Before the portal opens, Missouri football has to make sure it locks down its stars. Here are five we think MU should make sure are returning in 2026.
Portal announcements are rolling in ahead of the Jan. 2 opening date. Players who intend to declare early for the 2026 NFL Draft will likely do so when grades are issued sometime this week.
Rosters are being shaped, and needs for next season are becoming clearer.
But who would Missouri football benefit from returning most?
Over the upcoming days and weeks, Mizzou is going to learn exactly what it needs from the transfer portal. Eli Drinkwitz has already said he expects this to be the busiest portal window yet, with players potentially using it as leverage in the revenue-sharing and NIL era. We’ll see if that pans out, but it certainly shapes up to be a frenzied fortnight.
So far, four Mizzou players — two true freshman running backs, one redshirt freshman wide receiver and one senior safety — have announced that they intend to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2.
It has become a massively important transfer window. It will remain open for entries for only two weeks this offseason. Once that is over, that’s your lot. There will be no spring transfer portal period, meaning Mizzou’s spring camp roster will essentially be the same one that shows up for the 2026 season in August.
So, this year more than maybe any other in the past few years, it’s paramount for a team to keep their stars.
Before then, who should Mizzou focus its efforts on bringing back for 2026? We’re not going to use early NFL Draft prospects Josiah Trotter, Damon Wilson II and Cayden Green here, because if a high draft grade is in their future, that’s what they will likely do.
Among players who definitely will be in college next season, here’s who Missouri should make every effort to keep and build around next season:
Ahmad Hardy, running back
This goes without saying. But, the depth developments behind Hardy are noteworthy.
The fact freshman tailbacks Brendon Haygood and Marquise Davis each have announced an intention to enter the transfer portal appears to indicate their path to playing time next season was obscured. That would suggest Hardy and Jamal Roberts are on track to return.
Hardy will learn if he is the Doak Walker Award winner Friday night. The award is given to the best running back in the sport, and Hardy is up against Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love and Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy for the honor.
Missouri has one of the best running backs in the sport. Make sure he sticks around.
Donovan Olugbode, wide receiver
Olugbode’s best was stupefyingly good as a true freshman. He took over the primary outside receiver role down the stretch and led Mizzou in passing yards, with some truly incredible catches, in three games.
It does not feel hyperbolic to say he has the potential to be among the SEC’s best wide receivers as he continues developing.
This is one of those whatever-it-costs scenarios. The Tigers have a star on their hands.
Matt Zollers, quarterback
There is a discussion to be had at the quarterback position. Zollers, because of injuries to Beau Pribula and Sam Horn, had to step in more than expected this season. He now has three years of eligibility remaining as he burned his rookie redshirt.
Is he going to be willing to spend next season as a backup, and potentially use a redshirt as a sophomore? That’s an unknown, and a risky assumption to say that he would.
Drinkwitz has been clear about Zollers being the future of the program at QB. We saw the bones of a great player in Zollers in his appearances against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.
The best long-term play is to bring the rookie QB back next season. But, that’s going to require some difficult conversations.
Nicholas Rodriguez, linebacker
Rodriguez had an excellent sophomore season in a strong linebacker room. If Josiah Trotter elects to return for another season and put off entering the NFL Draft conversation, you’d be hard-pressed to find two better returning linebackers in the league.
Pro Football Focus graded Rodriguez, a Miami native, as the top linebacker in the SEC this season. He has impressive tracking speed and looked immensely comfortable in a prominent role as an underclassman.
Santana Banner, safety
Banner has pro size at safety at 6-3, 210 pounds and showed flashes of what he can be for the Tigers. He essentially took over as the primary strong safety over veteran Jalen Catalon down the home stretch of the regular season.
Mizzou can bring back both Banner and Marvin Burks Jr. next season. Based on his size and skillset, there’s a chance Missouri could use Banner in the Daylan Carnell role, as a hybrid linebacker/safety.
There will be quite a bit of movement and turnover in the secondary this offseason. Getting Banner back would be a boon.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 5 most important players for Missouri football to return, build around
Category: General Sports
