Mizzou football adds former Miami DT Donta Simpson through the transfer portal. Simpson was a three-star transfer and a three-star prospect, and will provide valuable youth and depth to Missouri's defensive line.
The Missouri Tigers have landed their first interior defensive linemen of the 2026 transfer cycle, as former Miami freshman Donta Simpson has committed to Missouri, per On3.
Simpson played 116 snaps across 10 games in his true freshman season with Miami, burning his redshirt while logging four tackles, two hurries and a 62.3 run defense grade, per PFF. He'll have three seasons of eligibility upon his arrival at Missouri.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman did not play in Miami's College Football Playoff run, and entered the portal Jan. 1.
Simpson is a former three-star recruit in the class of 2025 and was a three-star transfer, ranked as the No. 20 defensive lineman in the nation, per 247sports. He was the No. 67 defensive lineman in the nation in his recruiting class, and the No. 79 player in the class of 2025 in the state of Florida.
Missouri did not initially recruit Simpson out of high school, but the Tigers circled back around and add him to the program for the 2026 season. Simpson is Missouri's 14th transfer portal addition and the sixth defensive addition of the 2026 cycle. He is the first player to transfer from Miami to Missouri since quarterback Jake Garcia in 2023, who lost a fall camp battle for the starting job to Brady Cook.
Although former starting defensive tackles Chris McClellan and Sterling Webb exhausted their final seasons of eligibility in the 2025 season, Missouri is returning nearly every reserve at the position with the exceptions of freshman Justin Bodford and graduate student Bralen Henderson. Missouri's defensive tackle room now holds eight players including Simpson and two incoming freshmen.
Marquis Gracial, DT, redshirt junior
Jalen Marshall, DT, redshirt junior
Sam Williams, DT, redshirt sophomore
Elias Williams, DT, redshirt freshman
Jason Dowell, DT, freshman
Donta Simpson, DT, freshman (Miami transfer)
Tahj Overton, DT, incoming freshman
Jocques Felix, DT, incoming freshman
This means Missouri now has eight defensive tackles committed to the 2026 roster, while the 2025 roster had nine rostered scholarship defensive tackles. Depth wise, the room looks loaded with promising young talent. However, the top-end production will rely largely on returning reserves who haven't played a starting role at a Power Four program. Missouri could reasonably target another proven starter at the position to round out the room and keep up its elite run defense that rang soundly in 2025.
To keep up with all incoming and outgoing transfers of Missouri's 2026 offseason, follow along with our tracker here:
