Mizzou Football's Defense is Littered with Sophomore Breakouts

Missouri's defense, unlike last season, is going to depend largely on breakout seasons from young, unproven starters to have success in the Southeastern Conference. When sifting through the roster, many in that bracket fall in the sophomore class.

Here's a few defensive sophomores to keep tabs on for a potential breakout season.

Dante McClellan

McClellan's shining moment of the 2025 season was his pick-six in Week 1 against Central Arkansas. He played a season-high 24 snaps in the contest and made the most of his opportunity on special teams, but was buried behind a quartet of talented linebackers on the depth chart. He also recovered a muffed punt against Virginia in the Gator Bowl.

The talented trio of Josiah Trotter, Khalil Jacobs and Triston Newson all departed from Missouri over the offseason, leaving three vacant spots to be filled in the linebacker room. Nicholas Rodriguez will slide up and fill one. Fifth-year Auburn transfer Robert Woodyard will take another. Who's to say McClellan, a former three-star linebacker who's taken second-team and a few first-team reps during fall camp, can't step into an elevated role in 2026?

CJ Bass III

Sliding back to the secondary, sophomore defensive back CJ Bass III could too be primed for an elevated role in 2026. The former four-star prospect projects as an ideal candidate to spend time at the STAR position for the Tigers in the upcoming season, standing at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with solid coverage skills.

So why didn't the East St. Louis product play much last season? Well, Daylan Carnell existed. Carnell was entering his third consecutive season as a starter at the position and Mose Phillips III was a servicable backup in the same spot. Both are now gone — Carnell exhausted eligibility and Phillips headed to Oklahoma State, leaving Bass as a top candidate to play legitimate snaps at the position in 2026.

"I think CJ Bass had a really good day too at the start of position. Had a takeaway, so pleased with where that position's going," Drinkwitz said after a scrimmage Aug. 14.

Jason Dowell

Sophomore defensive tackle Jason Dowell has caught the eyes of many during camp, having taken plenty of reps with the second-team defensive tackles. The Cahokia, Illinois, product slimmed down from 305 to 296 pounds over the offseason and provides an element of youth and agility to a room otherwise filled with stocky veterans.

"He's a young dude but he's grown a lot," Fifth-year defensive tackle Marquis Gracial said of Dowell on Aug. 11. "He's gonna be a guy that helps us out this year for sure. He's developed into the player that he's wanted to become."

Dowell played just 31 total snaps last season, all of which were in Missouri's nonconference slate, but could be a rotational contributor in 2026 — the Tigers played four defensive tackles triple-digit snaps last season.

Daeden Hopkins

This might be saving the best for last, as Hopkins may be the breakout candidate to keep an eye on this season. The Hermann product bulked up from 237 to 250 pounds over the offseason and now has the necessary muscle to not only be an effective pass rusher, but a capable run defender as well.

"As far as like football wise, I think my run stops gotten much better," Hopkins told Missouri On SI. "Obviously, pass rush, still working on that a lot."

The former four-star prospect took many second-team reps in fall camp, slotted behind fifth-year player Darris Smith and senior Langden Kitchen, but could sneak his way into first-team reps with a strong start to the season. Hopkins played 52 snaps last season but likely would've played more if not for head coach Eli Drinkwitz opting to preserve Hopkins' redshirt — a decision that made perfect sense at the time but wouldn't have been done retroactively with the knowledge of the new 5-in-5 eligibility format.

Hopkins' best showing was against Mississippi State, when the true freshman logged six tackles and half a sack in the Tigers' final home game. That performance could be a glimpse of what's to come in 2026.

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