According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Missouri has landed a commitment out of the NCAA transfer portal from cornerback Sione Laulea. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz adds Laulea to the 2026 roster from the Oregon Ducks. One season of eligibility is expected to remain after Laulea just played his redshirt junior campaign in Eugene.
Laulea was one of the few Oregon players who missed out on the College Football Playoff experience due to the transfer portal. He did not appear in any of the three games, beginning with the first-round matchup vs. James Madison. Trips to Miami for the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech or the Indiana rematch in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl did not take place either.
In total, Laulea played in six games this season. Seven total tackles and two pass breakups were recorded on the year. Oct. 18 turned out to be his last game in a Duck uniform when the team traveled across the country to Piscataway to play Rutgers.
Laulea wound up spending two seasons with Oregon. This final year of eligibility is possible because of the redshirt he took during the 2024 season. JUCO was where Laulea’s college career got underway, playing at College of San Mateo. He was the No. 2 overall JUCO player at the time.
“The biggest fit for me was just development,” Laulea said last spring, explaining why he originally chose Oregon. “I used two years so with two years left of eligibility I feel like I had to make the most out of my two years. So the place that was gonna develop me the most and where I fit most in the scheme. I feel like this was the place, especially with the coaching staff. With Tosh being such an aggressive caller and Hamp as a secondary coach.”
The On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings placed Laulea as a three-star prospect. He was the No. 1,279 overall player to enter this cycle, also coming in at No. 154 when just discussing cornerbacks.
Just like everybody in college football, Missouri is working through some roster attrition at the moment. While plenty of names, such as Phillips, are filtering their way out, Drinkwitz is working to add multiple players to the roster. Things are going to look quite different for the Tigers in 2026.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.