Missouri Tigers football signs historic 2022 recruiting class. Here’s who’s on board
Eliah Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers football program have put the finishing touches on a historic 2022 recruiting class.
Mizzou signed three transfers Wednesday — linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper, defensive lineman Ian Mathews and tight end Tyler Stephens — and two incoming freshmen — offensive lineman Curtis Peagler and linebacker Carmycah Glass — on National Signing Day.
There are now 28 new players on board for next season: 11 transfers and 17 freshmen.
Though it could change as more players continue to sign, Missouri’s 2022 class was ranked 13th in the country and fifth in the SEC as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the 247 Sports team rankings. That’s the best ranking for any recruiting class in program history.
“For us core value No. 1 is always compete, to do it better than it’s been done before,” Drinkwitz said on Wednesday. “For us to sign the best class in school history, I think was just living by our core values. The challenge that I had for our staff yesterday was now we’ve got to recruit better than that this year.
“The only way for us to continue to close the gap with the upper echelon of this conference is to stack these classes on top of each other.”
Drinkwitz said he does not anticipate adding any more high school recruits to this year’s class. However, he and staff plan to re-evaluate after the conclusion of spring practices to determine if there are any other spots that need to be filled through the transfer portal. He said Mizzou has the potential to sign more players and still meet the NCAA threshold of 32 players added over a recruiting cycle (some of the players signed are preferred walk-ons).
“We have the potential to sign six more, if needed,” Drinkwitz said. “Not sure, just to have them in the back pocket, so to speak. But for us our attention really after today turns to spring football and the competition that we’re going to have there.”
One of the most exciting players to sign Wednesday was Florida transfer linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper, who committed less than a week ago. He joins his cousin, North Carolina transfer defensive lineman Tyrone Hopper, who signed at the start of the semester. They are two of six transfers on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers.
Ty’Ron Hopper had 65 combined tackles (34 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two pass deflections and one forced fumble for the Gators in 2021, according to his roster page. His best game last season just so happened to come against Mizzou. He recorded 15 combined tackles, four for losses — including a sack for a loss of 11 yards.
“For me, it was just quite simply watching him against us,” Drinkwitz said of Hopper. “I hadn’t seen a lot of players play that fast against us, except for a guy who plays for the Chiefs on Sundays right now. And I’m not trying to make that comparison, but he is a long, physical linebacker who can really run and plays at a high level.”
The one high school prospect who chose not to sign back in December, offensive lineman Deshawn Woods, backed out and signed with Wyoming instead on Wednesday. The Tigers added Peagler, a 6-foot-5, 340 pound offensive lineman out of Demopolis, Alabama, instead. Mizzou was the first Power Five program to offer.
“Got some exciting news this morning with Curtis Peagler,” Drinkwitz said. “I felt like we did a really nice job of evaluating that and kind of playing coy a little bit with not really unveiling our intentions too soon, getting him up here on a visit and then keeping it quiet that we had offered him over the weekend just to make sure that nobody came in late.”
Mizzou Tigers’ 2022 football recruiting class
Player, Position, Height, Weight, Previous school (Hometown)
Luther Burden, WR, 6-0, 200, East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Illinois)
Joseph Charleston, DB, 6-0, 200, Clemson (Milton, Georgia)*
Valen Erickson, OT, 6-6, 280, St. Rita (Chicago)
Carmycah Glass, LB, 6-4, 210, Ouachita Parish (Monroe, Louisiana)*
Marquis Gracial, DL, 6-4, 310, St. Charles (Saint Charles, Missouri)
Ty’Ron Hopper, LB, 6-2, 205, Florida (Shelby, North Carolina)*
Tyrone Hopper, DL, 6-4, 245, North Carolina (Roswell, Georgia)*
Sam Horn, QB, 6-4, 190, Collins Hill (Suwanee, Georgia)
Jayden Jernigan, DL, 6-1, 285, Oklahoma State (Allen, Texas)*
Tavorus Jones, RB, 5-10, 195, Burges (El Paso, Texas)
Jalen Marshall, DL, 6-5, 275, St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kansas)
Ian Mathews, DL, 6-5, 290, Auburn (Columbus, Georgia)*
Armand Membou, OL, 6-4, 320, Lee’s Summit North (Lee’s Summit, Missouri)
Mekhi Miller, WR, 6-1, 185, Blue Valley North (Overland Park, Kansas)
Dreyden Norwood, DB, 6-0, 180, Texas A&M (Fort Smith, Arkansas)*
Curtis Peagler, OL , 6-5, 340, Demopolis (Demopolis, Alabama)*
Nathaniel Peat, RB, 5-10, 195, Stanford (Columbia, Missouri)*
Bence Polgar, OL, 6-3, 288, Buffalo (Wayne, New Jersey)*
Cody Schrader, RB, 5-9, 213, Truman State (St. Louis)*
Marcus Scott II, DB, 6-2, 170, Conroe (Conroe, Texas)
Xavier Simmons, LB, 6-3, 235, Northwest Guilford (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Dylan Spencer, OL, 6-4, 300, Jackson State (Jackson, Mississippi)*
Tyler Stephens, TE, 6-6, 229, Buffalo (Braceville, Ohio)*
Isaac Thompson, S, 6-2, 205, St. Louis University (St. Louis)
Ja’Marion Wayne, WR, 6-3, 180, Parkway West (Ballwin, Missouri)
DJ Wesolak, DL, 6-4, 235, Boonville (Boonville, Missouri)
Max Whisner, TE, 6-6, 240, Lee’s Summit (Lee’s Summit, Missouri)
Tristan Wilson, OL, 6-5, 295, Lebanon (Lebanon, Missouri)
*signing announced Wednesday
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 2:44 PM.
