Another in-state Missouri football standout is moving on to the next level early.
Missouri right tackle Armand Membou is declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft, per a statement to his personal X account on Friday. The news was first reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Membou just completed his junior campaign and had one more year of eligibility remaining. He is likely to carry a Day 2 projection in April's draft, and the report says he will opt out of the Tigers ' bowl game later this month.
The right tackle, who committed to Mizzou out of Lee's Summit North High near Kansas City, played 36 total games for the Tigers , first entering the lineup midway through his true freshman campaign. He has started the past 30 games in Columbia, and emerged as one of the more dominant right tackles in the country in 2024.
According to PFF College, Membou played the second-most snaps of any Mizzou player, starting all of the Tigers' 12 regular-season games. Membou was tabbed by the analytics site as allowing just seven pressures, which was the least among starting offensive linemen at MU, and he was not responsible for a sack.
PFF gave Membou — listed at 6 foot 3, 325 pounds — the 10th best grade among all offensive tackles in the FBS in this season.
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"After much consideration, I have decided to forgo my final season and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft," Membou posted in a statement to his X account. "While this decision was not made easily, I am filled with excitement about the thought of pursuing my lifelong dream of playing at the next level.
"The University of Missouri will always feel like home to me," Membou added, "so this won't be the last time we meet. Until then … MIZ."
Membou is the second Mizzou player to declare for the draft since the regular season ended, following star wide receiver and St. Louis product Luther Burden III, who made his expected announcement Monday and will carry a first-round projection come April.
Mizzou will now need to replace both of its starting tackles from last season, as starting left tackle Marcus Bryant is out of eligibility. The Tigers also will need to replace the entire right-hand side of its offensive line, with right guard Cam'Ron Johnson also out of eligibility.
MU added three offensive linemen in its Class of 2025. Jack Lange, the top overall prospect out of the state of Missouri in this cycle, will be joined by Fort Worth, Texas, native Henry Fenuku, a four-star pledge, and Coffeyville, Kansas, product Keiton Jones, a three-star signee, in the next cycle. Lange and Fenuku are expected to be early enrollees in January.
The December window of the college football transfer portal also will open Monday. Mizzou is expected to be active at multiple positions, and best guesses suggest they will now target at least one offensive tackle with starting potential.
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Missouri can return left guard Cayden Green , who also could move outside to tackle, and three-year starting center Connor Tollison is expected to come back for another season, per Eli Drinkwitz. The Tigers will lose oft-used backup utility lineman Mitchell Walters to eligibility.
Offensive guards Logan Reichert and Curtis Peagler are potential in-house candidates to fill the interior spots, while JUCO transfer Jayven Richardson was the backup to Bryant on the left side of the line this season.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football O-lineman declares for NFL Draft, forgoing final year
