Missouri State Football Preview 2026: Was Last Year Just the Beginning?

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Missouri State Football Preview 2026: Was Last Year Just the Beginning?

Pete Fiutak · College Football News

Thu, Jun 25, 2026 ·

8 min read

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That was everything Missouri State could've asked for.

It was the program's first year in the FBS, and former head man Ryan Beard's veteran team was able to push through for a winning season and a bowl appearance.

Missouri State's Rebuild Has To Lead To Wins

Missouri State wide receiver Jmariyae Robinson (0) carries the ball during the homecoming football game against UTEP on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.

© Michael Gulledge/Special to the News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Beard is at Coastal Carolina , and Casey Woods goes from SMU offensive coordinator to Missouri State head coach. He has to replace a whole lot of key players across the board.

However, this should be a fun team with a blast of an offensive style.

It might take at least a year or so to make this all work, but if the attack comes together fast, there's a shot at a second straight stunner of a season for the program.

Missouri State Quick Hits

Head Coach:Casey Woods (1st year)
Best Case / Worst Case:A second straight bowl game/A battle to not finish last in CUSA
Key Player: Skyler Locklear , QB Sr or Henry Belin IV, QB Sr.
2025 Record:7-6
Biggest Question:How fast can the new coaching staff do what it wants to with so many new players?

Missouri State Key 2025 Stats

Sacks: Opponents 52 for 307 yards, Missouri State 24 for 152 yards
Tackles For Loss Allowed: Opponents 112 for 457 yards, Missouri State 57 for 238 yards
1st Quarter Points Allowed: 66; 2nd Quarter Points Allowed: 120

Offense

Mark Cala comes in to take over the offensive coordinator duties, and he's got a whole lot of reworking to do.

Like everything else with this offense, the idea is to do it quickly.

Last year's team relied on Jacob Clark and a high-powered passing game, but this year's team has to piece together the parts around a good group of backs, and the hope of one of the new quarterback options can play.

What's Working

The Bears have a few good backs to rely on.Ramone Green didn't get a ton of work behind Shomari Lawrence, but he finished second on the team with 278 yards.

He's a quick back, and that's what the attack is going for. There isn't a lot of power in the backfield, but there's plenty of speed.

The receiving corps might not be the team's biggest strength,but it's a plus. Jmariyae Robinson is a speedster who needs the ball in his hands.

Makai Cope is a 6-3 big option who'll get a lot more work after a 20-catch season, and Jeron Askren has the upside to be an All-Conference tight end, catching 19 passes with five scores in his first season.

The coaching staff knows offenses.Woods will want to get going with a brisk pace, Cala is used to an up-tempo style, and now the offense needs the triggerman to run it all.

What Needs Work

Replacing Jacob Clark is tough.The big bomber was the offensive identity of the program for years, and he led the way into the new FBS era with over 3,200 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Skyler Locklear comes over with Cala from UTEP , but Duke's Henry Belin IV is right there with a shot at the starting gig.

The offensive line HAS to do something in pass protection.New year, new team, new parts, but Missouri State was second-worst - only ahead of Troy - in sacks allowed, giving up four per game and 52 in all.

It helped to get the wonderfully-named King Large - he's 6-4, 316 pounds from SMU - but the front five is a bit of a do-over.

Veteran Matthew Greene is one of the best blocking guards in the conference, but the other four spots will need fall camp to get the right order figured.

It'll be a huge help if Large and VMI transfer William Dixon turn into stars at tackle.

It's not like the UTEP offense worked last season.The Miners couldn't get things moving under Cala, finishing 112th in the nation averaging just 332 yards per game. He's a rising coach, but it's only his second year as a coordinator.

Player to Watch

Jmariyae Robinson, WR/KR Sr.
He does a little of everything. He's a tall, thin wisp, but he caught 44 passes for 632 yards and seven scores, and he has the quickness to be a dangerous kickoff returner again.

He has to be the playmaker everyone worries about.

Defense

The offense went young at coordinator with the 33-year-old Cala.

The defense is going with a tough veteran in Jack Curtis, who started coaching in 1987, worked with Auburn over the last few years as an analyst, and has been around the block several times.

This side of the ball has way more to work with, and that's thanks to ...

What's Working

Here's where all the transfers are.The offensive side got a few pieces here and there, but the defense loaded up with the bulk.

The line got the most help, starting with a shot at the stars in edge rusher Dylan Brooks from Kansas - banged up, he hasn't played over the last few years.

With several edge rushers coming in, the mediocre pass rush of last year is about to get a boost.

The defensive tackles are hardly set,but having a good veteran in Tim Brantley on the inside makes things easier. He and UMass transfer Malachi Madison are a good pair to start with. Now the depth needs to fill in around them.

The Bears have some tacklers back.Christian Ford should be one of the better all-around safeties in the conference, and the 1-2 linebacking punch of Jared Lloyd and promising Cooper Roy will be solid.

What Needs Work

The pass rush.It came from all sides in a wave last year. 13 Bears registered at least one sack, but this year's bunch needs one of the new guys - it would be wonderful if Brooks could go - to be the alpha that everything rallies around. This is big, because ...

It's not a coincidence that when the pass rush wasn't great,the secondary got ripped up, and when the secondary got ripped up, the team lost.

Granted, the five-best passing teams on the slate were the ones that went off, but still, Missouri State went 0-5 when allowing more than 235 yards through the air, and was 7-1 when it didn't.

The new corners have to get up to speed early.Dylan Dixson should be a given on one side after a 50-tackle season, and the hope is for Duquesne transfer Joel Kpassou to be a factor on the other side.

He didn't do a lot last year, though, and neither did most of the green corners on the roster.

Player to Watch

Jared Lloyd, LB Sr.
There's experience across the Missouri State roster, and it's up to "Bird" to be the one to lead the way.

He came up with a team-high 77 tackles with 1.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, and with his 240-pound size in the middle, everything funnels through him.

Keys to the Season

Adapt to the offensive style and keep it moving.
Find defensive playmakers at corner and on the edge.
Keep the mistakes to a minimum - the Bears were 125th in the nation in penalties.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Skyler Locklear, QB Sr.
Again, don't count on Belin IV - he's a bigger option with a little Power Four experience.

Missouri State will probably go from the 6-5, 225-pound big guy in Clark, to the generously-listed 5-11, 195-pound baller of a playmaker in Locklear.

He had interception issues last year with UTEP - he threw 11 - but he can run, and he has the experience to get the offense up to speed right away.

Biggest Concern

Does this offense really work?
Yeah, if Mark Cala really is trying to get the attack going with speed - like he did with UTEP last year - that's a problem when it gets off the field in a flash.

UTEP was the third-worst team in the nation in time of possession, keeping the ball for just 25:38 per game, partly because it was the fourth-worst in third down conversions.

Biggest Game

at Western Kentucky , October 8
How fast can the Bears get up to speed? Last year's team lost a tough 27-22 battle with Western Kentucky, and this year it's the Conference USA opener, and it's on the road.

With defending CUSA champ Kennesaw State up next, and then a trip to Delaware to follow, there's a solid shot at an 0-3 start without a (likely) upset over the Hilltoppers.

Transfer Portal

A place like Missouri State and a new coaching staff trying to get this all going has to get really, really creative with the portal.

The hope will be for the scheme to make the offensive guys better, with most of the help coming in to bulk up the defensive side.

On the plus side - partially because last year's team had a lot of seniors - the Bears didn't lose much that can't be replaced, at least through the portal.

However, former head man Ryan Beard took 11 players with him to Coastal Carolina.

Best Signing

King Large, OT (SMU)Kansas edge rusher Dylan Brooks should be the best signing if he's in one piece, but getting a big blocker like Large - even if he might need a little bit to grow into the job - was a desperately needed signing.

Biggest Loss

Tristian Gardner, WR (Coastal Carolina)
He was only fourth on the team with 30 catches last year, but he was the most dangerous deep threat, averaging 15.5 yards per grab with six scores.

There's speed in this year's receiving corps, but Gardner had the size to go along with the wheels.

Other Names to Know

Mekhi Miller, WR (Tulsa)
William Dixon, OT (VMI)
Breezy Dubar, RB ( Boise State )

CFN Season Prediction

Last year's team was built for life in the FBS.

It was loaded with experienced upperclassmen, starting with a quarterback like Jacob Clark who made everything better in key situations.

Yes, the Bears won seven games and got to a bowl, but five of the wins were by one score.

Granted, three of the six losses were by one score, but this year's team has way too many new things happening to expect to be on the right side of so many tight battles.

CFN Prediction: 4-8

The schedule is hardly a killer outside of the road games at Texas A&M and SMU, but when it comes to Conference USA games, it'll be hard to come up with a win in any of the four road dates at WKU, Delaware, FIU, and Jacksonville State .

There should be wins over Lindenwood, New Mexico State, and Sam Houston , and the Bears will pull off a win somewhere else.

Remember, Missouri State is just getting started - this will be the year the program probably should've had last year.

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