Every position on Missouri football’s 2025 roster now has a newcomer.
Mizzou received a commitment Saturday from graduate transfer Bralen Henderson, a 280-pound, 6-foot-2 defensive tackle who spent the past four seasons at Ohio. Henderson, who announced his decision Saturday via his X account, is the first interior defensive lineman that the Tigers have added out of the transfer portal this offseason.
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Henderson is the fourth player Mizzou has gained out of the transfer portal in the spring window. The Tigers also have received commitments from Iowa tight end Gavin Hoffman, Illinois State wide receiver Xavier Loyd and Florida State offensive lineman Jaylen Early.
Missouri has signed 22 total players out of the transfer portal since the winter window opened. Saturday’s announcement marked the first commitment from a defensive tackle.
Henderson appears to have one remaining year of eligibility, adding some experience to a room that is losing its most veteran player.
Three-year starter Kristian Williams exhausted his eligibility at the end of the 2024 season and recently signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos. Mizzou didn’t lose any tackles to the transfer portal.
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Returning seniors Chris McClellan and Sterling Webb are likely to form the core of Mizzou’s defensive tackle rotation, but even with the addition of Henderson, the Tigers will still need to rely on some development from the rest of their returning cast.
Marquis Gracial, a 6-4, 330-pound St. Louis product, and Jalen Marshall, a 6-3, 325, returner out of Overland Park, are the frontrunners to earn the bulk of the remaining reps up front. Both have now been on the Mizzou roster for three full seasons. Both earned snaps in 2024.
In an ideal situation, Missouri elevates one or both into prominent members of the rotation.
“Really encouraging both Jalen Marshall and Marquis Gracial to take that next step,” Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said April 8. “They’ve been in the rotation and kind of waiting their turn. We don’t need them to wait any longer. It’s their time to play.”
Oct 26, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks into his headset during a timeout against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images
In 14 games last season, Henderson tallied 26 total tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss. He has 33 college games under his belt and 51 career tackles. The signing is unlikely to be more than a depth piece in the upcoming season.
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But, it does give the Tigers security and competitive depth in a room that could otherwise be stretched somewhat thin.
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Missouri now appears to have 83 scholarship players, which means head coach Eli Drinkwitz and company have room to add two more scholarship players and fall within the SEC limits of 85 scholarship players and 20 walk-ons for the 2025 season.
It’s possible that the addition of Henderson marks the end of Mizzou’s transfer portal work. If there is another signing, it’s likely to be a player who can compete for the job at left tackle along the offensive line.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football adds Ohio transfer defensive tackle Bralen Henderson
