Say hello to my (current) favorite signee of the ‘25 recruiting class.
Missouri just kickstarted a recruiting class by signing three blue chip recruits. That’s never happened before.
Mizzou signed three blue chip recruits in an 18-day span, a feat only bested by the 2015 recruiting class when Gary Pinkel signed A.J. Harris (April 1st), Nate Strong (April 8th), and Drew Lock (April 9th) in an 8-day period.
Eli Drinkwitz’s first three signees of the 2025 class feature half the number of blue chip recruits that Barry Odom signed in four years.
And – most interesting – these recruits are not from what you would call Missouri’s “traditional” recruiting territory which we will define as in-state, border states, and Texas. Below is a list of every 4- or 5-star player that has committed to play at Mizzou that was not from the state of Missouri:
- Gilbert Moye (Texas ‘07)
- Dan Hoch (Iowa ‘08)
- James Franklin (Texas ‘10)
- Tristen Holt (Texas ‘10)
- Jimmie Hunt (Illinois ‘10)
- Nate Brown (Georgia ‘14)
- Terry Beckner (Illinois ‘15)
- Nate Strong (Illinois ‘15)
- A.J. Harris (Kansas ‘15)
- Damarea Crockett (Arkansas ‘16)
- Chad Bailey (Texas ‘18)
- Ky Montgomery (Indiana ‘21)
- Tyler Macon (Illinois ‘21)
- Daylan Carnell (Indiana ‘21)
- Dominic Lovett (Illinois ‘21)
- Sam Horn (Georgia ‘22)
- Tavorus Jones (Texas ‘22)
- Marcus Scott (Texas ‘22)
- Gabarri Johnson (Washington ‘23)
If we remove the guys from border states and Texas you’re left with five guys: Nate Brown, Ky Montgomery, Daylan Carnell, Sam Horn, and Gabarri Johnson.
That’s five gentlemen from the modern recruiting era that were blue chip recruits from outside Missouri’s established recruiting area that committed to play for the Tigers.
And El Drinkwitz just added two more.
I don’t know if Mizzou’s “recruiting brand” is evolving enough to spread from coast to coast but wins like Matt Zollers and – today’s topic! – Dante McClellan certainly make you wonder what sort of impact the Tigers now have in places that don’t have operational or historical knowledge of our favorite football team.
But enough big picture stuff: let’s talk about Dante!
Where He Fits: Again, watching highlight film doesn’t always tell the story. The Federal League in Ohio is a top-notch high school athletics league, sure, but even then you need to take a-
HOLY $#!% THIS KID IS INCREDIBLE OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD WATCH HIS TAPE RIGHT NOW GO GO GO I’LL WAIT ITS FINE
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DID YOU WATCH IT YET??????
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THERE’S ONE PLAY WHERE HE BLITZES FROM THE SLOT AND ALMOST HITS THE QB BUT SEES THE BALL THROWN TO A RECEIVER ON THE SIDELINE SO HE THEN IMMEDIATELY STOPS HIS SPRINT AND DOUBLES BACK AT FULL SPEED AND KNOCKS THE EVER-LOVING PISS OUT OF THE GUY WHO CAUGHT THE BALL HAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHDSFAJDKFJAK
….whew. Ahem.
Despite being listed at 6’2” and 215 pounds, McClellan plays E V E R Y W H E R E. Hand in the dirt edge rusher? Check. Standup pass rusher? Check. Traditional outside linebacker? Check. Slot defensive back? Check. Wide Receiver??? Check! RUNNING BACK??????? Check plus baby!!!!!
The guy can rush the passer effectively. He can scrape over blocks and push the play outside. He swims and bull rushes through blockers effectively. He plays sticky coverage on slot receivers and has tremendous instincts at swatting passes away. And then he turns around and takes a screen pass for 60 yards or a wheel route out of the backfield for a touchdown because he’s just faster than everyone else.
I’m hyperventilating into a bag to remind myself that this stuff usually doesn’t translate straight away to college, let alone the SEC. But my goodness the kid can play and is effective wherever he lines up. I’m assuming the staff will use him as a linebacker but he could also be a dynamite STAR safety (or whatever we’re calling it now). The point is that he seems like a hybrid linebacker all-star. Yes, like a Nick Bolton-type. It’s possible.
When He’ll Play: As I outlined in my mini-roster math last week, Missouri is going to be in desperate need for linebackers at the conclusion of this season. I’m not going to delusionally talk myself into this guy becoming a starter in the SEC on day one (the aforementioned Nick Bolton needed a year of special teams duty to acclimate, after all) but WOW does he bring a level of talent to the linebacking room that makes you feel better.
What It All Means: Missouri is flexing it’s recruiting muscle in places that it’s rarely visited, let alone pulled blue chippers from. It found an uber-athletic talent at a position of need that was program-defining things on the recruiting trail every day. It’s another impact commitment on multiple fronts. Ho hum, just another day with Eli Drinkwitz as your football coach.