Mizzou's Star Offensive Tackle Cayden Green Out Week 1

Cayden Green has been receiving accolades throughout the summer including preseason All-SEC and preseason AP All-American honors, but Missouri will have to wait a little longer to see him grace the field before his highly-anticipated season.

Missouri's head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced on Saturday that Green will miss the Tigers' season opener at 7 p.m. Thursday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

"Cayden Green will miss the opener," Drinkwitz said. "That's what it is right now, I'm not going to give a medical report on it. We're going to do what's best for him."

The 6-foot-5 senior is tabbed as a potential first or second-round NFL draft pick following two standout seasons with Missouri. In 2025, Green had the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade among tackles and was named first-team All-SEC by the Associated Press and second-team All-SEC by conference coaches. In his two seasons at Missouri, he missed just two games due to a right foot injury in 2025.

Offensive linemen Jack Lange and Whit Hafer are expected to play more snaps in his absence.

"(We) have a lot of confidence in Jack and Whit and how they'll handle it and now its their opportunity to prove their capabilities," Drinkwitz said. "There's been multiple days where (Lange) would take the left tackle with the ones and he's done an excellent job with it. Whit Hafer is also a guy that's really been pushing and somebody that's consistent (and) we know can play that tackle position for us too."

Lange is a former No. 1 prospect in Missouri and played in one contest last season as a true freshman. The sophomore boasts a 6-foot-8, 318-pound frame and is listed as the backup left tackle on the Tigers' depth chart.

"Jack's a dog," offensive lineman Dominick Giudice said. "The way he attacks stuff, he's always around and he's always looking to improve. He's always asking us questions. He has all the talent in the world and now that he's able to go and put it on film is exciting to see."

Hafer is the backup right tackle for Missouri, but is versatile across the line. Last season, he switched from tight end to lineman and played 11 games as a reserve.

"Whit's getting better every day. He's been getting moved around a whole bunch and I think he really found a position where he could stick at," Green said.

"He's really able to play all five (positions) at a high level right now and just being able to get comfortable at one spot at a time was important for him," Giudice said. "But being able to have that position flexibility is just good for him moving over to the offensive line. So, excited to see his future and the way he continues to grow and he's working really hard."

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