Missouri Tigers search for football playmakers under new offensive coordinator

The Missouri Tigers football team hit the indoor practice facility again this week, providing another look at some of the new faces for the 2026 season.

The new additions to the coaching staff and roster are still learning about the MU program and where they fit in. The most notable addition to the Tigers’ staff is offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

While Lindsey is new to the Mizzou staff, he is no stranger to the program and culture that head coach Eli Drinkwitz has instilled in Columbia over the last six seasons.

"I've always admired this place from afar," Lindsey said. "A lot of great players have come from this program, and then what Coach (Drinkwitz has) done here has been amazing."

This is Lindsey's first time coaching on staff alongside Drinkwitz, but the two are by no means strangers. They faced off as head coaches in 2019 with Drinkwitz at Appalachian State and Lindsey at Troy. The coaches are quite similar in their offensive schemes and ideas, often using up-tempo, quick passes mixed with run-pass options to quickly move the ball downfield.

"Coach Drink and I have a very similar background offensively," Lindsey said. "Whether you call something red or something blue, it doesn't really matter. It's the same concept."

Lindsey won't have to worry about adjusting his scheme, instead moving his focus to identifying offensive "playmakers."

The run game is relatively simple with the return of both Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts in the backfield. Hardy is coming off a spectacular 2025 as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.

"He's able to understand fronts and the scheme that we're running, whether it's outside zone, inside zone or a gap scheme," Lindsey said. "(He does) what you like in a running back. (He) doesn't do a lot of dancing around, which is good."

The pass game is a little less certain, mixing in returners like Donovan Olugbode and transfers like Cayden Lee and Caleb Goodie. Regardless of who is catching the ball, Lindsey is aiming to attack the field vertically, trusting his receivers to come down with 50/50 balls.

"I'm looking for guys that can make contested catches," Lindsey said. "These guys are gonna get a lot of opportunities this spring. That's an emphasis for us: really trying to throw the ball down the field and see who can go make plays."

Olugbode and offensive lineman Cayden Green provided their perspectives on Lindsey and the offense as a whole. Regarding Lindsey, both players had high praise.

"He's awesome," Green said. "He knows what he's talking about. He knows what he's doing. These past three days have been really fun. I'm excited to keep learning."

Olugbode said, "Chip is great. He brings a new juice to the offense; a new flow."

One specific thing Green appreciates is that Lindsey encourages a "more O-line-friendly offense." He couldn't get into specifics, stating that it's "stuff O-linemen like."

Green is eager to continue developing as a player, citing that as a major reason he decided to return to Mizzou for another season. His presence as an experienced and talented athlete will boost the line while allowing Missouri's run game to flourish.

"What we're working to do is reset the line of scrimmage," Green said. "If we could do that better than we did last year, our run game will go even further."

Olugbode offered some thoughts on the wide receiver room. With many of his teammates in 2025 having parted ways with the Tigers, Olugbode is embracing the turnover and recognizing the talent that the transfer portal brought.

"I've got a good relationship with Cayden Lee," Olugbode said. "Good player, great work ethic, good dude in general."

Lee, a transfer from Ole Miss, is expected to significantly bolster Missouri's wideout room. According to Olugbode, he excels at contested catches. The Tigers also gained Goodie from the portal, and his main strength is his speed.

"I like Caleb Goodie a lot," Olugbode said. "He's really fast, he can run, he can catch the ball. He's a good player, man. He's got elite speed in the room."

Olugbode also spoke about Shaun Terry, another young and developing player. Both Olugbode and Terry are looking to take leaps and improve after learning the Mizzou system for a year.

For Olugbode himself, he is hoping to improve his yards after catch. He has also been getting involved with the special teams unit, returning punts at practice to prepare for a potentially expanded role in 2026.

With several new players and a new offensive coordinator, it's unclear exactly how Mizzou's offense will look in 2026. Lindsey, Olugbode, Green and the rest of the Tigers will continue to evolve and grow with each spring practice.

Copyright 2026 Columbia Missourian

This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Missouri Tigers search for football playmakers under new offensive coordinator."