Missouri football will take its turn in the spotlight Monday as the Southeastern Conference opens its annual football media days in Tampa.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz will represent the Tigers alongside running back Jamal Roberts, linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez and offensive tackle Cayden Green.
Missouri will appear on the first day of the four-day event with Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee. SEC Media Days will run Monday through Thursday.
The Tigers enter the event attempting to rebound from an 8-5 season that followed consecutive double-digit-win campaigns.
Missouri finished 11-2 and won the Cotton Bowl following the 2023 season before going 10-3 with a Music City Bowl victory in 2024. The Tigers finished 4-4 in SEC play last season and closed the year with a loss to Virginia in the Gator Bowl.
Questions surrounding the 2026 offense will likely begin in the backfield.
Roberts rushed 124 times for 753 yards and six touchdowns last season while serving as the primary complement to All-American Ahmad Hardy. Roberts averaged 6.1 yards per carry and added 141 receiving yards and one touchdown on 18 catches.
His most productive performance came against Kansas, when he rushed for 143 yards on 13 attempts. Roberts broke a 63-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run to help Missouri secure a 42-31 victory over its rival.
Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been discharged from the hospital and is on the road to rehab after he was shot.
Hardy’s recovery after being shot in May could affect how Missouri divides its early-season carries. Drinkwitz said in June that Hardy was ahead of schedule in his recovery, but the program had not announced a timetable for his return to football activities.
Missouri will also enter the season with a new starting quarterback and offensive coordinator. Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons was named the Tigers’ starting quarterback during the spring, while Chip Lindsey takes over an offense that leaned heavily on its running game last season.
Green will be responsible for helping protect Simmons and leading a reworked offensive line.
The Lee’s Summit native moved from guard to left tackle shortly before the start of the 2025 season and developed into one of Missouri’s most dependable offensive linemen. Green returns as one of the Tigers’ most experienced players following the departure of several members of last season’s offense.
Missouri must also replace significant production on defense.
Six Tigers were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including defensive standouts Zion Young, Josiah Trotter, Chris McClellan and Toriano Pride Jr. Young and Trotter were each selected during the second round.
Rodriguez is expected to take on a larger role within the linebacker room after appearing in all 13 games last season. He recorded 61 tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while leading the Tigers with seven pass breakups.
The Tigers will face a different conference challenge in 2026 as the SEC moves to a nine-game league schedule.
Missouri opens its season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 3 before traveling to Kansas for a Friday-night rivalry game Sept. 11. The Tigers will host Troy on Sept. 19 during Memorial Stadium’s 100th anniversary game before beginning conference play at Mississippi State.
Mizzou football announced its 2026 home game themes and color designations.
After the three-game nonconference schedule, Missouri will play nine consecutive SEC opponents, with its lone open week coming Oct. 24. The conference schedule includes home games against Florida, Texas A&M, Texas, Kentucky and Oklahoma, along with road games at Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Georgia.
The expanded conference schedule, Hardy’s recovery, Simmons’ development and the reconstruction of Missouri’s defense are expected to be among the leading topics when Drinkwitz and the Tigers meet with reporters Monday.
The 2026 SEC Football Kickoff Media Days will continue through Thursday, with all 16 conference programs scheduled to appear.