Faurot Field is a legitimate home fortress
33-9 (.786) under Drinkwitz, among the best home records in the sport over that span — a real, quantifiable home-field factor.
SEC FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 9 OF 16
MISSOURI TIGERS
2026 Season Snapshot • Columbia, Missouri
8-5 (4-4 SEC)
SEC
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Missouri.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Eli Drinkwitz — 7th season at Missouri
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
58–29 overall (.667); 46+ wins at Mizzou
Took Appalachian State to a 12-1 Sun Belt title in 2019 before Mizzou. His 6- season win total at Missouri broke Dan Devine's school record. Best stretch: consecutive 10-11 win seasons in 2023-24 (Cotton Bowl and Music City Bowl wins). Home record at Faurot Field: 33-9 (.786), among the best in the sport over that span.
MISSOURI ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 8-5 (4-4 SEC) with a Gator Bowl loss to Virginia (7-13). Missouri's defense was strong overall but had specific trouble with high- completion-rate passing offenses — Alabama, Texas A&M, and Virginia (the three teams that beat them) all completed 65%+ of their throws.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$9.0M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Coach salary per Yahoo Sports' 2026 SEC coaching salary rankings (USA Today database). Missouri has not disclosed a team NIL figure or a single named primary collective.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Faurot Field is a legitimate home fortress: 33-9 (.786) under Drinkwitz, among the best home records in the sport over that span — a real, quantifiable home-field factor.
- Specific defensive vulnerability: All three 2025 losses came against offenses that completed 65%+ of their passes — a clean, repeatable scouting note against Missouri entering 2026, especially with a retooled secondary.
- New starting QB after a run-first 2025: Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons steps in for Beau Pribula (now at Virginia), who was more game-manager than focal point behind bell-cow RB Ahmad Hardy — watch for the passing game to open up with two new receiver transfers in tow.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Chip Lindsey — 1st season • Multiple
New hire brought in to keep evolving an offense that leaned heavily on RB Ahmad Hardy in 2025. Adds two proven transfer receivers (Cayden Lee, Caleb Goodie) to open up the passing attack around new QB1 Austin Simmons.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Corey Batoon — 3rd season • Base 4-2-5
Missouri's defense was tremendous for most of 2025 but specifically had trouble with high-completion-rate passing attacks (Alabama, Texas A&M, Virginia all beat them while completing 65%+ of throws) — six new pieces join a secondary otherwise anchored by returning junior Santana Banner.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
8–5 (4–4 SEC)
Lost the Gator Bowl to Virginia, 7-13, to close the year. All three of Missouri's losses in 2025 came against offenses that completed a high rate of their passes — a clear defensive pattern for opponents to attack.
HOME FIELD
Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium
Artificial turf (FieldTurf), Columbia. 33-9 (.786) under Drinkwitz — one of the better true home-field advantages in the conference over the last six seasons.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Austin Simmons | Jr | ★★★★★ | Ole Miss transfer with two years of seasoning in a similar SEC system; replaces Beau Pribula (transferred to Virginia) as the passing game is expected to open up. |
| RB1 | Ahmad Hardy | — | ★★★★★ | Louisiana-Monroe transfer (former three-star, lightly recruited out of Mississippi); set Missouri's single-season rushing record in 2025 (1,649 yds) and finished 2nd nationally in rushing. |
| WR1 | Cayden Lee | — | ★★★★★ | Three-star signee (Kennesaw Mountain HS, Ga.). Ole Miss transfer (100+ career catches, 1,500+ yards) who followed Simmons to Columbia; immediate top target. |
| WR2 | Caleb Goodie | — | ★★★★★ | Cincinnati transfer (former three-star; previously Colorado State) who averaged 18 yards per catch over two seasons; a legitimate big-play threat opposite Lee. |
QB1Austin SimmonsJr★★★★★
Ole Miss transfer with two years of seasoning in a similar SEC system; replaces Beau Pribula (transferred to Virginia) as the passing game is expected to open up.
RB1Ahmad Hardy—★★★★★
Louisiana-Monroe transfer (former three-star, lightly recruited out of Mississippi); set Missouri's single-season rushing record in 2025 (1,649 yds) and finished 2nd nationally in rushing.
WR1Cayden Lee—★★★★★
Three-star signee (Kennesaw Mountain HS, Ga.). Ole Miss transfer (100+ career catches, 1,500+ yards) who followed Simmons to Columbia; immediate top target.
WR2Caleb Goodie—★★★★★
Cincinnati transfer (former three-star; previously Colorado State) who averaged 18 yards per catch over two seasons; a legitimate big-play threat opposite Lee.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returning core + additions | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Line largely built around continuity from a 2025 unit that protected well enough to support a run-heavy attack; specific starters to confirm in fall camp. |
Returning core + additionsOL—★★★★★
Line largely built around continuity from a 2025 unit that protected well enough to support a run-heavy attack; specific starters to confirm in fall camp.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- Less turnover here than most SEC teams in this guide — a quiet stabilizing factor for a Missouri offense adding a new QB and two new starting receivers around it.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Front seven retooling | DL/Edge | New pieces rotating in at edge rusher per fall camp reports; specific starters still being determined as of the depth chart release. |
Front seven retoolingDL/Edge
New pieces rotating in at edge rusher per fall camp reports; specific starters still being determined as of the depth chart release.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Missouri's linebacker corps returns with reasonable continuity into Corey Batoon's 4-2-5, though the headline defensive storyline for 2026 is fixing the specific vulnerability to efficient, high-completion passing attacks that cost the Tigers all three of their 2025 losses.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santana Banner | S | ★★★★★ | Most experienced holdover in the secondary; finished third on the team with 59 tackles and 3 PBUs in 2025, expected to anchor a unit with six new faces around him. |
Santana BannerS★★★★★
Most experienced holdover in the secondary; finished third on the team with 59 tackles and 3 PBUs in 2025, expected to anchor a unit with six new faces around him.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. Special teams coordinator duties are part of new assistant John Papuchis's portfolio — confirm kicker/punter/returner names closer to Week 1 as fall camp settles the two-deep.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
7-6
53.8% cover rate — 29th of 82
2025 Straight up
8-5
Point differential +147
Scoring environment
49.2
Combined points per game — 59th highest of 82
Home / road ATS
5-3 · 2-2
Totals 7-6 O/U (7-1 home, 0-4 road)
Points scored / allowed
30.2 per game scored (32nd) · 18.9 allowed (12th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +11.3 (19th) · Strength of schedule +1.1
- Home / road: Home 5-3 ATS, road 2-2 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 7-6 O/U — 7-1 at home, 0-4 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 7-6 (53.8% cover rate) across 13 games.
- Trend: Averaged 30.2 points and allowed 18.9, a 49.2 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
+8
23rd of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+2.6
39th of 82
Defensive SRS
+9.1
10th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
+11.3 · 19th of 82
Against the spread
7-6 (53.8%) · 29th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
49.2 · 59th of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Missouri.
Secondary
Specific defensive vulnerability
All three 2025 losses came against offenses that completed 65%+ of their passes — a clean, repeatable scouting note against Missouri entering 2026, especially with a retooled secondary.
Quarterback
New starting QB after a run-first 2025
Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons steps in for Beau Pribula (now at Virginia), who was more game-manager than focal point behind bell-cow RB Ahmad Hardy — watch for the passing game to open up with two new receiver transfers in tow.
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
Less turnover here than most SEC teams in this guide — a quiet stabilizing factor for a Missouri offense adding a new QB and two new starting receivers around it.
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