The Missouri Tigers may have to begin the 2026 college football season without one of their most significant offseason additions. A key transfer player who was expected to strengthen the offensive line could miss time at the start of the year after suffering a leg injury during team preparations.
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz addressed the situation while discussing the team’s recent practices. According to Drinkwitz, Arizona State transfer Josh Atkins sustained a leg injury that could prevent him from being ready when the season opens. Atkins had emerged as the leading candidate to start at right tackle for the Tigers, making the injury a potentially significant setback for the team.
Drinkwitz explained that the timeline for Atkins’ return remains uncertain. At this point, it is unclear whether the offensive lineman will miss only a short period of time or if the recovery process will extend further into the season. The coaching staff plans to monitor his progress closely over the coming months before making a final determination about his availability.
“Obviously, it just depends on how everything plays out,” Drinkwitz said while discussing the situation. “I’ll have a clearer update when we get to fall camp. He might miss some time, or he might not miss any time at all. It really depends on how quickly he’s able to recover and how well the rehabilitation process goes.”
The Tigers’ early-season schedule could make Atkins’ absence particularly challenging if he is unable to play right away. Missouri begins its 2026 campaign in September with a home matchup against Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions. The following week, the Tigers will travel to face their longtime rival, the Kansas Jayhawks, in the renewed Border War rivalry game.
After that contest, Missouri returns home for a Week 3 matchup against the Troy Trojans. The Tigers will then open Southeastern Conference play on the road against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Missouri’s first game in October is scheduled to take place in Columbia against the Florida Gators.
Given the strength of that early schedule, the right tackle position is expected to be particularly important for Missouri’s offensive success in 2026. Protecting the quarterback is always a priority, but it could become even more critical depending on who ultimately wins the starting quarterback job.
One of the top contenders for the position is Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons. Simmons brings talent and experience to the quarterback competition, but there is one factor that significantly influences the importance of the right tackle position: he throws left-handed.
In football, the offensive tackle responsible for protecting a quarterback’s blindside is typically the most important member of the offensive line. Because most quarterbacks throw right-handed, the left tackle usually holds that responsibility. However, with a left-handed quarterback like Simmons, the situation is reversed. The right tackle becomes the blindside protector, meaning that player must be especially reliable in pass protection.
If Simmons ultimately earns the starting job, Missouri’s right tackle will need to consistently prevent opposing defenders from reaching the quarterback from his blind side. That added responsibility is one of the reasons Atkins was expected to be such an important piece of Missouri’s offensive line.
Atkins arrived at Missouri as one of the most experienced offensive linemen in college football. Over the course of five seasons playing at the collegiate level, he accumulated more than 2,500 offensive snaps. That extensive experience made him a valuable addition to the Tigers’ roster and someone the coaching staff hoped could immediately strengthen the line.
Before transferring to Missouri, Atkins played for both the Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors and the Arizona State Sun Devils. During his time with those programs, he developed a reputation as a dependable and seasoned offensive lineman capable of handling high-level competition.
At both Hawai‘i and Arizona State, Atkins primarily played at the left tackle position. However, Missouri’s offensive line already has a returning starter on that side in Cayden Green. Green performed well last season and was expected to retain his role as the Tigers’ starting left tackle entering the 2026 campaign.
Because of Green’s presence on the left side, Missouri’s coaching staff planned to shift Atkins to the right tackle position. The move was expected to provide the Tigers with experienced starters at both tackle spots, which is often considered a crucial factor for building a strong offensive line.
With Atkins sidelined during recovery, Missouri must now evaluate other options at the position. During spring practices, the coaching staff experimented with different players who could potentially fill the role if needed.
Two players who have received opportunities at right tackle are returning lineman Logan Reichert and Mississippi State transfer Luke Work. Both players have been working with the first-team offense in practice sessions while Atkins continues his rehabilitation.
Reichert has experience within Missouri’s system, which could help him step into the role if the team needs him early in the season. Familiarity with the playbook and the coaching staff’s expectations can sometimes provide an advantage in situations like this.
Work, meanwhile, brings experience from another SEC program. His background with Mississippi State gives him exposure to the physical and competitive nature of conference play, something that could prove valuable if he is called upon to start.
While the offensive line situation is drawing significant attention, Atkins is not the only Missouri player currently dealing with an injury. Drinkwitz also revealed that backup defensive tackle Elias Williams suffered a leg injury as well.
Williams, like Atkins, is not expected to be available at the beginning of fall camp. The coaching staff anticipates that he will miss at least the initial phase of preseason practices while he works toward recovery.
Despite the setbacks, Drinkwitz expressed optimism that both players will eventually return during the season.
“They’ll be back at some point,” Drinkwitz said. “Probably not right at the beginning of camp, but sometime in that September or October window we should be able to get them back.”
If the timeline holds, that means Missouri could regain both players after the first few games of the season. However, their absence during the early portion of the schedule would require the Tigers to rely on other players to step up and fill the gaps.
Complicating matters further is a recent change to the college football transfer landscape. This year, the traditional spring transfer portal window was eliminated, removing an option that many teams previously used to address roster needs after spring practice.
In previous seasons, programs could evaluate their rosters during the spring and then use the transfer portal to bring in additional players if certain positions needed reinforcement. The system effectively functioned like a form of free agency for college teams.
With the spring portal no longer available, Missouri does not have the opportunity to search for an outside replacement if injuries create depth concerns. Instead, the Tigers must rely entirely on players who are already part of the roster.
Drinkwitz acknowledged that this new reality changes how teams approach roster management.
“Yeah, it’s definitely a little different now,” he said. “You’re really focused on what you already have and how you can develop those players into what you need them to be. There’s really no return or exchange option anymore. You bought it, you got it.”
The coach’s comments highlight the increasing importance of player development within the program. Without the ability to quickly add reinforcements from the transfer portal, teams must place greater emphasis on preparing backup players to step into larger roles when necessary.
For Missouri, that means the competition at right tackle will likely continue throughout the offseason. Reichert, Work, and possibly other offensive linemen will have opportunities to prove they can handle the responsibilities of protecting the quarterback’s blind side.
The Tigers’ coaching staff will closely monitor the progress of Atkins’ recovery while simultaneously evaluating the performance of the players competing to replace him. If Atkins returns sooner than expected, the situation could resolve itself before the season begins. However, if his recovery takes longer, Missouri may need to rely on its depth to navigate the early weeks of the schedule.
Regardless of the outcome, the situation underscores how quickly injuries can alter a team’s plans. What initially appeared to be a settled position heading into the 2026 season has now become one of the most closely watched storylines for Missouri football.
As fall camp approaches, the Tigers will continue preparing for the upcoming season while hoping their injured players recover quickly. Whether Atkins returns in time for the opener or later in the year, his presence on the offensive line could still play a major role in Missouri’s performance throughout the 2026 campaign.
For now, Missouri’s focus remains on developing the players already on the roster and ensuring that whoever lines up at right tackle is ready to handle the challenge when the season begins.
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