Missouri edge rusher Darris Smith Suffers Knee Injury, Will Miss 2024 Season

The Missouri Tigers edge rusher suffered a knee injury during practice Monday that will cause him to miss the 2024 season.

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Darris Smith (19) reacts after a play against the TCU Horned Frogs during the second quarter of the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Missouri Tigers edge rusher Darris Smith, who transferred from Georgia in December of 2023, will miss the entirety of the 2024 season with a knee injury, the team announced Wednesday in a press release. Smith suffered the injury during Tuesday's practice.

“We are devastated by the injury to Darris,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in the news release. “He was having an outstanding camp and was poised to have a great year. We will support Darris in his recovery and look forward to him returning stronger than before.”

Smith, a junior, was expected to be a consistent pass rusher in Missouri's front seven after impressing the coaching staff during spring practices.

“Darris Smith shined bright in the spring game,” Drinkwitz said in March, “and he's really flashed that way for us all spring.”

Smith did not see much playing time on his two seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs. He appeared in five games as an outside linebacker in the 2023 season, recording just three tackles. In 2022, he saw limited action as a defensive linemen and special teamer.

Missouri has depth that will be expected to fill the void left behind by Smith in the form of redshirt freshman Jahkai Lang and senior Joe Moore. True freshman Williams Nwaneri, a five-star prospect, could also see an increase in responsibilities.

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