Mizzou Misses on 4-Star ATH Jayden McGregory

Arguably, the biggest loss on the recruiting trail has just occurred for the Tigers, losing out on a priority target.

Valley High School safety Jayden McGregory alongside Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz on an official visit to the University of Missouri on Sunday, June 8, 2025. | via @cbg.jay11 on Instagram, Mizzou Athletics

A priority target of the Missouri Tigers is heading to Louisville, as four-star athlete Jayden McGregory is not heading to Columbia. This is a big loss for the Tigers, with not many options to pivot toward.

McGregory is a Des Moines, Iowa, native and played at Valley High School. He's ranked as the No. 400 player in the country, along with the No. 24 athlete and No. 4 in his home state. McGregory will play safety at the college level.

The Iowa native chose the Cardinals over Missouri and Minnesota, all of which were schools he took official visits to. He also considered the Kansas Jayhawks for a brief period.

For a variety of reasons, this is a big miss for Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers. McGregory was long linked to the Tigers as a name to watch, so seeing Louisville swoop in is concerning. The Cardinals did earn the last official visit, which likely was the final factor.

Missouri now awaits the commitment of three-star athlete Javonte Smith, who will likely play cornerback in college. Outside of him, the list of names still considering Missouri is dwindling down.

2026 Football Commitments

1. QB Gavin Sidwar, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs. - Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania (Committed 04/18/2025)
2. LB Keenan Harris, 6-foot-1, 210 lbs. - St. Louis (Committed 05/23/25)
3. WR Jabari Brady, 6-foot-1, 205 lbs - Pompano Beach, Florida (Committed 06/07/2025)
4. TE Isaac Jensen, 6-foot-6, 230 lbs - Omaha, Nebraska (Committed 06/09/2025)
5. RB Maxwell Warner, 5-foot-10, 185 lbs - Chicago (Committed 06/23/2025)
6. OL Khalief Canty, 6-foot-5, 305 lbs - Detroit (Committed 6/24/2025)
7. WR Devyon Hill-Lomax, 6-foot-4, 180 lbs. - Edwardsville, Illinois (Committed 06/25/2025)
8. OL Brandon Anderson, 6-foot-3, 326 lbs, - Kennesaw, Georgia (Committed 06/29/2025)
9. IOL Braylon Ellison, 6-foot-4, 285 lbs. - Boonville, Missouri (Committed 07/01/25)
10. S Tony Forney Jr., 5-foot-11, 180 lbs. - Marietta, Georgia (Committed 07/04/25)