Which Second-Year Mizzou Football Transfers Can Break Out in 2026?

In recent seasons, Missouri football has found success in a specific transfer portal formula: two-year plans. In the modern, ever-changing landscape of college football, players hit the portal relentlessly, and there's no guaranteed long-term plans.

However, Missouri has built quite the compelling case for players to stick around for multiple seasons, if eligible. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz and his staff have helped many transfers find their footing with the program in their first season, only to be unleashed and fully breakout in their second.

In 2025, Zion Young was the prime example of the formula. After spending the first two seasons of his career at Michigan State, Young transferred to Missouri for the 2024 season, where he logged 2.5 sacks, 21 hurries and 14 stops. His stellar end to the season hinted at stardom in 2025, which ultimately became true, as Young exploded for 6.5 sacks, 32 hurries and 31 stops.

Other notable players to have a successful second season with the program included Toriano Pride Jr., Khalil Jacobs and Chris McClellan, each of whom reached the NFL.

Here's who could be next to follow the formula in the 2026 season.

Dominick Giudice

Giudice arrived to Missouri in the 2025 offseason after spending the first three seasons of his career suiting up for Michigan. He saw minimal action until the 2024 season, where he won the starting center job and held down the spot through the first two games of the season. He split snaps at the spot in the following two weeks, eventually losing the job and remaining a backup until the 11th game of the season, where he filled in to start at right guard.

In 317 total snaps in 2024, he posted a pass-blocking grade of 71 and run-blocking grade of 52.9, per Pro Football Focus. After transferring to Missouri, Giudice shifted from center to left guard, as Connor Tollison was manning the center spot.

While Giudice started the season off a little shaky, he cleaned up quite nice in the latter half of it. Of his 12 pressures allowed on the season, only five occured in the final six games of the season — three of which were in Missouri's disastrous loss to Oklahoma, in which just about everything went wrong. Additional, only two of his six penalties occurred in the final six games. Five of his six highest-graded pass-blocking performances, per PFF, were in the final seven games as well.

Now, with Tollison out of the picture as starting center, Giudice will likely shift back into the role that he played at Michigan and start at the position for the Tigers.

Darris Smith (Sort of)

Throw a flag on this one if you'd like, but Smith's first season at Missouri (2024) was robbed from him due to a torn ACL suffered in fall camp — he didn't play a single snap. His first season participating in football activities was the 2025 season, and boy was it a promising one.

Young and Georgia transfer Damon Wilson II were the clear top-two edges in the 2025 room, but Smith, despite rehabbing off a torn ACL and dealing with quality competition, emerged as the clear No. 3 by the time the season ended. Smith ranked fourth on the team in sacks (four) and third in pressures (30). No other returning Tiger ranked in the top five in either category.

Smith is now primed to spearhead Missouri's edge room in 2026, which he sits atop of in regards to prior experience and production. The Tigers will likely heavily rely on his experience and potential, and Smith looks poised to deliver.

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