After first full offseason as Mizzou tight ends coach, Derham Cato talks state of unit

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Derham Cato thought it was over.

After nearly six years at Washington, he found himself out of football, back at a desk job in software development. The long-tenured coach missed the sport, and after 10 months off the field, he landed on his feet at Maine.

Yet Cato only spent two months with the Black Bears before an opportunity presented itself in the SEC. In the spring 2023, the tight ends coach reconnected with Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, a former colleague at Washington.

Moore got Cato on board with the Tigers, and after a season as an offensive analyst, Cato returned to his roots as the tight ends coach. Now following his first full offseason in the position, he sat Sunday at the start of the Fall Camp with a retooled unit.

“We’re really excited with the depth that we’ve built throughout the years in the position,” Cato said. “I think we have a lot of different skill sets in the room.”

Missouri added Colorado State transfer and veteran Vince Brown II in response to the departure of Tyler Stephens. But the Tigers still found an opportunity to add another body to the room, with Iowa transfer and former Class of 2024 target Gavin Hoffman jumping on board in the spring.

“We couldn’t say no when (Hoffman) entered the portal,” Cato said. “He expressed interest to us. It was like, man, a big guy that can run, and we’ve seen what he’s done from just his work ethic in his first year at Iowa with the weight he’s put on it. You’re always looking for dudes.”

“I’m just doing whatever I can to help this team win games,” Hoffman added. “So that’s all I’m focused on.”

Cato starts identifying roles

As Whit Hafer transitioned to offensive tackle, the Tigers returned scholarship juniors Jordon Harris and Brett Norfleet and redshirt freshman Jude James. Harris and Norfleet worked in tandem the past two seasons as a blocker and pass-catcher, respectively.

“What I like about those guys is the size of that room has dramatically changed since we first got here to now,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “That’s a position that in this league is a premium. … We would love to see those guys be more involved, especially down the field.”

The program has preached to its tight ends that in order to take their play to the next level, they need to find a role on special teams. For Hoffman, the redshirt freshman will see himself with a unit led by special teams coordinator Erik Link, the former tight ends coach who recruited him to Missouri in 2023.

“He’s super athletic,” Link said. “He’s got some of the qualities and characteristics with his size and athleticism that you would think correlate and translate to, specifically, some of the things that we do within the kicking game.”

Harris and James will also find opportunities on special teams this season. James, a Class of 2024 athlete, stepped forward this spring after playing just 22 snaps during his freshman campaign.

“Jude, to me from a character perspective, he’s everything you want in a kid,” Cato said. “He’s tough, he’s physical. He had a hell of a spring ball. He had an unbelievable offseason going into spring ball.”

James also played a significant role this summer in recruitment. He matched with tight ends and offensive recruits during official visits for the 2026 class. And his “personable” side showed through his business-like approach that Cato raved about.

“When you’re recruiting prospective student athletes, you want them to get around guys,” Cato said. “And I think the whole room models what we want a tight end to be like at Missouri, and Jude really embodies all of that.”

Terrell shows early development

Playing small-town football in Oklahoma, Dakotah Terrell emerged as a late target in the 2025 class for the Tigers. The three-star athlete enrolled in May, and as a bouncy 6-foot-8, 220-pounder, he entered the program as a developmental piece.

“You look at a guy with his frame, the way he runs,” Cato said. “If he just continues to do what he’s going to do, we’re really excited about his future here.”