Missouri continues big April, jumps in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

Eli Drinkwitz and Missouri entered April with no commitments in the 2025 cycle. The Tigers are now set to leave the month with seven.

Hermann (Mo.) High four-star EDGE Daeden Hopkins became the latest to join the fold in Columbia by pledging on Tuesday. The addition of the blue-chipper bumped Mizzou’s class up to No. 19 in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Hopkins is now the fourth blue-chipper to join the class and is the third highest-ranked commit for Drinkwitz and his staff overall. The class also ranks No. 10 in the SEC and is ahead of the likes of Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky.

Tigers building big class around elite QB pledge

The good momentum for Mizzou kicked off on April 4, as the SEC program beat out Georgia, Penn State and Pitt for Royersford (Pa.) Spring-Ford four-star quarterback Matt Zollers. The 6-foot-3.5, 200-pounder is now the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 2 signal-caller in the 2025 On300.

“My connections at Missouri were just greater than they were anywhere else,” Zollers told On3 upon his commitment.

Since adding the elite gunslinger, the Tigers staff wasted no time adding building blocks around Zollers. Belleville (Ill.) Althoff Catholic three-star defensive lineman Jason Dowell was the next to pledge on April 19. The flood gates opened from there.

Canton (Ohio) McKinley four-star linebacker Dante McClellan and Geismar (La.) Dutchtown three-star EDGE Joshua Lewis each committed on April 22. Eureka (Mo.) four-star offensive tackle Jack Lange — a top-200 overall recruit and the No. 1 prospect in Missouri — followed suit two days later.

“It’s close to home,” Lange told On3. “When I think of what I want in a college town, campus, academics and football, it’s everything that I want and I’m really excited to be a part of it. I’ve been told by Missouri’s coaches that I’m going to be a pillar in this recruiting class. I want to be able to help bring guys in and build this class up to something that’s really special. With me and Matt Zollers, I think we can really turn this thing into something that’s going to be great.” 

Saint Louis DeSmet three-star LB Jason King and now Hopkins have rounded out a spectacular month on the trail for the Tigers. After inking the No. 21 class in the nation last cycle, Mizzou is on pace to add another notch to its recruiting belt this winter.