The Missouri football team had a great 2025 season, but got some bad news on Tuesday. Former four-star recruit James Madison II is entering the transfer portal, per CBS Sports. The wide receiver was one of the most talented players in his high school class nationally.
“The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder was a Class of 2024 four-star recruit who played at Florida high school powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas,” Matt Zenitz reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Madison didn't see much action at Missouri. He finished the 2025 campaign with just three game appearances, and also saw limited action in 2024. He will be targeted by power 4 schools, as well as other programs looking for help at wideout.
Madison worked as both receiver and kick returner in high school. His versatility will likely garner him a lot of interest.
Missouri is headed to a bowl game after going 8-4 overall in the SEC this season. The Tigers won four conference games.
Missouri just signed their coach to a long-term contract
The Tigers are led by head coach Eli Drinkwitz. Drinkwitz was seen as a candidate for some of college football's coaching openings this season, but he signed an extension in Columbia.
The Missouri head coach hopes that changes are made in college football, to how coaches are hired.
“College football is going to have to change all this stuff,” Drinkwitz said, per the Kansas City Star. “We’ve got to figure this out where we’re not putting pressure on coaches and programs and people during the middle of the week, where there’s nothing but speculation. We’ve got Twitter trending with bets on who’s going to be leaving or get this job. I was the leading bet-getter for a job I never interviewed for. That’s annoying. It’s bullcrap.”
The Tigers now await to hear their bowl opponent.
“Somebody’s going to ask me at some point, ‘How do you view this season?’” Drinkwitz said. “I would just tell you that it’s a good season. It’s not great. We had a chance to go to great and we didn’t get it done. As a team, as an organization, as everybody, we’ve got to find those inches. And it starts with me and it trickles down to everybody.”
Missouri closed out the regular season with a win over Arkansas on November 29.
