Former Tigers across college football
With Mizzou on a bye week, I figured we’ve got another chance to take a look at how the former Tigers who transferred away have done this season.
All of these numbers are as of today (10/28).
Kewan Lacy
Kewan Lacy is still the big one.
The sophomore running back transferred to Ole Miss and has shined. He’s fourthin the SEC (behind Ahmad Hardy, Auburn’s Jeremiah Cobb and Arkansas‘ Mike Washington) with 696 rushing yards. He is atop the rushing touchdown standings with 12 scores.
The Tigers wouldn’t have Hardy if Lacy hadn’t transferred out, right after he hit the portal, Mizzou went hard after Hardy. But he’s already one of the other star running backs in the conference.
Since our last check in during Week 6, Lacy has had one superstar game, 142 yards on 24 carries against Washington State. And he’s had two good games with 87 yards and a score against LSU and 78 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma. But he was held in check against Georgia with 31 yards, though he did score two touchdowns.
Williams Nwaneri
After one season in Columbia, Williams Nwaneri hit the portal and went to Nebraska.
Since our last check in, Nwaneri has picked up the pace. When we looked during Week 6, he had 10 tackles with 0.5 for loss, one pass breakup and two fumble recoveries. He returned one of those for a touchdown.
Since then, he had a five-tackle game against Michigan State where he added 1.5 sacks. He also had a four-tackle game against Minnesota with a tackle for loss.
His season numbers now stand at 21 tackles with 3.0 for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. As well as the return touchdown.
Like Lacy, the Tigers essentially traded Nwaneri. In return, they got Damon Wilson, which has worked out alright for Mizzou. Wilson lags behind at 13 tackles, but his 6.0 sacks (and tackles for loss) is top five in the SEC.
Add on a fumble recovery and an interception, plus his 33 total pressures this season, which is tied for 14th in the country. He has done that on by far the fewest snaps in the top 15 with 273. The next lowest total is 305, so his rate of pressure is among the best.
Drew Pyne
After the Tigers added Beau Pribula in the winter portal, Drew Pyne left in the spring and went to Bowling Green.
At our last checkup after five games, the Falcons were 2-3 and Pyne has completed 87-of-135 (64.4 percent) of his passes for 830 yards and four touchdowns. But he’s thrown five interceptions.
His best game was a 29-of-36 performance for 274 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati. But the past two games have been a struggle, as losses to Louisville and Ohio have led to all five of Pyne’s interceptions.
Since then, Pyne hasn’t recorded a stat. He has been working through an ankle injury from what I can tell and is week-to-week. Bowling Green is down to its fourth-string quarterback going into next week.
Courtney Crutchfield
One of the highly-regarded freshmen in the Tigers’ class of 2024, and the highest-ranked receiver in the group, spent one season in Columbia before transferring to Arkansas.
At our last check in through five games, Courtney Crutchfield played in four, but had not recorded an offensive statistic.
Now he’s played in seven games out of eight and has not recorded a stat.
The Tigers didn’t directly replace Crutchfield the way they did with Lacy and Nwaneri. But Donovan Olugbode likely would have passed him on the depth chart at this point.
Mekhi Miller
Another receiver who transferred out of the room, Mekhi Miller went south to join Tulsa this offseason.
Tulsa has played eight games. But Miller has not played since our last check in.
He suffered and injury against Oklahoma State in mid September and hasn’t appeared since.
He had four catches for 27 yards against New Mexico State and four catches for 23 yards against Navy.
I guess Xavier Loyd is probably the direct replacement for Miller in the room. Loyd has one catch this year for 15 yards. That came in the Border War.
Brayshawn Littlejohn
Linebacker Brayshawn Littlejohn followed linebackers coach DJ Smith to Appalachian State in the offseason.
At our last check up through four games, he had recorded 10 tackles with 1.0 sack, and 3.5 tackles for loss.
He’s picked it up since. He had a seven-tackle game against Georgia State plus seven combined against Coastal Carolina and Old Dominion.
Through eight games, Littlejohn has 26 tackles with 4.5 for loss and 2.0 sacks. He has four QB hits.
I guess you could say Josiah Trotter was the replacement. Trotter has 53 tackles with 8.0 for loss and one sack.
I don’t think Littlejohn would crack the main rotation this season, but he would certainly be in position to next year with Khalil Jacobs and Triston Newson gone.
Austyn Dendy
A running back who never found his spot in the Tigers’ room, Austyn Dendy transferred to Bowling Green.
He appeared for the first time this season on Saturday against Kent State. He posted 20 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown. I expect our postseason check in will involve some more Dendy.
I guess you could say Brendon Haygood replaced Dendy in the room. Haygood has appeared at running back in just the game against Louisiana, where he had four carries for 12 yards.
Ja’Marion Wayne
A corner who never found his spot in the Mizzou defensive backfield, Ja’Marion Wayne transferred to Coastal Carolina in the offseason.
Wayne has been a primary player in the secondary for the Chanticleers. He has 35 total tackles with 0.5 for loss and five pass breakups.
Since our last check in, he has played in four games and produced a seven-tackle performance against South Alabama and an 11-tackle showing against Appalachian State.
Stephen Hall is the closest to a direct replacement in the Tiger corner room. Hall has 17 tackles with 1.0 tackle for loss and three pass breakups.
Jaren Sensabaugh
Another corner who transferred out, Jaren Sensabaugh went to North Carolina State.
He appeared in the Wolfpacks’ game against East Carolina.
Talan Chandler
After one year in Columbia, the young offensive lineman transferred to Northwestern.
Talan Chandler has made two appearances this year against Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe.
Jahkai Lang
The talented young defensive end spent two seasons with Missouri before transferring to SMU.
Jahkai Lang has been a consistent player on the defensive line for the Mustangs. His best game came this week when he had five tackles against Wake Forest.
In eight games, he has 15 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss a fumble recovery and five QB hits, three of which came this week.
If I need to find a direct replacement, I guess Langden Kitchen would be it. Kitchen has eight tackles with 0.5 for loss and three QB hits. A strong majority of his production has come in the past three weeks as he’s totaled seven tackles, 0.5 for loss and three QB hits in the past three games.
Jaylen Brown
Another talented young edge rusher, Jaylen Brown left Columbia for Columbia, South Carolina.
He has not recorded a stat for the Gamecocks this season.
I guess we look to Nate Johnson as the replacement for Brown. Johnson has three tackles with 1.0 for loss this season. He’s fallen back the past handful of weeks. After producing two tackles against Alabama, he has not appeared the past two games.
Eddie Kelly
Another transfer from the defensive end group, Eddie Kelly traded spots with Trotter at West Virginia.
Kelly has been a consistent player for the Mountaineers, producing 22 tackles with 1.5 for loss and 0.5 sacks. He also has two pass breakups.
Since our last check up, Kelly produced a five-tackle performance against BYU and two three-tackle games against UCF and TCU.
I’m out of direct replacements in the defensive end room.
DJ Wesolak
We’re into the transfers from after the 2023 season.
DJ Wesolak was a defensive end from Boonville who never got going with Mizzou. He transferred to Oregon State for 2024, then came back to the state to play for Missouri State this year.
Wesolak has 11 tackles with 1.5 for loss, one fumble recovery and two QB hits this season.
Gabarri Johnson
After not appearing as a true freshman at Mizzou in 2023, Gabarri Johnson transferred to Oregon State.
Last year, he played in six games.
After not playing much through the first six games (3-of-7 passing for 16 yards and 8 carries for 14 yards and one catch for 17 yards) Johnson has played well the past two weeks in limited opportunities.
Against Wake Forest, Johnson went 6-of-12 for 45 yards and a touchdown, the first of his career, then against Lafayette, he went 7-of-9 passing for 79 yards and a touchdown, while rushing six times for 82 yards and a touchdown, including a 52-yard run.
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