The Missouri Tigers had a special announcement Wednesday afternoon.

Two of their walk-on players, running back Michael Cox and long snapper Daniel Hawthorne, were awarded scholarships by the team.

Cox, who has served as a backup for star running back Tyler Badie, has rushed for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns so far this season. His biggest game was when he rushed for 77 yards against Southeast Missouri State.

He also played a part in Missouri’s comeback in a loss in overtime against Boston College where he scored a touchdown.

Cox was a Georgia All-State running back coming out of high school, but despite that, he was not heavily recruited by anyone. Now, he has earned a scholarship at Mizzou.

Hawthorne had committed at first to LSU, but after he visited the Mizzou campus, he fell in love with it and decided to go there.

Hawthorne talked about his commitment to Mizzou to The Athletic.

“When I had gone to LSU and everything, they offered me, and of course, being the hometown kid, it was a dream come true,” he said. “But then when I went up to Missouri and I got shown around and met all the coaches and everything, it just felt like more of the place I needed to be.”

He went with his heart and it has paid off for him.