Mizzou Loses Two Defensive Players to Season-Ending Injuries

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Tuesday two players will miss the remainder of the season.

Oct 12, 2024; Columbia, Missouri USA; Missouri Tigers linebacker Khalil Jacobs (29) looks onto the field during a game against Vanderbilt at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. / Matt Guzman/MissouriOnSI

The Missouri Tigers will be without inside linebacker Khalil Jacobs and defensive end Joe Moore III for the remainder of the season, head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced in a press conference Tuesday.

Jacobs exited the team's Week 7 game against UMass with an unknown injury. Moore suffered an injury in the week ahead, causing him to miss the game against UMass.

Jacobs, a transfer from South Alabama, was an important part of the 40% of defensive snaps through the season. He recorded five pressures and seven tackles through his six games in 2024. He'll have one more year of elligibility remaining.

Drinkwitz is unsure whether or not the team will be able to apply for a medical redshirt for the third-year linebacker. Jacobs suffered the injury in the first quarter in the six of 12 regular season games for Missouri, adding some complications for the NCAA requirement for the injury to be suffered before the halfway point of the season to permit a medical redshirt.

The Missouri linebacker room will see some replenishment, however. Starter Triston Newson, who missed the game against UMass with injury, is expected to return Saturday against Auburn.

Moore was a member of a deep rotation at defensive end, taking 74 (22%) of snaps ahead of the Week 6 game. 2024 is Moore's final year of elligibility after spending the first three years of his career at Arizona State, including a redshirt freshman season.

Two other Missouri players had already suffered season-ending injuries, including backup quarterback Sam Horn and Georgia transfer defensive end Darris Smith. Horn underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring and Smith suffered a leg injury during fall camp.

Without Jacobs and Moore to help, Missouri will look to move onto 6-1 Saturday against Auburn, hosting one of the other Tigers of the SEC for Week 8.

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