Missouri

2026 rates aggregate verified completed-game box scores. EPA is expected points added per play.

Drinkwitz has described Simmons as Missouri’s first-year starter and said the quarterback’s confidence and rapport with receivers grew during spring. That gives Simmons a clear runway to direct Lindsey’s installation. His central challenge will come when obvious running situations disappear and SEC defenses make him win from the pocket. Matt Zollers, Nick Evers, Gavin Sidwar and Brett Brown provide alternatives behind him, though Missouri has not established a public backup order. The larger issue is whether Simmons can turn spring progress into timely vertical production without sacrificing offensive stability.

Hardy remains the player most capable of easing that transition. He set a school record with 1,649 rushing yards in 2025, scored 16 touchdowns and recorded seven 100-yard games, earning first-team preseason All-SEC recognition. His combination of production and explosiveness can keep Simmons out of predictable passing situations and force defenses to commit resources near the line. His availability, however, cannot yet be taken for granted. Hardy was medically cleared after suffering a gunshot wound and undergoing surgery in May, but Drinkwitz said the form and timing of his return remained uncertain. Jamal Roberts and the rest of the running-back room may need to absorb early work while Hardy completes football rehabilitation.

The line connecting Hardy’s effectiveness to Simmons’ development runs through senior left tackle Cayden Green. A first-team preseason All-SEC selection, Green gives Missouri an established blind-side anchor. The other four jobs must be assembled from a group that includes veteran transfers Zach Owens, Josh Atkins, Dominick Giudice and Luke Work, along with returnees Logan Reichert and Jack Lange. That competition is not merely about identifying the five most talented linemen. Missouri needs a combination that can create consistent rushing lanes, communicate against pressure and give longer-developing pass concepts time to work.

Defense brings the opposite balance: steadier leadership and a reshaped roster. Corey Batoon remains the coordinator, with Derek Nicholson serving as co-coordinator and linebackers coach, but transfer additions could feature throughout the unit. Miami edge Malik Bryant and linebacker Bobby Washington reinforce the front seven, while safeties Kensley Louidor-Faustin and Elijah Dotson and cornerbacks Jahlil Florence and Nasir Pogue add experienced options in the secondary. Their names create possibilities, not automatic answers. Tackling, coverage communication and a dependable rotation will determine whether the group’s experience translates into cohesion.

Special teams offers one established component in long snapper Brett Le Blanc, a third-team preseason All-SEC selection. Blake Craig is the returning kicker listed on the roster, while Mark Shenouda, John Butcher and Brunno Reus comprise the punting competition. Those roles may attract less attention than the quarterback and defensive changes, but unsettled punting and kicking operations can magnify pressure in close conference games. Missouri’s clearest recognized strengths remain concentrated in Hardy, Green and Le Blanc; much of the rest of the roster must establish its hierarchy through camp.

The schedule gives Lindsey and Simmons an initial installation window, though the trip to Kansas in the second week adds rivalry pressure between home games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Troy. SEC play begins at Mississippi State, followed by home dates with Florida and Texas A&M, a trip to Ole Miss and a road game at Arkansas. The sharpest pressure arrives in November: Texas visits Columbia, Missouri travels to Georgia, then returns home for Kentucky and Oklahoma. By then, Simmons’ command, Hardy’s condition, the line’s chemistry and the defense’s communication should no longer be developing ideas. They will define what Missouri has become.

at KansasFriday, September 11 · Time TBAMemorial StadiumAway

Win probability

74%