How Mizzou, Vanderbilt starters ranked as recruits
Even with relatively competitive contests the past five seasons, Missouri and Vanderbilt will meet for the first time as Top 15 teams.
Vanderbilt, a program similarly built like Missouri through transfer portal hits, also has notable underrated players who arose to key roles across its offensive line. The Commodores also roster a star pass-catcher — tight end Eli Stowers — who originally signed with Texas A&M out of high school as a quarterback.
Here’s how the projected Missouri and Vanderbilt starters ranked as high school recruits:
Quarterback
| Beau Pribula (MIZ) | 3-star (87 rating) | 2022 |
| Diego Pavia (VU) | Unrated | 2020 |
Pribula ranked 272nd nationally as a three-star Penn State transfer.
Running backs
| Ahmad Hardy (MIZ) | Unrated | 2024 |
| Jamal Roberts (MIZ) | 3-star (87) | 2023 |
| Sedrick Alexander (VU) | 3-star (87) | 2023 |
Hardy ranked 16th overall nationally as a Louisiana-Monroe transfer.
Wide receivers
| Kevin Coleman Jr. (MIZ) | 4-star (92) | 2022 (224th) |
| Josh Manning (MIZ) | 4-star (93) | 2023 (193rd) |
| Marquis Johnson (MIZ) | 4-star (92) | 2023 (216th) |
| Junior Sherrill (VU) | 3-star (87) | 2023 |
| Richie Hoskins (VU) | Unrated | 2021 |
| Tre Richardson (VU) | 3-star (85) | 2023 |
Coleman, who transferred twice before landing at Missouri ahead of the 2025 season, ranked as the 31st transfer nationally this past winter.
Tight ends
| Jordon Harris (MIZ) | 3-star (89) | 2023 |
| Brett Norfleet (MIZ) | 4-star (92) | 2023 (207th) |
| Eli Stowers (VU) | 4-star (90) | 2021 |
Offensive linemen:
| Cayden Green (MIZ) | 4-star (90) | 2023 |
| Dominick Giudice (MIZ) | 2-star (5.4) by Rivals | 2021 |
| Connor Tollison (MIZ) | 4-star (90) | 2021 (188th) |
| Curtis Peagler (MIZ) | 3-star (85) | 2022 |
| Keagen Trost (MIZ) | Unrated | 2019 |
| Isaia Glass (VU) | 3-star (5.6) by Rivals | 2021 |
| Cade McConnell (VU) | 3-star (87) | 2022 |
| Jordan White (VU) | 3-star (5.6) by Rivals | 2020 |
| Chase Mitchell (VU) | 2-star (5.2) by Rivals | 2020 |
| Bryce Henderson (VU) | Unrated | 2020 |
After departing Oklahoma in 2023, Green signed with Missouri as the 27th-ranked transfer. Giudice (Michigan) and Trost (Wake Forest) both joined the Tigers this past offseason as three-stars. On3 rated Trost the 292nd-best transfer.
Defensive linemen:
| Zion Young (MIZ) | 4-star (91) | 2022 (285th) |
| Marquis Gracial (MIZ) | 4-star (93) | 2022 (178th) |
| Sterling Webb (MIZ) | 2-star (5.4) by Rivals | 2022 |
| Chris McClellan (MIZ) | 4-star (93) | 2022 (174th) |
| Damon Wilson II (MIZ) | 5-star (98) | 2023 (22nd) |
| Khordae Sydnor (VU) | 3-star (5.5) by Rivals | 2021 |
| Aaron Bryant (VU) | 4-star (91) | 2022 (293rd) |
| Glenn Seabrooks III (VU) | 3-star (85) | 2024 |
| Miles Capers (VU) | 2-star (5.4) by Rivals | 2021 |
Wilson made a splash by committing to Missouri over Ohio State this past winter. Young, who chose Michigan State over Missouri out of high school, joined the team ahead of 2024 as a three-star transfer. Webb and McClellan also joined the Tigers two seasons ago as a three-star transfers from New Mexico State and Florida, respectively.
Linebackers:
| Triston Newson (MIZ) | 3-star (88) | 2022 (JC No. 40) |
| Josiah Trotter (MIZ) | 3-star (87) | 2023 |
| Langston Patterson (VU) | 3-star (86) | 2022 |
| Bryan Longwell (VU) | 3-star (86) | 2023 |
The son of four-time Pro Bowler Jeremiah Trotter, Josiah parlayed a strong second year at West Virginia into being the No. 44 overall transfer recruit after the 2024 season.
Defensive backs:
| Daylan Carnell (MIZ) | 4-star (5.8) by Rivals | 2021 |
| Jalen Catalon (MIZ) | 4-star (5.8) by Rivals | 2019 (243rd) |
| Marvin Burks Jr. (MIZ) | 4-star (90) | 2023 |
| Drey Norwood (MIZ) | 3-star (5.6) by Rivals | 2021 |
| Toriano Pride Jr. (MIZ) | 4-star (97) | 2022 (42nd) |
| Stephen Hall (MIZ) | 3-star (84) | 2023 (JC 174th) |
| Randon Fontenette (VU) | 4-star (94) | 2023 (125th) |
| Marlen Sewell (VU) | 3-star (5.7) by Rivals | 2021 |
| CJ Heard (VU) | 3-star (86) | 2024 |
| Martel Hight (VU) | 4-star (90) | 2023 |
| Kolbey Taylor (VU) | 2-star (5.4) by Rivals | 2021 |
A three-time transfer, Catalon joined Missouri from UNLV as the 108th-ranked player in the portal. After one season with Texas A&M, Norwood transferred to Missouri ahead of the 2022 campaign, but he’s not listed with any transfer portal information in the On3 | Rivals database.
Pride, another St. Louis-area product to return home, ranked a four-star and 57th nationally out of the portal from Clemson. A fellow junior-college product like Newson, Hall came from Washington State as a three-star.