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Spring has sprung, and Missouri football has wrapped up its first batch of official offseason practices.
Mizzou has finished up spring camp, holding 13 practices between Feb. 26 and March 19. There were nearly 50 newcomers in Columbia this spring, including 28 transfers who will compete for roles on the Tigers’ 2026 two-deep.
Some competitions have wrapped up. See: Quarterback.
An injury to a high-profile transfer has created a somewhat unexpected competition. See: Right tackle.
So, what does the Tigers’ offensive depth chart look like exiting the spring of 2026?
All transfers are marked with an asterisk (*). Here’s our best guess at what the Tigers’ offense will look like next season:
Starter: *Austin Simmons, r-jr.
Backup: Matt Zollers, so.
Reserves: *Nick Evers, r-sr.; Gavin Sidwar, fr.; Brett Brown, r-sr.
It’s official, and it’s official earlier than normal: Mizzou’s starting quarterback will be Simmons, who transferred into the program this offseason from Ole Miss, in the 2026 season.
The left-handed redshirt junior has won what was labeled as an offseason competition for QB1 duties, which was expected after the Tigers got Simmons shortly after the portal opened. The timing of the news came a little earlier than expected. Mizzou typically has let competitions roll into the fall and even into Week 1 under Drinkwitz. Not this year.
There will still be some QB intrigue in the fall, as Zollers, now a sophomore, competes with Evers, a UConn transfer and college veteran, for backup duties.
More: Missouri football officially names starting quarterback for 2026 season
Starter: Ahmad Hardy, jr.
Backup: Jamal Roberts, r-jr.
Reserves: *Xai’Shaun Edwards, r-so.; *Malae Fonoti, r-so.; Maxwell Warner, fr.; Brady Hultman, so.; Anthony Favrow, r-sr.
Not much to ruminate on at running back in Columbia this spring.
Hardy is back in the starting role for what likely will be his final season of college football, and Roberts stayed in town to complete what has to be one of the best backfield duos anywhere in the country.
Starters:Slot: *Cayden Lee, sr. Z: *Caleb Goodie, sr. X: Donovan Olugbode, so.
Primary rotation:Slot: DaMarion Fowlkes, so.; Shaun Terry II, r-fr. Z: *Kenric Lanier II, sr. X: *Naeshaun Montgomery, so.
Reserves: Jabari Brady, fr.; Devyon Hill-Lomax, fr.; Gavin Wyatt, r-so.; Jayden Bolton, r-sr.; Noah Flaskamp, r-jr.
The top three seems fairly settled, with Lee (Ole Miss) likely to be Simmons’ primary target, Goodie (Cincinnati) providing some significant speed on the outside and Olugbode returning as one of the Tigers’ most promising underclassmen.
Fowlkes and Terry likely both will compete for backup slot reps after seemingly impressing the staff this offseason, and Lanier (Minnesota) and Montgomery (Florida) look like they’ll carve out rotational reps.
Starter: Brett Norfleet, sr.
Rotation/backups: Jude James, r-so.; Jordon Harris, sr. Gavin Hoffman, r-so.
Reserves: Isaac Jensen, fr.; Adam Molitor, r-so.
Norfleet has spent another season recovering from an offseason shoulder injury, and while he was no-contact in the spring he appears to be on pace to be full-go by the fall.
“It's been hard, just because I went through it again, and then I have to do it all over again,” Norfleet said March 10. “Same thing. But, you know, I'm kind of seeing it as a blessing. Just because it's hard doesn't mean that I can't do it.”
This is a strong-looking group. James really progressed last season, and Harris has been reliable as primarily a blocking tight end. It will be intriguing to see how much 12 personnel Mizzou uses next season, because Hoffman also looks like a player who could be productive at this level.
Starters:LT: Cayden Green, sr. LG: Tristan Wilson, r-sr.; C: Dominick Giudice, r-sr.* RG: Curtis Peagler, r-sr.; RT: Logan Reichert, r-jr.
Backups:LT: Jack Lange, r-fr. LG: *Zack Owens, r-sr. C: Wilson; Whit Hafer, r-so. RG: Brandon Anderson, fr.; RT: *Luke Work, jr.
Reserves:*Colin Sorensen, jr.; Ryan Jostes, r-fr.; *Will Kemna, r-fr. Johnnie Jones, fr.; Khalief Canty Jr., fr.; Brysen Wessell, fr.; Braylon Ellison, fr.; Chace Missouri, r-so.; Joe Schranz, r-fr.
Injured:*Josh Atkins, r-sr.
Atkins (Arizona State) picked up an injury in the spring and possibly could miss the start of the season, per Drinkwitz. That throws a real wrench in the works at right tackle, which will be Simmons’ blindside blocker. Until he can return, Missouri seems to be trialing Reichert and Work (Mississippi State) at the position.
Giudice, who spent some of spring sidelined, has moved to center, opening up that left interior spot. He will be the player snapping to Simmons this fall.
Wilson and Owens are the likeliest players to take over at left guard. Perhaps we’re reading too much into this comment from Drinkwitz: “Tristan has played a little bit of center for us, along with Whit Hafer, (and) he's done a really good job, (and) that gave Zach Owens a chance to play a little bit at left guard.”
Reading between the lines, that sounds a lot to us like Wilson was at left guard before Giudice’s injury. Owens (Mississippi State), as we projected before spring camp, could very well be the starter there, but we’re keeping an eye on this position. If Wilson isn’t starting, we’d expect him to be the first player off the bench at every interior spot.
More: New jersey numbers for Missouri football transfers, freshmen, returners
Green and Peagler both came up as spring standouts and should retain their starting roles.
As Missouri showed last season, it isn’t scared to make some late switches along the offensive line, so there is plenty of time and room for movement here in the fall, especially with a question at right tackle.
Placekicker: Blake Craig, r-jr.
Punter: *Mark Shenouda, r-jr.; *Brunno Reus, r-fr.
Long-snapper: Brett Le Blanc, sr.; Henry Crosby, so.; Sean Gross, r-fr.
Craig returned to practice this spring and appears to be on track to return after tearing an ACL in Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Reus (Florida State) has the versatility to be both a punter and placekicker, and he’ll compete with Shenouda (Tennessee State) through the fall for primary punting duties.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Post-spring camp Missouri football 2026 offensive depth chart projection
Continue reading...
Mizzou has finished up spring camp, holding 13 practices between Feb. 26 and March 19. There were nearly 50 newcomers in Columbia this spring, including 28 transfers who will compete for roles on the Tigers’ 2026 two-deep.
Some competitions have wrapped up. See: Quarterback.
An injury to a high-profile transfer has created a somewhat unexpected competition. See: Right tackle.
So, what does the Tigers’ offensive depth chart look like exiting the spring of 2026?
All transfers are marked with an asterisk (*). Here’s our best guess at what the Tigers’ offense will look like next season:
Missouri football has named QB1 for 2026 season
Starter: *Austin Simmons, r-jr.
Backup: Matt Zollers, so.
Reserves: *Nick Evers, r-sr.; Gavin Sidwar, fr.; Brett Brown, r-sr.
It’s official, and it’s official earlier than normal: Mizzou’s starting quarterback will be Simmons, who transferred into the program this offseason from Ole Miss, in the 2026 season.
The left-handed redshirt junior has won what was labeled as an offseason competition for QB1 duties, which was expected after the Tigers got Simmons shortly after the portal opened. The timing of the news came a little earlier than expected. Mizzou typically has let competitions roll into the fall and even into Week 1 under Drinkwitz. Not this year.
There will still be some QB intrigue in the fall, as Zollers, now a sophomore, competes with Evers, a UConn transfer and college veteran, for backup duties.
More: Missouri football officially names starting quarterback for 2026 season
Running back
Starter: Ahmad Hardy, jr.
Backup: Jamal Roberts, r-jr.
Reserves: *Xai’Shaun Edwards, r-so.; *Malae Fonoti, r-so.; Maxwell Warner, fr.; Brady Hultman, so.; Anthony Favrow, r-sr.
Not much to ruminate on at running back in Columbia this spring.
Hardy is back in the starting role for what likely will be his final season of college football, and Roberts stayed in town to complete what has to be one of the best backfield duos anywhere in the country.
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Wide receiver
Starters:Slot: *Cayden Lee, sr. Z: *Caleb Goodie, sr. X: Donovan Olugbode, so.
Primary rotation:Slot: DaMarion Fowlkes, so.; Shaun Terry II, r-fr. Z: *Kenric Lanier II, sr. X: *Naeshaun Montgomery, so.
Reserves: Jabari Brady, fr.; Devyon Hill-Lomax, fr.; Gavin Wyatt, r-so.; Jayden Bolton, r-sr.; Noah Flaskamp, r-jr.
The top three seems fairly settled, with Lee (Ole Miss) likely to be Simmons’ primary target, Goodie (Cincinnati) providing some significant speed on the outside and Olugbode returning as one of the Tigers’ most promising underclassmen.
Fowlkes and Terry likely both will compete for backup slot reps after seemingly impressing the staff this offseason, and Lanier (Minnesota) and Montgomery (Florida) look like they’ll carve out rotational reps.
Tight end
Starter: Brett Norfleet, sr.
Rotation/backups: Jude James, r-so.; Jordon Harris, sr. Gavin Hoffman, r-so.
Reserves: Isaac Jensen, fr.; Adam Molitor, r-so.
Norfleet has spent another season recovering from an offseason shoulder injury, and while he was no-contact in the spring he appears to be on pace to be full-go by the fall.
“It's been hard, just because I went through it again, and then I have to do it all over again,” Norfleet said March 10. “Same thing. But, you know, I'm kind of seeing it as a blessing. Just because it's hard doesn't mean that I can't do it.”
This is a strong-looking group. James really progressed last season, and Harris has been reliable as primarily a blocking tight end. It will be intriguing to see how much 12 personnel Mizzou uses next season, because Hoffman also looks like a player who could be productive at this level.
Offensive line
Starters:LT: Cayden Green, sr. LG: Tristan Wilson, r-sr.; C: Dominick Giudice, r-sr.* RG: Curtis Peagler, r-sr.; RT: Logan Reichert, r-jr.
Backups:LT: Jack Lange, r-fr. LG: *Zack Owens, r-sr. C: Wilson; Whit Hafer, r-so. RG: Brandon Anderson, fr.; RT: *Luke Work, jr.
Reserves:*Colin Sorensen, jr.; Ryan Jostes, r-fr.; *Will Kemna, r-fr. Johnnie Jones, fr.; Khalief Canty Jr., fr.; Brysen Wessell, fr.; Braylon Ellison, fr.; Chace Missouri, r-so.; Joe Schranz, r-fr.
Injured:*Josh Atkins, r-sr.
Atkins (Arizona State) picked up an injury in the spring and possibly could miss the start of the season, per Drinkwitz. That throws a real wrench in the works at right tackle, which will be Simmons’ blindside blocker. Until he can return, Missouri seems to be trialing Reichert and Work (Mississippi State) at the position.
Giudice, who spent some of spring sidelined, has moved to center, opening up that left interior spot. He will be the player snapping to Simmons this fall.
Wilson and Owens are the likeliest players to take over at left guard. Perhaps we’re reading too much into this comment from Drinkwitz: “Tristan has played a little bit of center for us, along with Whit Hafer, (and) he's done a really good job, (and) that gave Zach Owens a chance to play a little bit at left guard.”
Reading between the lines, that sounds a lot to us like Wilson was at left guard before Giudice’s injury. Owens (Mississippi State), as we projected before spring camp, could very well be the starter there, but we’re keeping an eye on this position. If Wilson isn’t starting, we’d expect him to be the first player off the bench at every interior spot.
More: New jersey numbers for Missouri football transfers, freshmen, returners
Green and Peagler both came up as spring standouts and should retain their starting roles.
As Missouri showed last season, it isn’t scared to make some late switches along the offensive line, so there is plenty of time and room for movement here in the fall, especially with a question at right tackle.
You must be registered for see images
Special teams
Placekicker: Blake Craig, r-jr.
Punter: *Mark Shenouda, r-jr.; *Brunno Reus, r-fr.
Long-snapper: Brett Le Blanc, sr.; Henry Crosby, so.; Sean Gross, r-fr.
Craig returned to practice this spring and appears to be on track to return after tearing an ACL in Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Reus (Florida State) has the versatility to be both a punter and placekicker, and he’ll compete with Shenouda (Tennessee State) through the fall for primary punting duties.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Post-spring camp Missouri football 2026 offensive depth chart projection
Continue reading...
