Mizzou’s 2026 season is just around the corner, and the goal for the Tigers is to put themselves back in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot. They came close in 2024 after a 10-3 record but slipped to an 8-5 mark in 2025. One big change: Chip Lindsey is the new offensive coordinator, as Kirby Moore was named head coach at Washington State.
On Saturday, the Tigers named their 2026 captains. The list is headlined by Cayden Green, a preseason All-SEC first-team pick who will be tasked with helping lead the way once more for Ahmad Hardy when he returns to the field. He’s joined by Dominick Giudice, the Tigers’ left guard.
Jamal Roberts, Hardy’s backup, is also among the team’s offensive captains. He recorded 753 yards and six touchdowns in 2025 and will fill in as the Tigers’ RB1 during Hardy’s recovery.
Mizzou’s defensive captains are Nicholas Rodriguez and Santana Banner. Rodriguez saw the field in every game in 2025, posting 61 tackles and 4.0 tackles for a loss. Banner, in his second season with the Tigers since transferring from Northern Illinois, finished 2025 with 59 tackles and an interception.
Blake Craig is the Tigers’ special teams captain. After serving as their primary kicker in 2024, he was injured in the first game of the 2025 season against Central Arkansas.
Mizzou starts its season on Sept. 5 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
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.
