By MATT PIKE
The Missouri Tigers football team is set to begin a new season hoping to improve on a season that ended last year with the Tigers right in the middle of the pack in the Southeastern Conference.
After starting the season 5-0, Mizzou lost five of their final eight games, still ending the season 8-5 overall, but 4-4 in the SEC and losing to No. 10 Virginia in the Gator Bowl. The Tigers dealt with several injuries last season, losing quarterback Sam Horn for the season, Beau Pribula for several games, as well as kicker Blake Craig for the season among others.
Heading into 2026, the Tigers bring back a solid group of players, with some new faces as well looking to replace talent lost to the draft. Missouri also brings in a new offensive coordinator in former Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsay.
Voice of the Missouri Tigers Mike Kelly says with Lindsay, Mizzou brings in a coach with a lot of experience, that won't change the offense much, but will also enhance some areas the Tigers have struggled in.
"Make no mistake about it Missouri is still going to run the outside zone, but I think that Missouri is also going to try to stretch the field with the vertical passing game, something that they've struggled to do over the last couple years," Kelly says on the KFEQmunnity show.
To stretch the field, Mizzou will rely on a new quarterback this season as well, in Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons. Simmons was named the starting quarterback by head coach Eli Drinkwitz earlier this spring, over sophomore Matt Zollars. Simmons could experience some growing pains, but Kelly believes he still brings a lot to the Tigers' offense.
"A left-handed kid, lot of zip on the football, gets it out of his hand quickly, is a guy that can launch it as well," Kelly explains. "You just look at his numbers, his best game was against Georgia State a year ago when he was 20-of-31 for 341 yards, had three touchdowns but he also threw two picks, and with 107 career passes a year ago he had four touchdowns and five interceptions, and so eliminating turnovers, and eliminating turnovers is going to be something that obviously Chip Lindsay and his offensive staff will continue to work with."
On top of the additions to the offense, the Missouri defense will have some new faces as well and could see a bigger role for a former Northwest Missouri State Bearcat, Langden Kitchens, as Mizzou looks to replace both Zion Young and Damon Wilson.
"A guy who I think maybe surprised some people a year ago but watching him in practice he was a guy that was constantly in the two deep from the edge position," Kelly says of Kitchens.
Kitchen recorded 13 tackles last season, playing in 12 games. During his time at Northwest, Kitchen had 30 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four pass break ups, two caused fumbles, one fumble recovery and one QB pressure in 20 games, three of those starts.
Kelly also sees Daeden Hopkins, a sophomore, as a player who could make an impact off the edge for Mizzou as well as Baylor transfer Kamauryn Morgan and returning fifth year player Darris Smith. Mizzou also added Miami transfer Malik Bryant in the offseason, giving them several players that could fit in to fill the void left by Young and Wilson.
"I think there's some pieces to the puzzle, it's just are those guys going to step up and play the best football of their career?" Kelly questions. "And that's what's exciting to watch and see as the season unfolds."
The Missouri Tigers open their season on Thursday, September 3rd against Arkansas Pine-Bluff kicking off at 7pm. The game will not be aired on KFEQ, with Royals baseball airing at the same time. The first Mizzou game on KFEQ will be September 19th.
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