The Biggest Question Facing Mizzou's Special Teams Unit in 2026

Missouri's special teams unit was responsible for several costly moments in 2025.

Between missed field goals, blocked field goals, poor punts, injuries and more, the group was shaky.

The unit will look much different in 2026, in personnel, staff and scheme. Eli Drinkwitz hired former Florida State special teams coordinator John Papuchis to take over the unit. The team also brought in two transfers at specialist positions, adding punter/kicker Brunno Reus from Florida State and punter Mark Shenouda from Tennessee State.

But the biggest question for the unit has to do with one of its returners.

How will Blake Craig return from his injury?

Missouri Tigers Kicker Blake Craig has the first kickoff of the season. — Aug. 28, 2025; Columbia, MO, USA; In the first kickoff of the season, Missouri Tigers kicker Blake Craig sends the ball to the opposite end of the field. | Sam Simon/MissouriOnSI

An ACL injury can lead to regression for even elite players at several positions. Only time will tell what long-term effects, if any, it will have on Blake Craig, who suffered a torn ACL to his planting leg in Week 1 of the 2025 season.

Entering spring practices, Craig stated his confidence in his physical recovery, but recognized the process he would need to take to regain his confidence.

"It's more mental than anything," Craig said to reporters after a spring practices. "Because you work with these elite trainers here, and they get your strength back, they get your explosiveness back. There's nothing to worry about with that. But for your own sake, it's that mental barrier of like, 'Can I do this?'"

In the spring, Craig said he was a "full go" for everything besides kickoffs. Drinkwitz estimated that Craig would be able to return to practicing kickoffs in June.

"Can't put Blake in a position where he's trying to do too much too soon," Drinkwitz said at the start of spring practices

Not having Craig available in 2025 was not only one of the biggest issues for the special teams unit, but changed how the offense had to play, with ideal field-goal range being moved up at least 10 yards further in most situations.

In the 2024 season, his first as a starter, Craig made 24 of his 34 field-goal attempts (70.6%) and 36 of his 37 extra-point attempts. He made the most kicks from 50 yards or further out of any kicker in the Southeastern Conference, going 6 for 9.

The area where he was focused on for improvement entering 2025 was the 40-yard range, which proved to be a struggle area for him in 2024. He went 1 for 7 on attempts in that range in 2024.

Missouri does have a better back up plan at kicker in 2026 than it did entering 2025, where the only kicker on the roster entering the season was a true freshman. In the transfer portal ahead of the 2026 season with Reus. He handled the kickoff responsibilities in spring practices, according to Drinkwitz.

Reus will compete with Craig for the kickoff duties, while also being the backup kicker. If Craig sees some complications once the season starts, Reus should be a reliable option to fall back on. He was rated by 247Sports as the fourth best kicker in the class of 2025.

Missouri being able to get its starting kicker back to full strength will be one of the most important factors not just for the special teams unit, but for the team as a whole.

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