SEC Contender Loses Key Defensive Lineman To Season-Ending Injury

The Missouri Tigers established themselves as one of the surprise teams during last year's college football season.

They had their first season with 10 or more wins since the 2014 season going 11-2, and were able to cap off the big year with a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. A bowl win that was actually their first since that same 2014 season where they went 11-3 and won the Citrus Bowl.

So, with the College Football Playoff expanding in 2024 and Missouri returning a large chunk of their key players, there is somewhat of an expectation that they'll be contending for one of the 12 playoff spots. An argument that was only made stronger with their impressive transfer portal class that 247Sports ranked as the No. 13 class in the country.

One of the headliners of that class was Georgia EDGE transfer, Darris Smith. The former top 150 recruit recorded just seven tackles in his two seasons in Athens, but was still ranked as the No. 170 portal player and expected to make a major impact. Unfortunately, his time to really hit his stride at the college level will have to wait.

On Wednesday, Eli Hoff of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Smith injured his knee during practice, and will be out for the entirety of the season.

According to 247Sports' transfer rankings, Smith was tied for being the Tigers' third highest-rated transfer in the class. Missouri is set to kick off its campaign on Thursday, August 29 against Murray State.

According to FanDuel, their win total is set at 9.5, while ESPN's FPI has them ranked as the No. 10 team in college football. The FPI also gives them a 37% chance of making the playoff, but they'll have to do so without a player in Smith who could have been a breakout star.

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