Eli Drinkwitz announces key starter will miss Mizzou’s opener
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Eli Drinkwitz and Mizzou will be missing a key part of their offensive line when they start the season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 5.
According to Drinkwitz on Saturday, offensive lineman Cayden Green will be unavailable for the Tigers. Drinkwitz didn’t provide details on the nature of the injury. With Green out, Mizzou will turn to sophomore Jack Lange and junior Whit Hafer.
Green has emerged as one of the Tigers’ most important members up front and is one of the top offensive linemen in the SEC. After helping block for star running back Ahmad Hardy in 2025, Green was named an All-SEC second-team player. He was an All-SEC first-team pick for 2026.
He started his career at Oklahoma but transferred to Mizzou, where he settled in as the starting left guard in 2024. In 2025, he switched to left tackle, where he started 11 games.
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Despite Hardy’s performance, the Tigers struggled to an 8-5 record and went 4-4 in SEC play. They went 5-1 to start the season but stumbled in the second half, going just 3-4. That included a loss to Virginia in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 27.
This season, Mizzou will begin the season without Hardy, who is still recovering from a gunshot wound he sustained in the offseason.
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Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
