Mizzou Mailbag: How Former Tigers Performed With Their New Teams in Week 1

A big talking point of Missouri's offseason was the 30 new faces it brought in through the transfer portal. Some of those faces made immediate impacts in their Tiger debuts against Arkansas-Pine Bluff — starting quarterback Austin Simmons, wideouts Cayden Lee and Naeshaun Montgomery, linebacker Robert Woodyard and safety Elijah Dotson to name a few.

But what about the 26 former Tigers who left the program for a new home?

Former starting quarterback Beau Pribula made his debut for Virginia in Week 0, tallying 265 total yards and two touchdowns while leading the Cavaliers to a 34-8 win over NC State. Virginia didn't play in Week 1. Here's how every other Tiger that suited up in Week 1 performed.

Wide Receivers

A trio of wideouts who spent the 2022-25 seasons at Missouri and transferred out the past offseason all debuted for their new teams last weekend.

Speedster Marquis Johnson paired up with promising quarterback Kamario Taylor at Mississippi State. Johnson caught three balls for 99 yards and a touchdown agaist Louisiana Monroe, flashing his deep-threat ability that could be seen at Missouri.

Lee's Summit product Josh Manning moved across the border to join the Kansas State Wildcats, playing 45 snaps as a starter in his debut while catching three balls for 33 yards and a touchdown. Manning had 29 receptions for 318 yards and two touchdowns in his final and most productive season with the Tigers.

Lastly, former depth receiver Daniel Blood followed former offensive coordinator Kirby Moore to Washington State in search of a larger role. It seems Blood found that, as he racked up five receptions for 57 yards against Washington in Week 1. Blood had five receptions for 51 yards across the entire 2025 season and had just 81 yards the year before.

In Moore's first game as a collegiate head coach, though, Washington State fell 24-10. It converted zero of its nine third-down attempts and gained 242 yards of total offense.

James Madison II, who spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons at Missouri, did not play in UTSA's first game.

Running Backs

A somewhat surprising exit last offseason, former four-star prospect Marquise Davis transferred out of Missouri and to Louisville. The now-sophomore rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries for the Tigers — all of which was earned against FCS or Group-of-Six opponents — and projected as a promising future piece of the backfield. He did not play as the Cardinals took on No. 9 Ole Miss, but it was reported by Jody Demling of On3 on Aug. 13 that Davis was a "little gimpy" during practice.

Brendon Haygood, a fellow former four-star prospect and 2025 freshman, transferred to North Texas over the offseason. He rushed for 28 yards on six carries in his debut, beating his 2025 season totals in one game at the G6 level.

Tavorus Jones, who was at Missouri from 2022-25, hit the portal in favor of ending his collegiate career at his hometown school, UTEP. Jones logged 24 yards on five carries along with catching three passes for 22 yards. He rushed for 111 yards during his three seasons at MU.

Offensive Line

Keiton Jones, a former four-star prospect who spent his freshman season as a reserve for the Tigers, found a starting role as Kansas State's right guard. He logged a pass-blocking grade of 82.5 and a run-blocking grade of 68.7 across 41 snaps in his first career start.

Johnny Williams IV, who transferred to North Texas after spending the 2025 season as a backup at Missouri, started and played 71 snaps at left tackle against Indiana. Williams had a team-high pass-blocking grade of 87.8. Henry Fenuku, a former four-star prospect who spent one season at Missouri, did not play in North Texas' first game.

Jayven Richardson, a swing tackle for Missouri in the 2024 and '25 seasons, played three snaps in his Colorado debut, all of which were on special teams. Richardson started two games at left tackle while Cayden Green was sidelined in 2025.

Jaylen Early, a former Tiger backup, did not appear in Texas State's blowout loss to Texas. Former depth tackle Brandon Solis played four snaps in Kansas' win over Long Island.

Defensive Line, Edge

Damon Wilson II, a former MU edge rusher who led the team with nine sacks before transferring to Miami in the offseason, did not log a sack, pressure or tackle in 44 snaps against Stanford, per Pro Football Focus. He did swat a pass.

Former four-star prospect Javion Hilson, who spent the 2025 season at Missouri, logged one tackle in 13 snaps in his Virginia Tech debut. Hilson played 31 snaps for the Tigers.

Nate Johnson, who arrived to Missouri with high expectations in 2024 and spent the following two seasons with the program before transferring, played 22 snaps in his first game at Auburn. Johnson logged one hurry in the thrilling game against Baylor.

Justin Bodford, a defensive lineman who logged just 11 snaps in his first two seasons at Missouri, saw more playing time in his Middle Tennessee State debut. Bodford played 18 snaps and made one tackle.

Defensive Backs

Safety Marvin Burks Jr., who started each of the last two seasons at Missouri and served a depth role the season prior, started in his first game with the Wisconsin Badgers. Burks played 53 snaps, logging one tackle and being targeted zero times.

Mose Phillips III, a veteran defensive back who spent the 2024 season as a backup for the Tigers, played 31 snaps in Oklahoma State's loss to Tulsa. He logged three tackles and one pass defended on one target.

Caleb Flagg, who left Missouri early in the 2025 season to eventually enter the transfer portal, played 20 snaps in his UCF debut. He did not log a major stat and was not targeted, per PFF.

Former depth cornerback Shamar McNeil did not appear in Akron's 38-16 loss to Wake Forest. McNeil logged three tackles and one pass defended during his three seasons at Missouri. Mark Manfred III, a former three-star prospect who spent the 2025 season as a reserve for the Tigers, did not play in Kentucky's blowout win.

Kicker

Robert Meyer did not attempt a field goal in UC Davis' blowout win over San Diego. He converted all seven of his extra-point attempts, putting him at 10 for 10 on extra points and 0 for 0 on field goals this season.

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