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Oct 12, 2024; Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young (9) in action against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the second half at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

What We Learned About the Mizzou Defense Following 2025-26 Fall Camp

Originally posted on Missouri Tigers on SI
By Michael Stamps | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The strength of this Missouri football roster is clearly its entire defense. At each and every position, there are multiple players who can contribute in a variety of ways.

Head coach Eli Drinkwitz was looking for a certain number of players to emerge on the defensive side of the ball, and a clear takeaway from fall camp is that he'll have the talent to do so.

"At the end of the day, we don't play with just 11 guys," Drinkwitz said to reporters. "We play with 20, 25, if we're playing really good defense. And I think we got the ability. I feel strongly about 18 now."

This group does have plenty of top-heavy star power at multiple positions, but there's also enough depth to go around. Whether it's young talent or an experienced player, the Tigers should be ready for any situation that awaits them based on the depth they have.

The returning players in this group should by far be the most impactful ones. Defensive end Zion Young, safety Daylan Carnell, linebacker Triston Newson, cornerback Dreyden Norwood and defensive tackle Chris McClellan all will have huge roles this season, with proof from last year that they can be productive.

Here's everything we learned from fall camp about the Missouri defense.

The captaincy of Jacobs, Young, Carnell, Catalon

A few main players emerged as the primary leaders for this defense heading into the new season, three of whom are returning players. Linebacker Khalil Jacobs, defensive end Zion Young and safety Daylan Carnell all earned captain positions toward the end of fall camp, unsurprisingly so.

Since transferring from Michigan State last season, Young has emerged as one of the most important players on this team. He was productive last season, recording 41 total tackles and 2.5 sacks, but has also turned into a massive leadership presence.

"Zion Young, he's a real vocal leader," Carnell said of Young at SEC Media Days. "He's probably the most vocal leader on the whole entire team, not just the defense."

Jacobs, another second-year player who transferred in last season, has followed a similar path to Young. His effort and energy have all but certainly led to his new captain position.

"I think he did a great job today on first and second down, that's really where we challenged him to make impact plays — on first and second down," Drinkwitz said at the end of Week 2 of fall camp. "When he plays downhill, he's a difference maker, and he did that today. But he's always got great energy and juice, and he's got command of the defense because they see how much work he's put in."

Catalon is the only of the defensive captains who was not on the roster last year. He came from UNLV this past season and has been in college since 2019. His multiple years of experience will help everyone on the team, not just younger players.

New DT in town

One of the most surprising players to emerge on the entire roster was redshirt junior Marquis Gracial. Early on into fall camp, it was clear that Gracial had taken multiple strides to boost his chances of an increased role with the Tigers.

"I would say Marquis Gracial has probably grabbed my eye the most, just the difference in how he plays and how he commands his performance," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference August 2.

The competitive nature of Gracial has really aided in his rise up the depth chart. His improvements in the offseason have also created plenty of confidence for the rising junior.

"I've been here the whole time, so I know how things go in the program," Gracial told MissouriOnSI. "I would say I'm pretty confident going into the season, just off of how I've prepared, but I'm still competing with everybody else in the room."

There's a very real possibility now that Gracial becomes the team's second defensive tackle at some point during the season. He'll battle Sterling Webb for the role, who battled off and on injuries throughout fall camp.

CB Depth is set

One of the positional battles that many had an eye on revolved around the depth at the cornerback spot. It was clear that senior Dreyden Norwood would hold onto the top spot in the room, but a mixture of Toriano Pride Jr., Nick DeLoach Jr. and Washington State transfer Stephen Hall would be the ones contending for the second spot.

Through the second week of fall camp, three of those players established themselves as the guys who would start. Unsurprisingly, they are the ones with the most collegiate experience.

"I think Stephen Hall and Toriano (Pride Jr.) and Drey (Norwood), all three of them are really, in my mind, are starters," Drinkwitz said August 9. "Those guys have played a lot of football and been effective in coverage for a long time, so it's really a luxury that we have."

Norwood and Pride were two primary contributors last season, so them having big roles this season makes sense. Hall has plenty of playing experience from playing with the Cougars, something that should translate to the field this season for Missouri.

Freshman standouts

Drinkwitz entered fall camp looking for an extreme amount of depth on the defense, and some of his true freshmen certainly will help out with that. Multiple players at multiple positions have started to appear to have the ability to help out.

One of those guys is former four-star defensive end Daeden Hopkins. He wasn't expected to be a guy that could help right away, but that certainly isn't the case.

"Daeden Hopkins, the way he played today, he's gonna play himself into a role real quick," Drinkwitz said August 9. "That was impressive stuff today."

Three-star defensive tackle Jason Dowell has also stood out so far. He'll be able to add even more depth to the defensive tackle room.

"Jason Dowell's a guy we're going to be able to count on at the line," Drinkwitz said. "So I've been very impressed with the progress over the last week."

Defensive end Javion Hilson and linebacker Dante McClellan have also been impressive. Drinkwitz has spoken highly of both of them, including saying McClellan is a player that the Tigers should be able to count on.

The talented freshmen class that Drinkwitz brought in is already finding ways to make an impact. If injuries occur or certain players aren't playing up to standards, it's very possible that one of the mentioned fresehmen could be slotted in.

This article first appeared on Missouri Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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