Mizzou pass rusher, Georgia transfer Darris Smith to miss entire 2024 season with knee injury

Missouri will be without a key player for the 2024 season, with the school announcing on Wednesday that EDGE Darris Smith has suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for the length of the campaign.

Smith transferred to Missouri from Georgia over the offseason and was expected to be a key contributor. Eli Hoff, a Missouri beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reported the news.

Prior to his transfer, Smith had played in 16 games across two seasons with the Bulldogs as a reserve, totaling six tackles.

As a recruit, Darris Smith was the No. 117 overall prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranked as the nation’s No. 12 EDGE and the No. 11 recruit in Georgia.

Missouri picked as sleeper title contender

The 2024 season is fast approaching and many are expecting big things from Missouri, even with the loss of Darris Smith. Just how big?

Well, one national college football analyst picked the Tigers as the most likely team outside of the AP Poll’s Top 6 teams to make the national championship.

That was SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum.

“I like Missouri,” said Finebaum. “Missouri has one of the easiest schedules in the world if you can possibly have that in the Southeastern Conference. They will be favorites in most of their games. Don’t forget they destroyed Ohio State. They didn’t have one of their best players but they still destroyed them in the Cotton Bowl last year. They have a player that very few people are talking about that you will hear in the Top-10 of the NFL Draft – Luther Burden.

“Keep your eye on Missouri,” Finebaum added.

Mizzou is one of several teams looking to contend this year out of the Southeastern Conference. They have much to follow up on after going 11-2 last season but return and have added enough, especially offensively, to have another high win total potentially considering how their schedule projects.

Of course, staying healthy will be key for Missouri and the loss of Darris Smith will sting.