Meet the Mizzou Freshman: Linebacker Jason King's Ceiling, Fit with Tigers

Landing three-star linebacker Jason King last year might not have looked like the biggest of recruiting wins for the Missouri Tigers, but finding ways to keep the most talented players in the state of Missouri in the state of Missouri is a victory in many ways.

King should be expected to be an eventual contributor for the Missouri defense, but might have a ways to go before that happens. The physical linebacker brings plenty of raw talent to Missouri, talent that needs to be refined and honed in on.

Here's everything you need to know about Missouri's local linebacker, Jason King.

Player Info

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 227 lbs.
Hometown: St. Louis
High School: De Smet Jesuit

Recruiting

Consensus: Three-Star prospect
247Sports: Not ranked nationally, No. 92 position, No. 9 state
On3: Not ranked nationally, No. 146 position, No. 26 state
Rivals: Not ranked nationally, No. 27 position, No. 12 state
ESPN: Not ranked nationally, No. 35 position, No. 13 state

High school career

An injury during the 2024-2025 year derailed his senior season at De Smet, but he was quite productive the year before. He only recorded 14 tackles and two for loss during his senior year in two appearances. As a junior, he was much more productive.

That season, King recorded 37 tackles and four for loss, along with a single sack, finding himself on the all-metro and all-state teams for that season. All in all, he recorded 249 career tackles and nine sacks in his career at De Smet.

Fit with the Tigers

King is a strong and powerful tackling machine in the middle of the field. He's fast as well, possessing the perfect blend of strength and speed to become an elite linebacker. He's not the biggest and could stand to add some weight to his frame, but that's not going to be a challenge with Missouri's strength and conditioning program.

He has positional versatility, as well. King can come off the edge and get to the quarterback, but can also drop back in coverage. His coverage skills need improving, especially when it comes to his hips and footwork, but he has the baseline athleticism to be sufficient at the beginning of his college career.

Like most incoming freshmen, King has a lot to improve on. He's athletic enough, which is always a good start, but there are some technical aspects of what King does that need to see a lot of growth.

Analysis

"King is a part of an effort from head coach Eli Drinkwitz to "lock down the borders" of Missouri by having the state's best players continuously stay inside the state and commit to the Tigers over their competitors."MissouriOnSI reporter Joey Van Zummeren

When will he play?

King is an interesting case. It feels like he has a long way to go in his development, but the same could have been said for linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez heading into last season, who now seems ready for an increased role.

The same situation could occur for King, with the potential to come along and contribute later in the season. At this moment, the Tigers have plenty of depth at the position. West Virginia transfer Josiah Trotter is slated to be the top inside linebacker for Missouri, with guys like Khalil Jacobs, Rodrigez and Jeremiah Beasley also slated to contribute.

Linebacker is another position where the Tigers haven't shied away from going deep into their roster. This could certainly play into King's favor, but it also isn't a guarantee that he will end up playing.

Ceiling and Floor

Ceiling: King becomes a rotational linebacker as a freshman and earns a larger role as a sophomore.

Floor: King doesn't see the field as a freshman.