The Biggest Question Facing Mizzou's Safety Room in 2026

Missouri's safety room is loaded with young talent entering the 2026 season. It's the lone defensive position group to not roster a senior — redshirt junior Santana Banner leads the pack in seasons of experience, as 2026 will be his fourth season of college football.

While Banner may have been the best safety on last season's roster — leading the group in tackles, stops and pass breakups — Marvin Burks Jr. actually led the group in snaps, logging a team-high 605 on the season. Burks also started in the 2024 season.

Former seventh-year senior Jalen Catalon also played a significant role in the 2025 safety room, playing 370 snaps and leading the group in coverage grade (73.9), per Pro Football Focus. Mose Phillips III was the fourth-most utilized member at the position, logging 149 snaps in 2025.

Banner is the only returner of the aforementioned quartet, as Catalon's eligibility expired, while Burks (Wisconsin) and Phillips (Oklahoma State) both transferred out. Daylan Carnell, who started in the STAR position the past three seasons, exhausted his eligibility turned pro.

The rest of the new-look room is compromised of four returners, three incoming freshman and three transfers. Banner, being the only member of the group to start in 2025, will be a starter again in 2026, bringing up the biggest question for the position in 2026.

Who Will Start at Safety Alongside Santana Banner?

Oct 11, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks (17) runs the ball against Missouri Tigers safety Trajen Greco (4) during the second half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

There's a few options Missouri can go when looking for the ideal safety to pair next to Banner next season.

Among the most prominent of options is Auburn transfer Kensley Louidor-Faustin, who logged 302 snaps last season and played a notable role on the Tigers' defense. However, 44 of those snaps were in the box and 188 of them were in the slot — he seems like the primary candidate to fill the void left by Carnell at the STAR position, meaning he probably won't spend much time as a traditional safety with Banner.

Fellow transfer Elijah Dotson makes for a strong candidate to start as well, as he brings in 93 defensive snaps from his 2025 true freshman campaign at Michigan last season. Despite none of those snaps being at the safety position, he is listed as a safety on Missouri's roster and seems primed to play the position next season. Also of note: Dotson suffered a torn labrum in spring practice but underwent surgery and is expected to be back for summer OTA's.

JaDon Blair is the third transfer of the class, but he played just 20 total snaps last season at Notre Dame. Standing at 6-foot-5, the rising redshirt freshman possesses an intriguing frame along with freakish athleticism, but may be more of a long-term project than immediate starter.

As for the returners, Trajen Greco headlines the group. He played the second-most snaps among returning safeties this season, trailing only Banner. The rising junior has been developing as a backup for the last two seasons with the Tigers, but could now be ready to take on an increased role. Other returners include rising redshirt freshman CJ Bass III, who was ranked a four-star prospect but played just 27 defensive snaps last season — all of which were in the slot or front seven — and rising redshirt sophomore Jackson Hancock, who primarily played special teams.

Of the three incoming freshman safeties, four-star Jayden McGregoy projects to be the only one with a real chance of meaningful playing time next season, while three-stars Carter Stewart and Brody Jones project to be depth pieces.

If a prediction had to be made, Greco seems like the favorite to be the second starter at safety, given his prior in-house experience and now-veteran status. Dotson, despite navigating a position change, injury recovery and new scheme, presents a strong case as well.

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