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5 Missouri football players who are All-SEC candidates on offense in 2025 season
- Story byColumbia Daily Tribune
- 5 Missouri football players who are All-SEC candidates on offense in 2025 season
Let's lean into the preseason talk for a moment.
Missouri football is less than a month away from reporting for preseason camp. The Tigers , in recent seasons, have reported to campus in Columbia on the final weekend of July.
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Most national outlets will begin rolling out some preseason accolades and predictions over the upcoming days and weeks. Talking season will be in full swing in the middle of the month, with MU head coach Eli Drinkwitz set to appear at SEC Media Days on July 17 in Atlanta.
While it's popular, here are five Missouri football players on the offensive side of the ball who we think have the best chance to have All-SEC-caliber seasons:
Cayden Green , left guard
Sep 7, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) is lifted by offensive lineman Cayden Green (70) after scoring against the Buffalo Bulls during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
We're not alone in tipping the left guard for a big year.
Phil Steele's magazine rates him as both a preseason All-SEC and All-American. Green was picked as a preseason second- and third-team All-American by Walter Camp and Athlon Sports, respectively.
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There's seemingly the potential that the Tigers could send offensive linemen to the NFL as first-round picks in back-to-back years, as Green is tipped by some to have Day 1 potential in 2026.
Green, listed a 6 feet 5, 324 pounds, looked more and more comfortable in the Mizzou offense as last season progressed — his sophomore campaign after transferring to the Tigers from Oklahoma .
If he can continue to take strides in his development, the Lee's Summit, Missouri , product shapes up as one of the most talented players on the MU roster this season.
Ahmad Hardy , running back
More: Can Ahmad Hardy be Missouri football's next star running back? Early signs encouraging
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The ULM transfer running back was one of three Mizzou players named to Phil Steele's preseason All-SEC second team, and there's every reason to believe Hardy could be the Tigers' next great tailback.
Hardy rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns as a rookie, earning him freshman All-American honors from the FWAA and On3.
He picked up 1,012 of those yards after contact last season. For context, that means his YAC total alone would have ranked among the top 50 in the FBS and fourth in the SEC.
Hardy has experience running outside zone from ULM — a staple of an Eli Drinkwitz offense.
Jamal Roberts and freshman Marquise Davis are likely to pick up some reps, but the bulk of the work looks to be headed Hardy's way.
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The recipe is there for a big season.
Kevin Coleman Jr. , wide receiver
More: How new Missouri football wide receiver Kevin Coleman is earning trust, filling big number
Coleman also picked up second-team All-SEC honors from Phil Steele — a good sign as he fills the shoes of an important Mizzou player for the past few seasons.
The senior transfer will replace fellow St. Louis product Luther Burden III as Mizzou's slot receiver, which indicates he'll be the top passing option for whoever, between Beau Pribula and Sam Horn , wins the Tigers' starting quarterback job.
Coleman transferred to Mizzou from Mississippi State , where he earned third-team All-SEC honors on an otherwise woebegone Bulldogs offense. He caught 74 passes for 932 yards and six touchdowns last season.
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He has a bunch of experience in college football, between other one-season stints at Jackson State , where he was the SWAC Freshman of the Year under Deion Sanders, and Louisville . With 132 career receptions and more than 1,700 receiving yards, he should be an experienced head in an otherwise young receiving room.
Connor Tollison, center
Oct 12, 2024; Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Connor Tollison (55) snaps the ball during the first half against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Tollison is another Mizzou offensive lineman likely to earn some NFL buzz heading into the 2026 draft. He is listed as a preseason fourth-team All-SEC selection by Phil Steele.
Few centers in college football have more experience: Tollison has amassed 2,356 career snaps, per a team news release, and has been MU's starting center since the beginning of the 2022 campaign.
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The big question facing Tollison is health-related, as he sustained a season-ending knee injury after MU's win over Oklahoma in November, and he underwent successful surgery late last year. All current expectations are that the Jackson, Missouri, native will return in time to start the 2025 season.
Brett Norfleet , tight end
Nov 18, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers tight end Brett Norfleet (87) leaps over a Florida Gators defender during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Norfleet's name is flying a little under the radar this offseason, perhaps because of some comparatively underwhelming numbers while he battled injuries as a sophomore in 2024.
But, make no mistake: If Norfleet is fully healthy after offseason surgery, he has sky-high potential.
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The O'Fallon, Missouri, native who played at Francis Howell High is listed at 6 feet 6, 263 pounds. Pair that with some elite athleticism — we've all seen those post-catch hurdles — and you have a player who could emerge as a premier pass-catching option.
The Tigers have to find a way to get him more involved in the offense for this prediction to play out, but the tools are certainly there.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 5 Missouri football players who have All-SEC potential on offense
