What Mizzou football’s 4 graduate transfers can bring to table in one year with Tigers
When Missouri Tigers coach Eliah Drinkwitz evaluated his 2020 roster, he knew there were some key positions that sorely needed an immediate influx of talent. The Tigers lost key contributors at nearly every position after last season, players either transferring out of the program or exhausting their eligibility.
So the first-year MU coach hit the transfer portal hard in the ensuing months to shape his team ahead of his first preseason camp, which started Monday. The result was four graduate transfers, all of whom are either projected to be starters or at the very minimum compete for starting jobs.
“You have to do a tremendous amount of research when you’re adding somebody to your locker room,” Drinkwitz said Wednesday “And somebody who could potentially take somebody else’s spot. There’s always a chance to ruffle feathers. For us, core value No. 1 is ‘Always compete.’”
MU’s most highly regarded additions — and perhaps those who fans are most excited about — are grad-transfer wide receivers Damon Hazelton and Keke Chism. The two will finish out their careers at Mizzou after taking entirely disparate paths to Columbia.
Hazelton, a two-time All-ACC performer, is a proven commodity Drinkwitz recruited from Virginia Tech. He racked up 1,329 yards and 16 touchdowns over the past two seasons for the Hokies after starting his collegiate career at Ball State.
Listed at 6-foot-2, Hazelton should be an ideal target for whoever wins Mizzou’s starting quarterback battle, lining up outside the numbers. Hazleton said he has a great relationship with Drinkwitz and MU wide receivers coach Bush Hamdan, which is why he committed to the Tigers.
“That’s my mindset no matter where I’m going and where I am,” Hazelton said. “Always have the mindset that I’m trying to contribute to the team as best as possible. Whether it was here or anywhere else in the country, my mindset was going to be the same ...”
Chism came Division II Angelo State. Drinkwitz has praised Chism’s work ethic, noting how much he loves to practice and work out in the weight room. Chism said he’s added 10 pounds of muscle since getting to Columbia, a nod to Mizzou’s SEC-level facilities.
The 6-foot-4 wide receiver is also the first newcomer to earn his jersey number, donning a black No. 6 at practice Wednesday. In a new tradition Drinkwitz has brought to the program, first-year players and newcomers must play their way to earning a jersey number.
Teammates have already praised Chism’s work ethic, even singling him out as the under-the-radar player who will most surprise fans this season. Drinkwitz said earlier this summer that he envisions Chism as a potential NFL player.
“The one thing to me that stuck out about Mizzou is, really from top to bottom, the way they carry themselves, it’s really a family atmosphere here,” Chism said. “That’s the biggest thing for me.”
Mizzou also grabbed its most experienced offensive lineman from the transfer portal in seasoned veteran Michael Maietti. The center started 33 games for Rutgers the past three seasons and should immediately slot into the middle of the Tigers’ offensive line.
Maietti said he’s still working to earn his teammates’ trust. That’s an everyday task as he navigates his first and last Mizzou training camp. He said he feels fortunate to still be playing football, unlike some of his former Big Ten teammates.
“I’m pretty lucky to say that I can play college football this year,” Maietti said. “Half the conferences in the country kind of shut down. I’m really happy to be here playing football.”
The final graduate transfer the Tigers added this offseason is kicker and punter Grant McKinnis from Kentucky. He was the Wildcats’ kickoff specialist the past two seasons and should compete for the starting role as MU’s punter.
While coaches have differing philosophies on graduate transfers — some take plenty, others shy away — Drinkwitz said he doesn’t hesitate bringing them in. He said he’s had positive experiences in the past with grad-transfers, including quarterback Ryan Finley, who made the move from Boise State to N.C. State at the same time Drinkwitz took the job as the latter team’s offensive coordinator.
The perk of snatching graduate transfers, of course, is that they’re immediately eligible to play without needing to go through a waiver process and sitting out a year.
“It’s all about creating quality competition at a position of need,” Drinkwitz said. “You can never have too many great players ...”