Sad News As Key Missouri Football Transfer Suffers Season-Ending Injury Blow

A tough blow for Missouri football.

Missouri football head coach Eliah Drinkwitz and the Tigers are gearing up for the 2024 college football season, which kicks off in under three weeks. Missouri had an impressive 2023 season, finishing with an 11-2 record, and boosting Drinkwitz’s reputation as one of the brightest young coaches in the nation.

A significant factor in Missouri’s success last year was their strong defense; however, that aspect faced a serious setback earlier this week.

On Wednesday, it was reported that edge rusher Darris Smith will be sidelined for the entire 2024 season due to a knee injury, according to On3 on X (formerly Twitter). Smith joined the team from the University of Georgia this past offseason, where he had limited playing time under Kirby Smart.

This news was first shared by Eli Hoff of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Last season, Georgia was the only team to finish ahead of Missouri, completing the regular season undefeated before losing the SEC Championship to Alabama, which prevented them from a third straight playoff appearance.

Aside from Alabama, Missouri has come closest to competing with the two-time national champion Bulldogs over the last two seasons, nearly pulling off an upset at home in 2022 and staying competitive during their road game in Athens in 2023.