Missouri Tigers 2026 College Football Preview
Posted August 4, 2026
2025 Recap
Record – 8-5
ATS – 6-6-1
The Tigers served notice that they planned on being a serious player in the SEC when they roared out to a 5-0 start, outscoring the opposition by an average score of 45-15. Unfortunately, Missouri hit a tough patch in the schedule and lost three of four conference games, knocking them out of the SEC hunt. They picked off a pair of turds in the final three weeks of the regular season (Miss St, WOO PIG) to finish with eight wins, and then closed the curtain on the 2025 season with a 13-7 loss to Virginia in a SNOT BUBBLER of a Gator Bowl.
Missouri Tigers 2026 Outlook
OFFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (SEC):
- Scoring: 30.2 PPG (#9)
- Total Offense: 416.3 YPG (#6)
- Rushing: 228.3 YPG (#1)
- Passing: 188.0 YPG (#16, dead last)
- Sacks Allowed: 28 (#8)
The Tigers’ offense took a massive hit when starting QB Beau Pribula went down with a season-ending injury last year, but there’s a new sheriff in town in the form of Ole Miss transfer quarterback Austin Simmons, who battled injuries last year (60%, 4-5 TD to INT) and then lost his job to the great Trinidad Chambliss. Simmons still needs to prove himself as a full-time starter, but he’s a talented specimen that’s surrounded by dangerous skill position players.
Missouri lost three of their top-four THROW GAME weapons, but they still have dangerous options on board, including sophomore WR Donovan Olugbode (401, 2 TD) who our Missouri INSIDERS believe is poised to become the next deadly Tiger WR1, and stud TE Brett Norflett. They also did some good work in the portal bagging several useful specimens, including WR Cayden Lee who did serious damage at Ole Miss (1,509 yards, 5 TD over the last two seasons).
And now we get to the good stuff, yo. Missouri has one of the best weapons in college football in RB Ahmad Hardy, who’s coming off an epic 2025 campaign (1,649, 6.4, 16 TD), and all reports are that he’ll be healthy and ready to go for Week 1. There’s also comical depth behind Hardy, including last year’s RB2 Jamal Roberts, who did great work when called upon (723, 6.1, 6 TD).
The offensive line is one of the best in the SEC as they boast well over 100 career starts as a group and feature an All-Conference performer at LT in Cayden Green. Also note that the projected starting five weigh in at an average of 323 pounds.
DEFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (SEC):
- Scoring: 18.9 PPG (#3)
- Total Defense: 277.3 YPG (#2)
- Rushing Defense: 103.9 YPG (#4)
- Passing Defense: 173.5 YPG (#2)
- Sacks: 36 (#5)
Missouri’s defense somehow went largely under-the-radar last year despite allowing a mere 19 PPG and 277 YPG (#8 FBS). The alarm bells are going RINGY DINGY DINGY heading into this season as the Tigers must replace 13 of their top-15 tacklers. It’s tough to know what to expect on this side of the football heading into 2026, but we’ll try and pick things apart as best we can.
The defensive line appears to have some big bodies on the interior that’ll be effective in terms of stopping the run, but it’s going to be next to impossible to replace the havoc-creating freak Zion Young, who booked 16.5 TFL and 14 QBH last year. We’ll have to see if someone on the depth chart can jump up and surprise, and maybe it’ll be senior DE Langden Kitchen, who’s got impressive dimensions (6-6, 275) and a starting spot at DE.
The LB unit also lost a player in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft in leading tackler Josiah Trotter (13 TFL), who was the beating heart of the 2025 stop unit. The Tigers are still in good shape with the return of Nicholas Rodriguez (#2 tackles, 4 TFL, 7 PBU) and Auburn transfer Robert Woodyard. The Tigers have to replace four starters on the back end, and they’ll need new leaders to step up and fill the void straight away. There are a couple of interesting new faces at CB that have piqued our interest in Chris Graves (Ole Miss) and 6-4 item Sione Laulea (Oregon).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Things look decent in this area as they’ve got PK Blake Craig back in the fold, who hit 24/34 field goal attempts in 2024 but missed almost all of 2025 due to injury. The Tigers also have a productive KR in DaMarion Fowlkes (23.3 avg).
Schedule Analysis
Overall – The Tigers will almost certainly scoop a pair of non-conference wins (Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Troy) but they’ve got a tough road test vs former Big 8 (!) rival the Kansas Jayhawks. The SEC schedule is challenging for a change, as it appears their bribe didn’t get through to the schedule-maker in time. Just kidding. Not really. Anyhoo, they avoid ROLL TIDE but have to play almost every other top team including Texas (H) and Georgia (A).
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – Kentucky (Nov 21)
The Wildcats will finish at or near the bottom of the SEC standings this year, but this is a dangerous spot to lay points with the home favorite as the Tigers will be coming off back-to-back slugfests with the Longhorns and Bulldogs. And there’s a game with Oklahoma on deck.
Season Win Total
Market consensus – August 4
Over 6.5 -120
Under 6.5 +100
MEGALOCKS says:
No leanage.
That looks about right. The roster still looks pretty good but the schedule is definitely on the heinous side.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
In the 1860s, Columbia citizens formed an armed home guard called the Missouri Tigers to protect the town from Confederate guerrillas. When the University of Missouri fielded its first football team in 1890, it adopted the name as a permanent tribute. That’s a spicy TRIVIA NUGGET delivered straight to you, from us.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz is a very impressive 34-8 at home, but just 10-18 on the road.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
The Tigers have done excellent work recently, stacking 29 wins over the past three seasons. Even though it’s been a minute since their SEC Championship Game trips in 2013 and 2014, they’re a program that deserves respect.
This year’s squad shouldn’t have any trouble putting points on the board, but the completely revamped defense is firmly in SHOW-ME mode until we see how it handles SEC firepower. The schedule will test them from start to finish, so we’ll call for six or seven wins and a bowl appearance.
M-I-Z… Z-O-U!