What Eli Drinkwitz Sees in Mizzou's 2 Linebacker Additions

The Missouri Tigers gave his thoughts on what two transfer portal additions will add to the linebacker room.

West Virginia Mountaineers linebacker Josiah Trotter (40) tackles Cincinnati Bearcats running back Evan Pryor (6) in the fourth quarter of a college football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia Mountaineers, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Mountaineers won 31-24. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Missouri Tigers wasted no time revitalizing their linebacker room via the transfer portal, with two of their first four additions coming at the position.

Missouri first added Mikayi Gbayor out of Nebraska, 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior on Dec. 16. The same day, Missouri added Josiah Trotter out of Virginia, a 6-foot-2, 238-pound freshman who was named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

Missouri will lose some key talent with graduating players this offseason in Chuck Hicks, Corey Flagg Jr., and Triston Newson. Additionally, redshirt freshman Brayshawn Littlejohn entered the transfer portal.

But, with the two additions — along with a trio of freshman in Brian Huff, Jeremiah Beasley and Nicholas Rodriguez — head coach Eli Drinkwitz is feeling much more confident about the group.

"That room with those addition turns into a real strength for us at a position that got dinged up with injuries pretty early," Drinkwitz said in a press conference Wednesday. "For us building a roster, to be competitive in this league, you have to have competitive depth, and then you gotta allow young guys to go into the opportunity."

The position group quickly turned from being one of Missouri's oldest groups in 2024, to now being one of its youngest. And even though Gbayor and Trotter were two sought after additions, opportunities will not be handed to them.

"The thing that I've learned in this portal is that it's not my job to give anybody a starting positions," Drinkwitz said. "My job is to create competition and let everybody work to be the best version of themselves and those guys will earn their roles"

In this current era of college football, coaching staff haves to value production has over potential that might not be realized for years. Trotter has proven that he is capable of producing against high-level competition already. In his freshman season, he recorded 93 tackles and seven quarterback hurries.

"The production on tape is easy to identify," Drinkwitz said. "Obviously, there'll be a transition moving from the Big 12 to the SEC, but he's made of the right stuff. He's got the size and the framework, he's got the mentality, can tell he really loves football and prepares the right way, just being with him. So we're excited, thinking that it's an investment and a really good player."

Five of Missouri's seven additions through the transfer portal thus far have been on the defensive of the ball. The Tigers will look to continue to improve before the early transfer portal window closes on Dec. 28.

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