Over the weekend, the Missouri Tigers reinforced their secondary by adding several defensive backs in just 48 hours, addressing a critical area for improvement.
Throughout the season, Mizzou’s defense struggled against the pass, with opposing quarterbacks often having standout performances that exposed weaknesses in the Tigers’ secondary.
In the era of the transfer portal, college football teams can quickly and effectively address roster needs. Mizzou demonstrated this once again over the weekend when head coach Eli Drinkwitz brought in multiple talented defensive backs to strengthen the secondary.
The first addition was Stephen Hall, a talented junior cornerback transferring from Washington State.
As the offseason approaches, Mizzou is set to return its top three cornerbacks from the 2024 season: Dreyden Norwood, Toriano Pride Jr., and Nicholas Deloach Jr. While Norwood and Pride each have one year of eligibility left, Deloach has three. Instead of solely relying on the development of younger players, defensive coordinator Corey Batoon turned to the transfer portal to secure Stephen Hall, a proven cornerback ready to compete for significant playing time in 2025.
The Tigers continued to strengthen their secondary when UNLV defensive back Jalen Catalon announced his commitment to Mizzou on Sunday.
A Mansfield, Texas native, Catalon led the Mountain West with five interceptions in 2024, earning recognition as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the top defensive back in college football.
With these two additions, Mizzou’s transfer portal class now ranks No. 2 nationally, behind only Texas Tech.
Despite losing key talent, the Tigers have excelled in filling important gaps and adding experienced players to further enhance an already talented roster.
