Eliah Drinkwitz and his staff’s relentless efforts on the recruiting trail continue to pay dividends for the Tigers, securing commitments from two highly-ranked recruits this past weekend.
On Friday, El Paso running back Tavorus Jones became the first running back in the 2022 class. Jones considered offers from multiple SEC and Power 5 programs, and his commitment came only a week after his official visit to Columbia.
Within 24 hours of Jones’s decision, offensive lineman Deshawn Woods, a 6’5”, 290-pound Omaha Central High School product, also announced his Mizzou commitment. Woods is the top-ranked 2022 athlete from Nebraska and a top-20 offensive lineman according to 247 Sports. He also showed interest in Arizona State and LSU prior to committing.
Woods is the third offensive lineman to join Mizzou’s 2022 class. Lee Summit’s North Armand Membou and Lebanon’s Tristan Wilson committed within a month of each other in late March and early April 2021.
Woods can play at the guard and tackle positions, and his high school tape is impressive. Even as a sophomore, he demonstrated elite strength, good technique with his hands that fooled opposing rushers, pulling ability on run plays and enough agility to cut off edge rushers taking outside angles at the passing pocket.
The commitments are a testament to the work of the Mizzou football coaching staff, who has amassed one of the most talented recruiting classes in recent program history. Six of the 11 total 2022 recruits are ranked as four-star athletes by 247 Sports, a feat not accomplished by a Tigers recruiting class since 2010.
It’s fair to expect the Tigers to pursue more defensive talent in the coming months, considering only three of the 11 commits play on the defensive side of the ball. One name that currently stands out is Argyle, Texas defensive end Jadon Scarlett. He recently narrowed his list of schools to a final three: Mizzou, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Scarlett visited Columbia in late June.
Former Mizzou linebacker Gerald Nathan Jr. will be attending Southeastern Louisiana University this fall, according to a recent Twitter post. The Lions compete in the FCS’s Southland Conference and went 4-3 in their 2020-21 campaign.
