The Biggest Question for Mizzou's Offensive Line

After the quarterback, a strong argument can be made for an offensive line being the most important position group in football.

When thriving, it'll keep its quarterbacks squeaky-clean and give them ample time in the pocket to make decisions, along with shoving the opposing defensive line downfield to generate space for its running backs. When struggling, it allows defenders to break through and blow up ball-carriers and quarterbacks in the backfield, resulting in negative plays and turnovers.

Last season, Missouri's offensive line was a strength. It was helmed by All-American right tackle Keagen Trost and All-SEC left tackle Cayden Green, while veterans Connor Tollison, Dominick Guidice and new starter Curtis Peagler rounded out the usual starting five. Per Pro Football Focus, the Tigers' offensive line ranked fifth in the nation in pass blocking and 13th in the nation in run blocking.

Green, Guidice, Peagler and a few backups returned to stay with the team for the 2026 season. Trost and Tollison exhausted their eligibility and joined NFL teams, while a few backup linemen departed via the transfer portal — Missouri replaced the production lost with incoming freshmen and portal commitments.

Here's how the unit sits entering the 2026 season.

Dominick Guidice, RS-SR
Curtis Peagler, RS-SR
Tristan Wilson, RS-SR
Josh Atkins, RS-SR
Zack Owens, RS-SR
Cayden Green, SR
Logan Reichert, RS-JR
Colin Sorensen, JR
Luke Work, JR
Whit Hafer, RS SO
Ryan Jostes, RS SO
Jack Lange, RS-FR
Will Kemna, RS-FR
Johnnie Jones, FR
Braylon Ellison, FR
Brandon Anderson, FR

The unit holds talent from top to bottom, ranging from all-conference honorees, to experienced veterans, to fringe starters with swing experience and raw athletes in the early stages of their collegiate careers.

Here's the biggest question facing the offensive line in 2026.

How good can Josh Atkins be?

Regardless on if he's the best or not, Atkins is arguably Missouri's most important linemen for the 2026 season. Set to enter his sixth season, Atkins finds himself in a similar position that Trost was in last season: capping off his tenured collegiate career by once again rising to a higher level of play to start at right tackle at Missouri.

Atkins spent the first two seasons of his career developing at Houston with now-Missouri offensive line coach Brandon Jones. He transferred after the 2022 season in search of more playing time, which he found at Hawai'i, starting all 12 games at left tackle for the Rainbow Warriors. He allowed seven sacks, 33 pressures and logging 10 penalties on the season while posting a pass-blocking grade of 68 and a run-blocking grade of 68.5

He then transferred again, this time to Arizona State, where his numbers steadily improved. He started the next two seasons at left tackle, the most recent of which was his best pass-blocking season. Atkins allowed three sacks, 18 pressures and logged five penalties while posting a pass-blocking grade of 73.8 (career-best) and a run-blocking grade of 59.2 (career-worst).

Atkins served as a blindside protector in all three seasons as a starter between Hawai'i and Arizona State. Despite being projected to serve in the same role at Missouri, there'll be a major difference; Atkins will be blindside-blocking as a right tackle for left-handed quarterback Austin Simmons rather than blindside-blocking as a left tackle for a right-handed quarterback.

Along with learning a new system at Missouri and learning a new position at right tackle, he'll have to spend time recovering from a leg injury he suffered in spring practice. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz originally said the tackle will likely be back in September or October.

Atkins' importance skyrockets because he serves the most important complementary role to the most important player on the team in Simmons. If Atkins, Simmons' blindside protector, fails to hold up against the elite edge rushers of the SEC, it'll make life extremely difficult for the signal-caller.

At this point in their careers, we know what we'll get from Green at left tackle. He's played at an extremely high level in both his seasons at Missouri regardless of what position he's at or who's throwing passes from his pocket. It's now Atkins' turn to prove himself with the Tigers — his success will have a strong correlation with the offense's success as a whole.

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