Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers made a solid pickup in the transfer portal, acquiring CJ May from the Louisville Cardinals.
May announced his commitment to the Tigers on Friday, per On3 insider Hayes Fawcett. Hailing from Highland Home, Alabama, he will have four years of eligibility remaining after leaving Louisville.
May stood out as a four-star prospect with a 90 score on 247Sports coming out of high school. He ranked as the 16th-best player from the state of Alabama and the 34th-best player at his position. Entering the portal last week, he listed 102nd at his position and 932nd in the 2025 class.
“Versatile pass rush specialist that shows the ability to play on and off-ball linebacker in addition to flashing the ability to develop into a highly productive edge presence at the collegiate level. Possesses some slight hip stiffness running the hoop but shows the ability to bend the edge and get home efficiently between the lines. More smooth and sudden than he is quick twitch explosive,” 247Sports' recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna wrote.
“Displays some lead in his hands and ability to move bodies naturally off the line of scrimmage. Plays with very little wasted motion and demonstrates above average play speed playing in space. Exhibits some proactive pass rush ability but still not down to down consistent. Willing physicality in block destruction, plus appears to have above adequate play strength at the point of attack.”
What's next for Missouri after landing CJ May
It's a strong pickup for Eli Drinkwitz and Missouri to add to the defense, seeing CJ May arrive for the 2026 season.
Drinkwitz completed his sixth season coaching the Tigers, going 46-29 since he accepted the job in 2020. He's kept the program bowl eligible for his entire stint, enjoying back-to-back seasons of 10 or more wins in 2023 and 2024.
2025 was a small step back for the Tigers. They finished with an 8-5 overall record, going 4-4 in their SEC matchups. The squad finished at eighth place, being above the Tennessee Volunteers and LSU Tigers while trailing the Vanderbilt Commodores and Oklahoma Sooners.
