4-star 2022 lineman picks Missouri Tigers, bolstering already strong recruiting class

University of Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz is on a historic recruiting tear.

His already strong 2022 class added a 4-star running back, Tavorus Jones, on Friday evening. Less than 24 hours later, another 4-star recruit followed.

Offensive tackle Deshawn Woods committed to Missouri on Saturday afternoon, making him the sixth 4-star commit of the Tigers’ 11-man 2022 class. A 6-foot-5, 295-pound prospect from Omaha, Nebraska, Woods enters his senior season as the top ranked player in the state, fetching offers from the likes of LSU, Notre Dame and Florida, among others.

Missouri’s most serious competition in the race for Woods was Arizona State, of which he visited both there and Columbia last month. There was little doubt which side Woods chose during his announcement over Instagram Live, however: After donning a MU hat, he led a “M-I-Z” chant at his ceremony.

With Woods’ pledge, Missouri’s 2022 class is now ranked 13th in America and fifth in the Southeastern Conference per Rivals rankings. As it stands, the national ranking is Missouri’s highest in the Rivals era (since 2002) and the six 4-star pledges are the most in a single class since 2015, the final year of former coach Gary Pinkel’s tenure.

Woods will join two Kansas City-area players who’ve already committed to Missouri prior to their senior prep seasons. Three-star Lee’s Summit tight end Max Whisner and 3-star Blue Valley North wide receiver Mekhi Miller verbally pledged to the Tigers in September and January, respectively.