Mizzou lands commitment from 4-star LB JJ Bush

Theodore (Ala.) four-star linebacker JJ Bush has committed to Missouri, he tells Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.

He chose the Tigers after decommitting from Arkansas earlier this week following the firing of head coach Sam Pittman. Mississippi State and Tulane were others pushing this fall.

Bush is the No. 307 overall prospect and No. 20 LB 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. 15 player in Alabama.

Rivals ranks him higher than other recruiting services. The Rivals300 was updated last month and Bush checked in as the No. 195 recruit, No. 11 LB and No. 9 player in the Yellowhammer State.

Eli Drinkwitz and Co. have added a big blue-chipper to a scant 2026 recruiting class in Columbia. Mississippi State had Bush on campus last weekend ahead of his decommitment from Arkansas and was the team trending this week, but the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder is locking in with the Tigers.

Mizzou was previously in the mix for Bush ahead of his commitment this summer, when he chose the Hogs over it and LSU. A few months later and Mizzou has circled back, now adding its first industry four-star recruit to the fold this cycle. Tigers linebackers coach Derek Nicholson has been after Bush for a long time.

“Coach D-Nic was the first coach to offer me when he was at Miami,” Bush told Rivals’ Chad Simmons back in April. “He got things started for me. He made the move to Missouri and he is hitting me up almost every day. I haven’t been able to visit yet, so I can’t wait for the official visit. I like D-Nic a lot and he thinks I can make a lot of plays in that Missouri defense.”

Bush now headlines Mizzou’s 2026 class

With Bush now in the mix, Mizzou’s 2026 recruiting class is up to 13 commitments. The Tigers have been on a mini surge this fall and are starting to add big pieces to the puzzle.

At the end of September, the Tigers landed commitments from Missouri City (Texas) defensive lineman DeMarcus Johnson, the No. 2 JUCO prospect in the cycle, as well as Magnolia (Miss.) South Pike EDGE Micah Nickerson, who flipped from Mississippi State.

Nickerson made a major jump in the latest Rivals300 rankings last month, moving from unranked to No. 151 overall. Not long after, he opted to flip from the in-state Bulldogs.

“Nickerson is someone who we have always had on the radar due to his production and raw athletic ability,” Rivals National Scout Cody Bellaire said. “So far as a senior, he continues to be productive getting after the quarterback and is still flying off the snap. But he looks like he’s added some mass throughout his frame and still has the sensational burst that scares the bejeezus out of offensive tackles. He still has some rawness in his hand usage and pass rush, but his physical and athletic gifts continue to jump off the screen.” 

Other top commits in Mizzou’s class include: Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Monarch three-star wide receiver Jabari Brady, Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb three-star interior offensive lineman Brandon Anderson, Warrington (Pa.) La Salle three-star quarterback Gavin Sidwar, Saint Louis University three-star LB Keenan Harris and Detroit Cass Tech three-star IOL Khalief Canty.