Eli Drinkwitz addresses the impact on recruiting Texas with the addition of Longhorns to the SEC

Missouri has had some success recruiting the state of Texas in recent years, but head coach Eli Drinkwitz would love to have even more.

As things stand, the Tigers have 10 players on their roster from the Longhorn state. Drinkwitz would be in favor of that number going up higher over the next several years.

“I would say in the past we’ve recruited Texas really well. I think coach [Gary] Pinkel did an outstanding job,” Drinkwitz said at the SEC spring meetings this week. “We haven’t had as much success as we would like to have had in Texas.”

While Missouri may not have had the amount of success it would like to, the Tigers do have some impact players on their roster from Texas. The state is known as one of the best places in the country to go to for recruiting.

“We do have a couple of key players – Ennis Rakestraw from Duncanville, Texas, who I believe will be one of the top corners in our league – is from Texas,” Drinkwitz said. “Chad Bailey, our starting middle linebacker, is from the Houston area. So we’ve done a little bit of work there. Not quite as much as we would like.”

Rakestraw started all 13 games this past season, finishing with 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He also had 12 pass break ups.

Bailey started 11 games last season, finishing with 57 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Drinkwitz was also asked at the SEC spring meetings if Texas coming into the league will help with recruiting the Longhorn state. He doesn’t believe the addition will play much of a factor, he said.

“I don’t know. I think that’s uncertain that Texas joining our league is going to therefore somehow have an impact on us recruiting Texas in some sort of way,” Drinkwitz said. “I firmly believe it’s more about relationships and NIL.”

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz fires back

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz discussed several topics at the SEC Spring Meetings and he didn’t like the reaction to some of his comments. One quote, one where he compared what student-athletes are making in the form of NIL to other professions, had plenty of people talking.

So, in his appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show from Destin earlier this week, Drinkwitz used that platform to clarify his statements and, in turn, take a shot at the members of the press who took what he said out of context. He went on to explain that he’s all for the benefits of name, image, and likeness but that we all must also begin to understand what consequences could be on the table in it as well.

“Yesterday was a little bit of a disingenuous approach to media, to be quite honest. I don’t think my quote that made the rounds on media was taken in any type of context at all,” Drinkwitz said to Finebaum. “I was referring to the fact that I love the fact that our players make NIL. And I think that’s awesome. I’ve been one of the leaders in the forefront of that. Our state law is one of the most progressive state laws out there. I’m fighting for our players to have the ability to earn finances off of their name, image and likeness.”

“What I want everybody to understand is that there’s unintended consequences with giving 18- to 22-year-olds a large sum of money. And that’s what there needs to be an understanding of. We’re not talking about players making $10,000 or $12,000 a year. We’re talking about guys that are making six figures, seven figures — which is awesome,” explained Drinkwitz. “But with that much money comes a different set of responsibilities. And if we’re not careful? We’re going to look back in four and five years. And we’re going to be just like the NFL and the NBA. 78% of those professional athletes after five years removed from playing in the NFL or NBA are bankrupt.”