2026 Missouri Football Preview
Jake Wimberly
Abby Boyd Contributing-
What’s to like:
Missouri enters the season with confidence that would have been difficult to imagine a few years ago. Eli Drinkwitz has done an excellent job of raising the program’s floor, bringing them from a team fighting for bowl eligibility into one that expects to compete near the top of the conference. The culture within the program is strong, recruiting has improved, and they have showed they can keep up with competition.
Missouri has quietly done an outstanding job recruiting and developing defensive linemen over the past several years, and there is reason to believe this group could be among the better units in the conference. If the Tigers can control the line of scrimmage and generate pressure without excessive blitzing, the defense could carry the team through tough stretches.
What’s not to like:
The biggest concern surrounding Missouri is at quarterback. Austin Simmons is projected to take over as the starter, but replacing an established quarterback is never easy. Simmons has talent and upside, but if he doesn’t get his turnovers in check and stay heathy there could be problems.
Success under Drinkwitz has raised the standard, and simply making a bowl game is no longer viewed as a successful season. Opposing teams will be treating Missouri as a legitimate contender rather than a surprise. Additionally, the Tigers need to identify explosive playmakers capable of changing games. If they struggle the offense could become overly reliant on long drives.
What does the Hourglass say?
Missouri- SEC (7-5)
Power ranking 106.93. The 9th toughest schedule in the SEC.
2026 Missouri Analytics
National recruiting rating (three year metric): #21- outside the boundary of a National Championship Roster.
National Coaching Ranking:
Eliah Drinkwitz- 16th in Power 5 and 6th in the SEC.
2026 coaching value= 30.8 (average 2026 Power 5 coaching value=21.93) Eliah Drinkwitz is ranked higher of the pack for coaches in the Power 5.
Quarterback Play: Austin Simmons- ranked 20th in the Power 4, 6th in the SEC; 2026 QB value= 39.6 (Power 4 average- 26.43).
Impact Ball Catcher Metric: Missouri has an Impact Ball Catcher Metric of 3. This puts the Tigers at the upper tier for the SEC in this metric.
Final Thoughts:
The expectations for Missouri football continue to rise With Eli Drinkwitz as their head coach. The Tigers are no longer content with simply reaching a bowl game. A strong defense should once again keep Missouri competitive, but the offense must develop new playmakers and receive steady quarterback play to take the next step. If those pieces fall into place, the Tigers have every opportunity to remain one of the conferences toughest.
2026 Schedule analysis:
Projected Hourglass W/L record: Games in red denote games that could be a one possession game or even a different outcome than projection.
9/3/36 Arkansas-Pine Bluff- Win
9/11/26 At Kansas- Win
9/19/26 Troy-Win
9/26/26 At Mississippi State- Win
10/3/26 Florida- Win
10/10/26 Texas A&M- Loss
10/17/26 At Ole Miss- Loss
10/31/26 At Arkansas- Win
11/7/26 Texas- Loss
11/14/26 At Georgia- Loss
11/21/26 Kentucky- Win
11/28/26 Oklahoma- Loss
