Mizzou continues fall recruiting surge with another blue-chip commitment

Many programs have already turned their attention to recruiting 2027 prospects but Missouri still has plenty of space to fill in its 2026 class.

The Tigers have now added two blue-chip commitments in as many days. On Saturday, Bryant (Ark.) four-star TJ Hodges, the top uncommitted running back in the nation, announced his commitment to Eli Drinkwitz and Co.

Choosing Mizzou over the likes of Arkansas and Louisville, Hodges is another big addition to a growing class in Columbia. He follows Theodore (Ala.) four-star linebacker JJ Bush, a former Arkansas commit who pledged to Mizzou on Friday.

“Missouri’s staff really made me feel at home,” Hodges previously told Rivals about the Midwest SEC program. “My family loved Coach Drink and he loved my family. They also love Coach (Curtis Luper), so just building that relationship with those two made me really comfortable about making that a place I could be committed to.”

Hodges is the No. 272 overall prospect and No. 20 RB in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 recruit in Arkansas.

Mizzou finally has recruiting momentum

For a majority of the 2026 cycle, Missouri has sat at the bottom of the SEC in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. While it still isn’t in the mix to sign a premier class, it has taken a major leap in the rankings and now checks in inside the top 40, despite having just 14 commits in the fold.

Bush, the No. 11 LB in the Rivals300, came back on the board following the firing of Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman. Mississippi State looked to be trending earlier this week, but he made the call in favor of Mizzou on Friday. He and Hodges are the lone industry four-stars in the class to date.

On Sept. 25, Mizzou landed the No. 2 JUCO prospect in the cycle in defensive lineman DeMarcus Johnson, who’s currently at Hutchinson CC in Kansas. Three days later, the Tigers flipped Magnolia (Miss.) South Pike EDGE Micah Nickerson from Mississippi State. Nickerson made his Rivals300 debut last month and is now the No. 151 recruit and No. 20 EDGE in the rankings.

Warrington (Pa.) La Salle three-star quarterback Gavin Sidwar was the first to join the class back in April. He’s now the No. 33 QB in the nation and is also a top-15 player in Pennsylvania.

“The coaches have high expectations for the program,” Sidwar told Rivals upon making his decision. “They feel like my skillset fits their style and expect I’ll come in and be a guy in the future that can help achieve their goals.”

In June, Mizzou landed commitments from six prospects, including Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Monarch three-star wide receiver Jabari Brady and Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb three-star interior offensive lineman Brandon Anderson. The entire 14-man class can be seen here.