Tigers lose a key defensive anchor. Star safety Marvin Burks Jr.'s departure leaves a significant void, reshaping Missouri's secondary and defensive plans.
Missouri starting safety Marvin Burks Jr. is entering the transfer portal, per Brian Dohn.
Burks led the team with 605 snaps, and started all 13 games for the Tigers in 2025. He ranked fourth on the team with 49 tackles, along with one sack, one pass defended, one forced fumble and one interception. The St. Louis Native has been with the program for each of his first three collegiate seasons, logging 131 total career tackles.
He posted a 74.1 coverage grade and a 77.3 run defense grade in 2025, each of which led all Missouri safeties. He did, however, allow 10 catches on 12 targets for 198 yards and three touchdowns.
Burks was a three-star safety in the class of 2023, and chose to commit to Missouri over schools like Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ole Miss, the ladder of which he was committed to before flipping to Missouri. He likely had a starting role with Missouri secured for next season had he stayed with the Tigers, so its unclear what his priorities are in his search for a new home.
He's the third Missouri safety to enter the portal, joining CJ Bass III and Caleb Flagg, neither of whom played more than 32 snaps. Burks is Missouri's fifth starter to enter the portal, but the first defensive starter.
Given Burks' previous status as a two-year starter, the Tigers will have a new starting safety alongside Santana Banner in 2026.
Here's the seven safeties currently set to be on Missouri's roster next season:
Mose Phillips III (Eligibility expires 2026)
Santana Banner (2027)
Trajen Greco (2027)
Jackson Hancock (2028)
Jayden McGregory (2030)
Carter Stewart (2030)
Brody Jones (2030)
Banner was the only 2025 starter, while Phillips and Greco played as backups. McGregory, Stewart and Jones are all incoming freshmen with no collegiate experience. Missouri announced it re-signed Greco for the 2026 season minutes after the report of Burks entering the portal released, so it seems like the Tigers chose him over Burks.
Burks' loss means Missouri is down three of its top four safeties, as Jalen Catalon and Daylan Carnell both exhausted their final seasons of eligibility in 2025. Missouri is retaining just three defensive starters from the 2025 season. Here's what the Tigers' starting defense looks like as of Jan. 2.
Projected 2026 starting defense:
*Bold indicates returning starter of six or more games*
EDGE: Darris Smith
DT: Marquis Gracial
DT: Jalen Marshall
EDGE: Damon Wilson II
MIKE: Jeremiah Beasley
WILL: Nicholas Rodriguez
CB: Cam Keys
CB: Nicholas DeLoach
NB: Mose Phillips III
FS: Santana Banner
SS: Trajen Greco
To keep up with who Missouri may add in the transfer portal to replace Burks, along with every other move the Tigers make, follow along with our transfer portal tracker below.
