Then there were 10.
Missouri football secured its 10th signing of the December transfer portal window on Saturday morning, when Appalachian State edge rusher Nate Johnson announced he is transferring to the Tigers via a post to his X account.
Johnson was voted as a freshman All-American by The Athletic in 2023, after recording 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble in his rookie year. Now, over 25 career games in Boone, North Carolina — the former head coaching stop of Mizzou's Eli Drinkwitz — Johnson has recorded 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss as part of 77 total tackles.
The edge rusher, listed as an outside linebacker by the Mountaineers but likely to play defensive end in Mizzou's 4-2-5 base formation, is listed at 6 foot 5, 240 pounds and has two remaining years of eligibility.
Johnson is ranked as the No. 140 player available in the transfer portal, per 247Sports' national rankings, and is the No. 15-ranked edge rusher. He originally signed with the Mountaineers as a three-star commit out of Gaffney, South Carolina.
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Mizzou's depth at defensive end took a hit when highly touted freshmen Williams Nwaneri and Jaylen Brown entered the portal and transferred to Nebraska and South Carolina, respectively. Mizzou is also set to lose team captain and senior defensive ends Johnny Walker Jr. to eligibility, as well as Joe Moore III.
That means the Tigers can return Zion Young, Jakhai Lang, Darris Smith and Eddie Kelly Jr. from the 2024 roster into 2025. Mizzou has also signed top-50 national prospect Javion Hilson, top-200 prospect Daeden Hopkins, and Division-II Northwest Missouri State's Langden Kitchen in the past month.
Even with Nwaneri and Brown leaving the program and a couple graduating seniors, that makes for some promising depth at the edge rushing spots.
Johnson is the 10th player Missouri has landed out of the transfer portal since it opened Dec. 9 and the ninth since Monday morning.
Mizzou has already signed Wake Forest offensive lineman Keagen Trost , Michigan offensive lineman Dominick Guidice , ULM running back Ahmad Hardy , Mississippi State wide receiver Kevin Coleman , Nebraska linebacker Mikai Gbayor , West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter , Virginia Tech safety Mose Phillips III , Northern Illinois safety Santana Banner and Northwest Missouri State's Kitchen.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: App State defensive end Nate Johnson commits to Missouri football
