Mizzou's on a Recruiting Heater in the Month of October: The Extra Point

Drinkwitz has the Tigers up to 18 commitments in the 2026 class, six of which came in the last month.

Sep 20, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz on field against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Missouri Tigers on SI football reporter Michael Stamps discusses the momentum the Tigers are gaining on the football recruiting trail for the 2026 class.

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Eli Drinkwitz just gained two more commitments in the 2026 recruiting class, adding three-star defensive backs Carter Stewart and Brody Jones. Both were flips, one from Utah and the other from Cincinnati. This got the Tigers up to 18 commitments.

The momentum the Tigers have in October is impressive. The last six commitments have all come since Oct. 1, starting with four-star LB JJ Bush. Following Bush was 4-Star RB TJ Hodges, three-star C Brysen Wessell, four-star OT Johnnie Jones and then the two defensive backs.

What's even more impressive is what could be next. Four-star DT Tajh Overton holds the Tigers in high regard, as does four-star LB DQ Forkpa. Missouri's class absolutely has the chance to get another boost if one or both of those guys decides to commit.

2026 Mizzou Football Recruiting Targets

4-Star LB Duyon Forkpa Jr. - Baltimore, Maryland
4-Star DT Tajh Overton (Oklahoma State) - Owasso, Oklahoma
3-Star DT Jae'Lin Battle (Baylor) - Edmond, Oklahoma
3-Star DT Ari Slocum - Farmerville, Louisiana
3-Star CB Ahmod Billins - Abbeville, Alabama
3-Star S Karaijus Hayes - Sarasota, Florida
3-Star OT Ben Mubenga - Buford, Georgia

2026 Missouri 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 - Pompana 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)
11. EDGE Micah Nickerson, 6-foot-5, 215 lbs. - Magnolia, Mississippi (Committed 09/28/2025)
12. DL DeMarcus Johnson, 6-foot-7, 260 lbs. - Missouri City, Texas (Committed 09/25/2025)
13. LB JJ Bush, 6-foot-3, 210 lbs. - Theodore, Alabama (Committed 10/03/2025)
14. RB Terry Hodges, 6-foot, 180 lbs. - Bryant, Arkansas (Committed 10/04/2025)
15. IOL Brysen Wessell, 6-foot-5, 260 lbs. - Jackson, Missouri (Committed 10/11/2025)
16. OT Johnnie Jones, 6-foot-7, 305 lbs. - Venice, Florida (Committed 10/11/2025)
17. S Carter Stewart, 6-foot-1, 170 lbs. - Pearland, Texas (Committed 10/13/2025)
18. CB Brody Jones, 6-foot-3, 175 lbs. - Fayetteville, Arkansas (Committed 10/13/2025)

Check out the Missouri Football Recruiting Tracker to stay up to date with Tigers' targets from 2026, 2027 and beyond.