2024 RB Austyn Dendy commits to Missouri

Pine Bluff (Ark.) three-star running back Austyn Dendy has committed to Missouri.

The 6-foot-1, 194-pounder chose the Tigers over Ole Miss and Tulsa. He also held offers from the likes of Mississippi State, Purdue and Michigan State.

Dendy is a two-way prospect that can play at running back, wide receiver and defensive back. He also plays basketball and runs track and field. As a junior at Pine Bluff, he finished with 14 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 26 passes for 347 yards and three scores. On defense, he had 12 tackles and three interceptions.

Dendy does not currently have an On3 NIL Valuation. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Dendy joins growing Missouri class

With the addition of Dendy, Mizzou’s 2024 recruiting class now features 16 total commits. The class ranks No. 42 in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking.

The class is headlined by Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North Five-Star Plus+ EDGE Williams Nwaneri, the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Nwaneri chose the Tigers over Oklahoma and Georgia.

“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made,” Nwaneri said of choosing Mizzou. “But I had to do what was best for me.”Really, I felt like I was most comfortable with that coaching staff. It’s close to home and all that, so I felt like it was the right decision for me at the time.”

Behind Nwaneri, Jonesboro (Ark.) Valley View four-star linebacker Brian Huff is the No. 5 player in Arkansas, while Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star wide receiver James Madison II is the Tigers’ highest-ranked offensive commitment.

The Sunshine State makes up almost 33% of Eli Drinkwitz’ pledge list. Madison is one of five Floridians that are currently headed to Columbia next season, as is Panama City A. Crawford Mosley three-star cornerback Cameron Keys, Hudson three-star EDGE Elias Williams, St. Thomas Aquinas three-star LB Nicholas Rodriguez and Fort Lauderdale Western three-star defensive lineman Justin Bodford.

The Tigers’ class ranks No. 15 in the SEC, ahead of only Vanderbilt. Last cycle, Mizzou finished with the No. 36 class nationally and the No. 13 class in its conference.