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Eli Drinkwitz made a bold claim on Thursday when he went on The Paul Finebaum Show.
His 2025 Mizzou team, the one that has to replace an NFL Draft pick at wide receiver and a fan-favorite quarterback, will be the most talented football team he’s had in his 6 seasons with the program.
“Very impressed with the way we attacked spring,” Eli Drinkwitz told Finebaum on Thursday. “I’m incredibly excited about the talent we’ve acquired on this football team. I’m bullish on our ability defensively. I think we’re going to have one of the best defenses that we’ve had since I’ve been here. I think we’ve got pros at every position on our defensive. I think we’re as deep as we’ve ever been defensively.”
According to Bill Connelly’s roster tracking, Mizzou returns 76% of its defensive production from last season — the fifth-best mark in the FBS.
Connelly’s numbers take transfers into account. Mizzou signed the sixth-best transfer class in the country during the 2025 cycle. That group is headlined by 5-star Georgia transfer Damon Wilson II and 4-star App State edge Nate Johnson.
The Tigers have to replace Johnny Walker and a few veteran faces in the secondary, but the portal class — 18 strong — addressed needs all over the roster in an effective way.
How does Mizzou replace Brady Cook? That’s one of the biggest questions entering the 2025 season. Beau Pribula transferred in from Penn State for a chance to win a starting job, and he’s competing this offseason with Drew Pyne and Sam Horn.
Mizzou went 10-3 last season, reaching double-digit wins for the second consecutive season. The program has never won 10-plus games in 3 consecutive seasons in Mizzou history. Drinkwitz seems optimistic.
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Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
