Mizzou DE Williams Nwaneri Finds New Home in Transfer Portal

Two days after former five-star recruit Williams Nwaneri entered the transfer portal, he made his commitment official to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Five-star defensive lineman prospect Williams Nwaneri smiles after his commitment ceremony on August 14, 2023, in Lee's Summit, Mo. / Chris Kwiecinski/Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

After announcing his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday, former 5-star recruit and Missouri defensive end Williams Nwaneri made his commitment to Nebraska official Thursday afternoon.

Nwaneri entered the portal with a "do not contact" tag, meaning he had already chosen the Cornhuskers as his new destination beforehand. The true freshman joins Matt Rhule's coaching staff that includes his former head coach at Lee's Summit North High School, Jamar Mozee.

BREAKING: Missouri True Freshman Transfer EDGE Williams Nwaneri has Committed to Nebraska, he tells @on3sports

The 6’6 265 EDGE will have all 4 years of eligibility remaining

Was ranked as a Five-Star Plus+ Recruit in ‘24 (No. 1 EDGE)https://t.co/vZxF8av6oz pic.twitter.com/23vMwHN3fy

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 12, 2024

The Tigers' landed Nwaneri in the Class of 2024 as their third-highest rated prospect in program history, not too far behind receiver Luther Burden III. He was a massive acquisition for Missouri — competing against nearly every team in the country for his services — and was expected to become a cornerstone of its defensive line for the next few seasons.

However, Nwaneri only played 38 snaps during the entirety of the 2024 season, appearing in just four games with two tackles and sack. Despite season-ending injuries to the likes of Joe Moore III and Darris Smith on the defensive line, he was unable to work his way into more playing time, even over fellow freshman Jaylen Brown.

Missouri played the long game with Nwaneri's development, but with the wealth of opportunities in the portal for him to get a more defined role, it was unable to convince to stay on the roster for any longer. He marks the first player to officially make a transfer from the Tigers in December.

With both Brown and Nwaneri departing in the last few days, Missouri will likely look to the portal to help fill in the gaps left on the defensive line. That could start with Kansas freshman Deshawn Warner, who it extended an offer to on Monday.