COLUMBIA, Mo. – The college football transfer portal doesn't officially open until Jan. 2, 2026, but players around the nation have already begun to announce their intentions of entering, including three Missouri Tigers: James Madison II, Caleb Flagg and Brendon Haygood. 

Along with those three intending transfers, 19 Tigers exhausted their final seasons of eligibility: 

Bold indicates starter

Tommy Lock, quarterback, 11 snaps played in 2025
Kevin Coleman Jr., wide receiver, 532 snaps played
Xavier Loyd, wide receiver, 132 snaps played
Logan Muckey, wide receiver, 62 snaps played
Vince Brown II, tight end, 56 snaps played
Connor Tollison, center, 831 snaps played
Keagen Trost, right tackle, 834 snaps played
Khalil Jacobs, linebacker, 325 snaps played
Triston Newson, linebacker, 228 snaps played
Zion Young, defensive end, 511 snaps played
Chris McClellan, defensive tackle, 507 snaps played
Sterling Webb, defensive tackle, 365 snaps played
Bralen Henderson, defensive tackle, 72 snaps played
Dre Norwood, cornerback, 457 snaps played
Toriano Pride Jr., cornerback, 511 snaps played
Stephen Hall, cornerback, 452 snaps played
Daylan Carnell, safety, 519 snaps played
Jalen Catalon, safety, 342 snaps played
Connor Weselman, punter, starter

Given all the departures — along with an impending dozen or two extra in the coming weeks — the Tigers will have plenty of holes to fill with newcomers through the transfer portal. But which areas should be their top priority? 

Missouri's cornerback room struggled in 2025, as only two corners to play 75 or more snaps finished with a PFF grade of 70 or higher: Drey Norwood and Toriano Pride Jr.

Both were returning starters from the 2024 season, but exhausted their final season of eligibility in 2025. The same goes for team captain Daylan Carnell, who started in the slot and logged 168 tackles, 22 passes defended, three sacks and four forced fumbles in his career. Part-time starter Stephen Hall also spent his final season of college eligibility with the Tigers, and won't be with the team in 2026. 

For a unit that returned loads of experience in 2025, quite the opposite will be the case in 2026. Redshirt freshman Cameron Keys has the most snaps played among returning Missouri corners with 51, 50 of which were against Central Arkansas, Louisiana and UMass. The same goes for fellow returners Nicholas DeLoach, who played 33 of his 34 snaps against those same three squads, and redshirt sophomore Shamar McNeil, who played all 27 of his snaps against Central Arkansas and UMass – No Power Four experience for either. 

Missouri will need to hit the portal hard to rebuild and add experience to its corner room. 

Despite overall struggles as a unit, Missouri's offensive line contained a few superstars. Keagen Trost ended the season as PFF's highest-graded offensive lineman and was the stable rock blocking on the outside for Ahmad Hardy en route to 1,560 rushing yards and counting. Team captain and starting center Connor Tollison also returned from a torn ACL and started all 12 games admirably. 

Cayden Green still as another season to play should he desire, but could explore options for the 2026 NFL Draft if he draws interest. He started 10 games at left tackle in 2025, but performed at an All-Conference level at left guard in 2024. Green would be a huge loss for the unit should he leave. 

If all three of those members depart from the program, that leaves just Dominick Guidice and Curits Peagler, who both had blocking grades of below 70. 

In both 2024 and 2025, Missouri relied heavily on upperclassmen experience for the starting offensive line unit. If offensive line coach Brandon Jones intends to keep that plan for the 2026 season, Missouri will need to grab a few external options in the transfer portal. 

Damon Wilson II and Zion Young were arguably Missouri's two best defensive players this season, combining for 15.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 58 tackles. Both are NFL-level talents, and Young will likely hear his name called at the 2026 NFL Draft. Wilson on the other hand, has a decision to make. 

He has another season of eligibility to use if he wants, but similar to Green has a chance to be drafted in 2026 instead. That would leave Missouri down its two starters. 

Darris Smith saw an increasing role as the season went on, affirming himself as Missouri's third edge rusher by the end of the season. He'll likely start on the edge next season, with or without Wilson alongside him. If Wilson turns pro, Daeden Hopkins, Langden Kitchen or Nate Johnson would likely be in line to start.

Hopkins will be a contributor down the line, but might need more experience before being ready to start. Kitchen and Johnson on the other hand probably aren't built to be full-time starters, unless they take an unforseen jump. 

Either way, none of those options are ready to full-time start in 2026, meaning Missouri will need to address the hole in the portal.