Let's look at some year-over-year trends.
The college football transfer portal opens Monday. Some players, because of either graduate status or a head-coaching change, are already in the database.
And Missouri football has several needs to fill for 2025.
The Tigers signed a 17-person group to their 2025 recruiting class Wednesday, but roster-building season is far from finished. Mizzou is expected to target a quarterback, offensive linemen, linebackers, defensive backs and specialists — and perhaps more — in the upcoming, 20-day portal window.
More: What moves will Missouri football make when transfer portal opens? What to expect
But how has Mizzou done its business since the portal became a major part of piecing together rosters?
Here is who Missouri football has acquired out of the transfer portal during Eli Drinkwitz's tenure. We've also taken note of how many players only had one year of eligibility remaining when they transferred, and how many transferred again later in their career:
Signings: Cayden Green , OL ( Oklahoma ); Toriano Pride Jr., CB (Clemson); Darris Smith, DE (Georgia); Marcus Bryant, OL (SMU); Jeremiah Beasley, LB ( Michigan ); Marcus Carroll , RB ( Georgia State ); Nate Noel , RB (Appalachian State); Zion Young, DE (Michigan State); Corey Flagg Jr., LB (Miami); Eddie Kelly Jr., DE ( Georgia Tech ); Khalil Jacobs , LB (South Alabama); Chris McClellan , DT ( Florida ); Drew Pyne , QB (Arizona State); Sterling Webb, DT (NMSU); J.R. Blood, QB (Southern); Orion Phillips, P (Murray State)
Total:16 One-year:5 Transferred again:NA
This was the Missouri's biggest portal haul of Drinkwitz's tenure. Twelve of the players listed above played major roles this season.
The SEC is maintaining an 85-person scholarship limit in 2025, regardless of if and when the NCAA and courts decide to implement the 105-player cap and abolish walk-ons as part of a revenue sharing model.
That probably indicates Missouri will not take another 16-person portal class, especially as the Tigers' need for a quarterback will come with a lofty price tag. But, the 2024 haul shows Mizzou can and will look for numbers if necessary.
More: On revenue sharing and NIL, Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz is adapting again
Signings:Cam'Ron Johnson, OL (Houston); Theo Wease Jr., WR (Oklahoma); Jake Garcia , QB (Miami); Marcellus Johnson, OL (Eastern Michigan); Nyles Gaddy, DE ( Jackson State ); Tre'Vez Johnson, S (Florida); Joe Moore III, DE (Arizona State); Austin Firestone, DE (Northwestern); Dannis Jackson, WR ( Ole Miss ); Sidney Williams Sr., S (Florida State); Marcus Clarke , CB (Miami); Riley Williams , P (Towson)
Total:12 One-year:2 Transferred again:4
This is probably more indicative of how the Tigers will attack the portal this season. The Tigers needed safeties in 2023, and they landed two. Defensive end depth was looking lean, so they got three contributors.
Mizzou probably needs multiple offensive linemen, linebackers and safeties for 2025. Drinkwitz and his staff haven't been shy bringing several players from a single position on board at once.
The exception: Missouri is probably going to look for a QB with better starting potential than Garcia, who moved on to East Carolina after one year as the third player on the QB depth chart.
Signings: Cody Schrader , RB (Truman State) Nate Peat, RB ( Stanford ); Joseph Charleston, S (Clemson); Jayden Jernigan, DT (Oklahoma State); Ty'Ron Hopper, LB (Florida); Kristian Williams , DT ( Oregon ); Josh Landry, DT (Baylor); Dreyden Norwood, CB (Texas A&M); Tyler Stephens, TE (Buffalo); Tyrone Hopper, DE ( North Carolina ); Bence Polgar, C (Buffalo); Demariyon Houston, WR (Hutchinson CC);
Total:12 One-year:1 Transferred again:1
As a quick aside: Looking back … what a tremendous haul this proved to be.
Schrader's ascent was one of the more remarkable stories in college football over the past few seasons. Charleston, Jernigan, Ty'Ron Hopper, Williams, Landry and Norwood all went on to become starters or key rotational pieces on defense in MU's Cotton Bowl-winning run in 2023. Stephens has been a frequent starter on offense throughout the past three seasons.
Like 2024, most of these players filled instant needs and for multiple seasons.
Signings:Mookie Cooper, WR ( Ohio State ); Akayleb Evans , CB (Tulsa); Allie Green IV, CB (Tulsa); Connor Wood, OL ( Montana State ); Blaze Alldredge, LB ( Rice ); Daniel Robledo, DT (East Los Angeles); Realus George Jr., DT (Independence CC); EJ N'doma-Ogar, OL (Oklahoma)
Total:8. One-year:3 Transferred again:2
Cooper, Wood and George had starting roles for multiple seasons. Evans, Green and Alldredge were starters only in 2021. Mizzou, with a few notable exceptions, has mostly steered away from one-year transfers. Only 8 of the next 38 players Mizzou landed in the portal were one-and-dones.
Signings:Michael Maietti, C (Rutgers); Keke Chism, WR ( Angelo State ); Grant McKinniss, P ( Kentucky ); Zeke Powell, OT (Coffeyville CC); Ben Key, DL (East Los Angeles)
Total:5 One-year:0 Transferred again:1
Oh, simpler times. A five-person signing class, three of which from the JUCO level. Mizzou has come a long, long way since this class.
Looking at needs across the roster, Missouri is probably going to run into next season with a transfer portal class between 10-12 players. That number is flexible depending on how many current Mizzou players opt to enter the portal themselves. The Tigers also typically have chased players with more than one year of eligibility remaining
After the December window closes Dec. 28, there will be one more 10-day transfer portal window from April 16-25.
Our best guess: Mizzou's total haul will include a quarterback, a slot wide receiver, one offensive guard and one offensive tackle, a defensive tackle, two linebackers, one cornerback, two safeties, one punter and one placekicker. If the right running back hits the portal, you can likely add that to the list, too.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri transfer portal history: What past trends mean for 2025
