Mizzou grabs commitment from one of portal’s top prospects

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boosting the Tiger secondary has been one of the primary focuses for Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz, through the latest transfer portal window. That focus did not change, on Tuesday.

The Tigers landed, by far, their most promising commitment with a pledge from one of the Top-10 talents available in the portal. Former Ole Miss cornerback Chris Graves Jr. confirmed his commitment to MU on his social media, after On3 initially reported the news on Tuesday morning.

Graves Jr. will come to Columbia as a starting-caliber member of position coach Al Pogue's unit, joining the five other players that Coach Drinkwitz signed to the secondary from the portal this offseason.

The Florida native spent three seasons in Oxford, playing for more than 1,000 snaps at cornerback through those 41 games. In 2025, he got into all 15 games in Ole Miss' magical College Football Playoff season, including nine starts. The redshirt junior amassed 33.0 tackles (21.0 solo) and four pass breakups through the 2025 campaign.

According to Pro Football Focus, last season, Graves Jr. only allowed 18 catches through the 35 times he was targeted for a 51.4 percent completion rate against him.

The former Ole Miss standout will bring some much-needed experience to the cornerback room, after Mizzou graduated former mainstays Dreyden Norwood, Toriano Pride Jr. and Stephen Hall following the 2025 season. Graves Jr. will help mentor the guys who still remain in that position group, including Cameron Keys and Nicholas DeLoach Jr., who are both set to return for 2026.

Graves Jr. is not only the second former Rebel to jump to the Tigers this offseason, joining quarterback Austin Simmons, but he is the sixth new member of the secondary. In this portal window, Drinkwitz addd former Oregon cornerbacks Jahlil Florence and Sione Laulea, former Notre Dame safety JaDon Blair, former Auburn safety Kensley Louidor-Faustin and former Michigan safety Elijah Dotson.

According to 247Sports, Graves Jr. was the No. 13 cornerback available in the portal, after joining Ole Miss' program as a Top-125 prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

You can find a full list of Mizzou's transfer portal additions below.

• Cornerback Jahlil Florence (Oregon)
• Wide receiver Caleb Goodie (Cincinnati)
• Linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr. (Auburn)
• Quarterback Austin Simmons (Ole Miss)
• Safety JaDon Blair (Notre Dame)
• Running back Xai'Shaun Edwards (Houston Christian)
• Safety Kensley Louidor-Faustin (Auburn)
• Offensive lineman Luke Work (Mississippi State)
• Wide receiver Horatio Fields (Auburn)
• Offensive tackle Josh Atkins (Arizona State)
• Wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery (Florida)
• Defensive end Jaden Jones (Florida State)
• Offensive lineman Will Kemna (Kansas State)
• Defensive tackle Donta Simpson Jr. (Miami)
• Kicker Brunno Reus (Florida State)
• Quarterback Nick Evers (UConn)
• Defensive end Cavan Tuley (Houston)
• Cornerback Elijah Dotson (Michigan)
• Cornerback Sione Laulea (Oregon)
• Wide receiver Kenric Lanier II (Minnesota)
• Offensive tackle Colin Sorensen (Charleston Southern)
• Running back Malea Fonoti (Montana)
• Punter Mark Shenouda (Tennessee State)
• Defensive end CJ May (Louisville)
• Offensive lineman Zack Owens (Mississippi State)
• Cornerback Chris Graves Jr. (Ole Miss)