Missouri Tigers land another 5-star basketball recruit. Here’s who’s joining team
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Missouri secured 5-star forward Toni Bryant, ranked No. 14 in ESPN's 2026 rankings.
- Bryant joins top-3 recruit Jason Crowe Jr., pushing Missouri's class near No. 1.
- Coach Gates continues 2026 recruitment momentum with visits from key prospects.
Coach Dennis Gates Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team added another five-star prospect to its 2026 recruiting class, securing a commitment from power forward Toni Bryant on Monday morning.
“Coach Gates isn’t just a recruiter,” Bryant told ESPN following the announcement. “He’s a teacher and a developer. He’s building professionals, and that’s why I trust him with my future.”
The 6-foot-9 Bryant is the No. 14 recruit in the class of 2026 in the ESPN 100 and 2026’s No. 21 recruit in the 247Sports Composite. He plays at Zephyrhills Christian Academy in Zephyrhills, Florida.
Bryant visited Missouri’s campus this past weekend, making an appearance on the sideline with Gates during Mizzou football’s Border War victory over Kansas.
He joins 247 No. 3 recruit Jason Crowe Jr. as players who are committed to Missouri in the class of 2026, at the moment giving the Tigers either the No. 1- or No. 2-ranked class in the country, depending on the recruiting outlet.
Bryant chose the Tigers over a number of programs, including NC State, North Carolina and rival Kansas, which he was scheduled to visit Nov. 2, according to 247Sports.
Gates looking to add size with Tristan Reed
With Crowe and now Bryant in the fold, Gates is hoping for a strong finish to his class of 2026.
Mizzou has already hosted top big-man target Tristan Reed, a four-star recruit out of Link Academy in Branson. The St. Louis native, who originally attended John Burroughs, has followed in the footsteps of his brother, Connecticut power forward Tarris Reed Jr., by transferring to Link Academy.
The 6-9 Reed visited Mizzou on Aug. 25.
Chronister set to visit Mizzou
Mizzou is set to host Aidan Chronister, a four-star 6-7 guard/forward out of Rogers, Arkansas, on Sept. 20.
Gates and associate head coach Kyle Smithpeters visited Chronister on Sept. 4 on the campus of The New School in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he will play his senior season.
Chronister has interest from multiple programs, including in-state Saint Louis, Wake Forest and Oklahoma State.
Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian