Missouri football doubles up in portal, lands defensive tackle, linebacker in quick succession
In the space of a quarter-of-an-hour, Mizzou doubled up.
Missouri football added depth to its defense Wednesday, securing a commitment from Michigan transfer linebacker Jeremiah Beasley, per a report from On3's Hayes Fawcett that Beasley reposted to his Instagram account. And Missouri wasn't done there, as about 15 minutes later Georgia Tech defensive tackle Eddie Kelly announced via his X account that he also is transferring to the Tigers.
Beasley and Kelly are the second and third players to commit to Missouri during the spring transfer portal window, following SMU offensive tackle Marcus Bryant.
Here's what that means for Missouri's defense:
Beasley adds depth to mostly young Missouri football linebacker room
Beasley is a member of the Class of 2024 and enrolled at Michigan in December, so was not on campus for the Wolverines during their undefeated, national championship-winning 2023 campaign, meaning he arrives at Missouri with four years of eligibility remaining.
The linebacker, listed at 6 foot 1, 230 pounds, was a consensus four-star prospect and was rated as the No. 6-overall recruit in Michigan.
The Tigers recruited Beasley while he was in high school, and he took an official visit to Columbia last June before eventually settling on Michigan. He held offers from a slew of power conference teams.
Now, he’s making the move to Missouri, where the Tigers were a little short on depth at his position.
Mizzou, which will carry over its 4-2-5 system from the 2023 season, lost last year’s preseason depth chart toppers Chad Bailey to eligibility and Ty’Ron Hopper to the 2024 NFL Draft. Hopper was selected in the third round with the 91st-overall pick by the Green Bay Packers. Both of those players spent significant spells on the sideline last season with injuries, however.
Chuck Hicks and Triston Newson were Missouri’s starters at linebacker for the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State in December, and are set to return in the fall. Mizzou lured experienced Miami transfer Corey Flagg out of the portal in December, too.
That makes up the presumed core of MU’s linebacker room. Beasley's role is to be determined, as he joins a room that is filled with mostly young talent.
Redshirt freshman Brayshawn Littlejohn and true freshmen Brian Huff and Nicholas Rodriguez will more than likely compete for reserve reps.
Kelly adds competition at defensive tackle
Eddie Kelly was originally recruited by USF, where he spent one season before transferring to the Yellowjackets. He appeared in 13 games for Georgia Tech in his lone season in Atlanta, starting five, totaling 38 tackles, five of which for loss and 1.5 of which sacks, and two pass deflections.
He attended the same high school in Orlando, Florida, as former Mizzou safety JC Carlies, who was recently picked in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Kelly is listed at 6 foot 4, 278 pounds, and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Missouri lost three of its two-deep at defensive tackle to eligibility or draft declaration, as Josh Landry, Realus George Jr. and Jayden Jernigan each have moved on from the program. Landry has since received a minicamp invite from the Detroit Lions.
That leaves just Kristian Williams as the lone returner with extended experience as a Tiger. He’s joined by Florida transfer Chris McClellan and New Mexico State transfer Sterling Webb as defensive tackles with college experience.
Beyond that, MU returns Jalen Marshall and Marquis Gracial with potential to play.
Missouri interior defensive line coach Al Davis rotated four players frequently at tackle during games last season. Kelly now joins the mix in Columbia for one of those spots.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football lands two defensive players back-to-back out of portal
