At the core of Missouri 's recent elite defenses have been some of the best edge rushers in the Southeastern Conference. The main player who will be tasked with carrying that standard into 2026 will be Darris Smith .
Entering his first season as a starter at one of the most important positions on any team, Smith comes in at No. 5 on our countdown of the 30 most important players on Missouri's roster for 2026. He's the highest-ranked defensive player in the countdown and one of just two returners in the top five.
Smith transferred to Missouri from Georgia ahead of the 2024 season. His first season with the Tigers ended before it even started after he suffered an ACL tear in fall camp ahead of the season.
In 2025, he showed promise behind two of the best in the country, appearing in every game as the first player off the bench in the rotational group. On 191 passing downs, Smith recorded 30 pressures and four sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. He was credited with 15 total tackles on the season.
Nov 8, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Darris Smith (19) reacts during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
But 2026 will be Smith's moment to be a starter. To prepare for it, he added on 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, according to edge rushers coach Brian Early.
"Has made an enormous jump this spring," Early said in a social media post in March. "...Now an every down player.
Smith having a starting role is one of the few certainties for Missouri's edge rushers room for 2026. The Tigers added five transfers at the position, but none have more than 230 snaps of playing time, per Pro Football Focus. Only Florida State
transfer Jaden Jones has more than 200 snaps to his name, and he has dealt with multiple injuries througout his career.
Besides Smith, the two most important returners at edge rusher are Langden Kitchen
and Daeden Hoopkins. Kitchen played a similar rotational role to Smith in 2025, while Hopkins flashed in his true freshman season when he was able to see the field on a limited basis.
Read: What role will Langden Kitchen have with Mizzou in 2026?
While there are other players who will have to step up at the position, the success of the position heavily lies in the hands of how ready Smith is to be a starter. How he adjusts to the new responsibilities is one of the biggest questions for the team as a whole entering the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/missouri as Mizzou Football's Most Important Players: No. 5, Darris Smith .
