Meet The Freshman: Williams Nwaneri

Missouri football struck gold with in-state 5-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri. Here's how he fits with Eli Drinkwitz' 2024 class.

High School

Nwaneri recorded 149 career tackles in his three varsity seasons at Lee Summit North High School in Lee Summit, Mo. This past season, he recorded 50 tackles, six sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss.

Nwaneri's most dominant season with the Broncos came during the 2022-23 year, where he captured his career high in tackles with 56, as well as sacks with 12. He finished that season with 10 tackles-for-loss as well.

Recruiting

Nwaneri became Missouri's third highest-ranked recruit ever, according to 247Sports. With a 0.996 composite recruiting score, Nwaneri was the No. 8 ranked recruit in the country. He was the best defensive lineman in the country and the best in the state of Missouri.

His recruitment came down to two other schools outside of Missouri: Oklahoma and Georgia. At one point in his recruitment process, the Sooners were believed to be the favorite. They were on a recruiting hot streak that looked like it would feature Nwaneri. Luckily for Tiger fans, he chose his home-state-school.

Nwaneri signaled the beginning of the Tiger's hot streak, one that's arguably still ongoing. The Tigers landed 10 recruits, half of which were defensive players, after the commitment of Nwaneri. His commitment to Missouri, and willingness to stay, has been a huge step for the Missouri football program.

Fit with the Tigers

Nwaneri could get significant minutes from the jump on the defensive line. He may not start, but his snap count will be high.

Former Michigan State defensive end Zion Young could be the man stopping Nwaneri from obtaining a starting job. Former Georgia edge-rusher Darris Smith could also be someone who secures that spot. Smith is a bit of a wildcard positionally, but he has the chance to earn that spot as well.

As far as Nwaneri goes, his athleticism will be what makes him stand out. He moves extremely well for his size, 260-pounds, and has multiple gears off the edge. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has looked towards more athletic edge-rushers with freak builds in the past, a perfect example being now-pro Darius Robinson.

His height, standing at 6-foot-6, could pose a challenge. He was listed as an EDGE for most of high school but could slide down to the defensive line for coach Drinkwitz because of smaller, faster players like Smith.

This story is a part of a series from MizzouCentral this summer, breaking down where each new Tiger will fit on the 2024 team.