Eli Drinkwitz receives his fair share of criticism from his own fans and the college football faithful alike, but it is hard to deny that the seventh-year head coach of Mizzou has progressively raised the program’s standard of pro-caliber talent.
The Tigers have placed a plethora of players in the NFL Draft since Drinkwitz took the helm in 2020, and this upcoming edition figures to be no different.
With NFL Combine invites being sent out to players across the country this week, Mizzou announced that 6 of its athletes will be heading to Indianapolis to take part in April.
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Defensive tackle Chris McClellan, defensive end Zion Young, cornerback Toriano Pride Jr., linebacker Josiah Trotter, wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. and offensive lineman Keagen Trost all received invitations.
A 2023 transfer from Michigan State, Young enjoyed a productive 2024 campaign before he truly burst onto the scene in 2025. The edge rusher tallied 16.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks this past fall.
Meanwhile, McClellan joined Young in that transfer class, having arrived from Florida. The monstrous tackle racked up 62 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks through two years in Columbia.
A transfer from West Virginia, Trotter paced Mizzou with 84 total tackles and ranked second on the team with 13 tackles for loss this past year.
Continuing with the transfer theme, Pride Jr. arrived from Clemson prior to the 2024 season and picked off 4 passes over two years, while Kevin Coleman Jr. came in from Mississippi State and posted a team-high 66 catches for 732 yards.
Trost, who spent time at three different schools prior, was a reliable piece of the Tigers’ line last season.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
