Missouri sees Georgia connections pay off this offseason

ATLANTA – Eliah Drinkwitz knew Missouri had to improve its pass rush.

The Tigers’ head coach identified that as a top need for his team in the winter transfer portal window. Georgia’s Damon Wilson emerged as a top target once he entered the portal.

Drinkwitz got an assist from a former Tiger in order to land Wilson’s commitment.

“He visited with a young man who had went to the University of Georgia from the University of Missouri. He called Dominic Lovett and asked him,” Drinkwitz said. “And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Dominic Lovett and what he said about the University of Missouri and myself and really sang our praises. And that meant a lot to me, and it meant a lot to Damon.”

Drinkwitz added that Wilson also knew former Bulldog Darris Smith from his time in Athens.

Still, Drinkwitz felt his Tigers were facing an uphill battle before landing Wilson.

“Got a chance to go to an in-home visit with Damon, and honestly thought we were going into that in-home visit, thought we were dead in the water,” Drinkwitz said. “But we were able to get a chance to visit with him and his mom and his dad and convince them to come on a visit. And I think, you know, when you can get somebody on campus who puts your best foot forward and develop a relationship, you’ve got an opportunity, and we were able to do that.”

Wilson got off to a strong start with his new teammates this spring.

“I think he’s got a lot of twitch,” Missouri center Connor Young said. “He’s a young guy still, but obviously with him coming from Georgia, like they have high expectations, you know, we have high expectations. So I think it was a pretty seamless transition. I think he can take in some of the things maybe he’s learned there even and the things he’s learned here. And he’s trying to help the guys out. He’s a good guy off the field. He’s a leader. Guys can rally behind him. I think he’s just been a great addition to our team.”

Wilson will look to help the Tigers conquer a schedule that is perceived as one of the easier ones in the SEC. Missouri doesn’t play Georgia, Texas, or LSU. The Tigers do host Alabama in addition to road trips to Oklahoma and Auburn.

“We have a ‘something to prove’ mindset,” Drinkwitz said. “Whether you’re talking about our coaching staff, our players, we all have a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. At the end of the day, two-minute drive, fourth quarter, that’s not what you’re thinking about. You think about your trust and belief in each other, doing your job at a higher level. You can think about it as temporary motivation, but in the key moments it’s more about the belief in each other. That’s really what drives us.”