Former South Carolina long snapper Hunter Rogers calls out Eli Drinkwitz for tampering after recent rant

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz is not afraid to give his thoughts on big-picture items in college football. One topic in a recent press conference was tampering, saying nobody is being punished for performing the action. Drinkwitz believes every Mizzou player is getting calls as the opening of the NCAA transfer portal nears.

A clip of the discussion got posted on social media, leading to South Carolina long snapper Hunter Rogers replying. He claimed Missouri made a play for the Gamecocks’ punter at one point.

“You can’t say that and then go offer our punter crazy money,” Rogers said via X.

Rogers did not specify which punter he was referring to. South Carolina had a redshirt freshman back there for them in 2025, Mason Love. However, Rogers was not on the roster in Columbia this past season after running out of eligibility.

Maybe he is referring to Kai Kroeger, who was a two-time first-team All-SEC member and even an All-American in 2022 (first-team) and 2024 (second-team). Certainly one of the best in college football recently, an asset any team out there would have enjoyed.

Obviously, Kroeger never made his way to Missouri. Five years were spent with the Gamecocks before making his way to the professional ranks. Kroeger went undrafted but has found a spot on an NFL roster with the New Orleans Saints.

Love appears set to return to South Carolina for another season. Head coach Shane Beamer is known for his special teams background, never being afraid to gain an advantage with the unit. At the very least, Love gets to continue to build up his resume in what will be his second season in the starting role.

Eli Drinkwitz discusses tampering inside college football

Drinkwitz discussed a whole lot more than tampering in his press conference. However, this topic gained the most traction online due to the modern use of the transfer portal. Players across the country are announcing their intention to enter it when opening in early January.

“Tampering is at the highest level,” Drinkwitz said. “There is no such thing as tampering because there’s nobody that’s been punished for tampering. Everybody on my roster is being called. I had a dad call me and say — and I called the head coaches at their schools — that, ‘This school and this school and this school called offering this much money.’ You’re putting a lot of pressure on young men.”