Mizzou Tigers football puts finishing touches on strong 2021 recruiting class
What used to the one of the busiest days of the year, National Signing Day, was quiet for Missouri football this season. Normally, the first Wednesday of February is the first chance for the vast majority of prospects sign their National Letters of Intent.
But the early signing period, set for December going forward, has taken most of the fanfare out of February. And Mizzou had a tame signing day out of design, seeing as it locked up a bulk of its class back in December.
MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz put the final touches on his recruiting classes Wednesday, signing three-star running back BJ Harris to round out the class. Junior college defensive end Shemar Pearl was expected to join the program, but he has since indicated he’s looking for a new home.
“I chose them because of the coaching staff,” Harris told The Star back in July. “It seemed like they had a strong support system. They wanted me.”
Missouri also officially announced Wednesday it has signed former Rice linebacker Blaze Alldredge. The former All-Conference USA defender will finish out his collegiate career in Columbia.
Harris was the lone recruit who still had to sign his letter because he didn’t join the program during the Dec. 16-18 early signing period. Despite restrictions because of NCAA infractions, along with no in-person contact because of the pandemic, Drinkwitz exceeded expectations on the recruiting trail.
The Tigers’ 2021 class was ranked No. 27 by 247Sports and 21st nationally by Rivals. That’s a major uptick in the rankings as Mizzou usually hovered in the 40s in lean years. Part of that was because of an increased focus on landing in-state products, which is exactly where Drinkwitz succeeded.
While Drinkwitz admitted they “missed” on getting Kansas City-area prospects — the Tigers signed none from the metro area — he vowed to continue to recruit the area hard. Mizzou’s already off to a stellar KC start in its 2022 class, getting Lee’s Summit’s tight end Max Whisner and Blue Valley North wide receiver Mekhi Miller.
The focus shifts now to 2022 and transfers. Mizzou can add reinforcements, like Alldredge, to shore up the product this fall. The 2022 class currently has four members, two from St. Louis and two from KC.
“I will say I don’t get a ton caught up in the rankings and all that stuff,” Drinkwitz said in December. “I think you gotta find the right fit. But it’s good to be recognized and have a benchmark of what we’re trying to create.”
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 12:03 PM.