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3 2026 Football Recruits Mizzou Needs to Land - The Extra Point

Originally posted on Missouri Tigers on SI
By Michael Stamps | Last updated May 20, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Watch the video below as Missouri football reporter Michael Stamps lists three 2026 recruits that Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers need to land to make up for their two most recent decommitments.

Welcome to Missouri Tigers On SI's "Extra Point," a video series featuring the site's Missouri beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers provide analysis on a topic concerning the Tigers or the landscape of college sports.

Call it what you want, but the Missouri Tigers are struggling to land and maintain recruits in the class of 2026. With only one current commitment and two others backing out over the last week, head coach Eli Drinkwitz has some searching to do to find out why they are facing these issues.

That being said, there is still hope. Official visits are on the horizon for the Tigers and the short list of guys they need to land is becoming clearer.

At the top of that list is four-star safety and linebacker Keenan Harris, a Saint Louis native. Drinkwitz didn't manage to keep five-star tackle and top-ranked player in the country Jackson Cantwell at home and Harris might be the next best thing, despite being ranked fifth in the state.

Four-star wide receiver Mason James and four-star offensive tackle Evan Goodwin will also be important names to keep an eye on. James recently included the Tigers in his final five schools and is the first of the bunch to take an official visit, going on May 30. Keeping the Norman, Oklahoma, native away from the Sooners would be a massive recruiting win.

Goodwin has long raved about the Tigers and his recruitment couldn't be more wide open. Missouri, alongside Mississippi State, SMU and Oklahoma State, are all in the running for Goodwin, who could be a signature player in their class.

There is still plenty of time for Drinkwitz and his staff to assemble an impressive class. The number of players he takes in the class may also be impacted by the transfer portal and his ability to recruit there. Despite all of that, only having one player entering the summer recruiting period is slightly scary and has alarmed many. Securing some commitments during the upcoming official visits will be very important.