at his position. He was listed as a tackle coming out of high school.

He's a huge player, listed at 6-foot-6, 340 pounds. He also made the 247Sports freaks list in 2023, ranked No. 34 in that category. Owens was known for his explosive athleticism in high school, which has carried over to the college ranks so far.

Eli Drinkwitz and his offensive coaching staff were tasked with nearly completely rebuilding the offensive line this offseason. They've done that so far, adding Work, Josh Atkins from Arizona State, Will Kemna from Kansas State and Colin Sorensen from Charleston Southern. It shouldn't be ruled out that the Tigers look for another difference maker in the portal on the offensive front.

Missouri has key linemen like Cayden Green and Dominick Giudice returning, along with a few talented young players like redshirt freshman Jack Lange and true freshman Johnnie Jones. In total, the Tigers will have three returning starters from last season on the offensive line, including Curtis Peagler.

To keep up with all of the roster movement for Missouri, follow our offseason tracker.