Eli Drinkwitz praises Zion Young’s energy, says Alabama penalty cost Mizzou ‘jack squat’
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The Tigers have been one of the best defensive teams in all of college football through the first 8 weeks of the 2025 season, and one of the biggest stars on the Mizzou defense has been senior edge rusher Zion Young.
Young has become the linchpin for the Tigers’ defense this year, and head coach Eli Drinkwitz praised the senior captain’s energy and the “edge” he plays with during a press conference earlier this week.
“He’s got a side to him that’s, you know, the way he plays,” Drinkwitz said. “… Bill Parcels said it best. If you’re going to play with an edge, you’re probably going to live with an edge. He’s got an edge.”
This edge that Drinkwitz describes primarily presents itself in positive ways, but there are some instances when Young can let his competitive nature get the best of him. One notable instance of this happening was early in the game against Alabama, when Young stood over and taunted a Crimson Tide player following a stop on third down.
Mizzou was about to get the ball back, but Young was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, which gave the Tide a first down and ultimately led to a touchdown that tied the game up early.
Following the loss, some tried to tie the outcome to Young’s penalty, but Drinkwitz came to his star pass rusher’s defense during his Wednesday presser, saying that the penalty didn’t cost the team “jack squat.”
“I’m so tired of hearing about that penalty (against Alabama) cost us the game. That was the second play of the game. It didn’t cost us anything,” Drinkwitz said. “Is it something that we’ve got to correct? Absolutely. Is it a self-inflicted wound? Hundred percent. But, that narrative needs to go in the trash can because that didn’t cost us jack squat.”
Young leads the team with 9.5 tackles for loss this season. He also has 5 sacks (second) and 23 total tackles (fourth). He and the Tigers face Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville.
