Former St. Louis-area high school star Toriano Pride announced this week his plans to transfer from Clemson to Missouri. (Image courtesy: 24/7 Sports)
Terrance Williams
Staff Writer
The University of Missouri football program picked up its first commitment from the 2023 Transfer Portal, Wednesday night, when former Clemson defensive back and native St. Louisan, Toriano Pride announced he was coming to Mizzou.
Here’s a quick look at what landing Pride means for Mizzou going forward:
The process: Pride announced he would enter the transfer portal last week and officially did so when it opened on Monday. Pride entered with a “do not contact” designation, which meant coaches could not reach out to him. That meant Pride went into the transfer portal already knowing where he intended to go. On Wednesday night, he let the rest of the world know that that destination was Missouri.
What Pride brings to Mizzou : Pride was a top-100 prospect out of high school. He played on a state championship team at Lutheran North, before transferring to East St. Louis for his senior season. Current Mizzou star wide receiver Luther Burden III, along with several other top college players were on that team.
Mizzou pursed Pride heavily, but he chose Clemson instead. As a true freshman, he had 22 tackles, a quarterback sack, and an interception. During his sophomore season this past year, he made 14 tackles and broke up four passes.
Pride played in 24 games over two seasons at Clemson, but wasn’t able to crack the starting lineup — at least, not as a full time starter. He started three games, one being a last-minute decision, when the primary starter had to sit out due to sickness.
Restocking the cornerback spot: Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw have both already accepted Senior Bowl invitations. Neither has officially said the Cotton Bowl will be his final game as a Tiger, but both are expected to enter the NFL Draft.
Abrams-Draine made 47 tackles, broke up 12 passes and intercepted four. He was a first-team all-SEC performer and was named a second-team all-American by CBS Sports on Thursday. Rakestraw had 35 tackles, broke up four passes and forced a fumble.
Missouri will return Dreyden Norwood and Marcus Clarke along with freshmen Shamar McNeil and Nicholas DeLoach, but Pride will be expected to compete for a starting job in 2024. The Tigers will also add incoming freshman Cameron Keys as part of their 2024 class.
What’s Next: The Tigers are expected to take 10-12 players in the portal this year. They figure to add another cornerback, and one or possibly two safeties. Mizzou will also look for two or three defensive linemen and at least one linebacker.
On offense, the Tigers may add a quarterback, but they’ll definitely be looking for two, possibly three running backs, several offensive linemen, and maybe a receiver or two, depending on if senior Theo Wease, who has another year of eligibility left, decides to come back. In a celebration video, following Mizzou’s win over Arkansas, Wease said he planned to come back. But later, his father went on social media and said no official decisions had been made.
For now, Mizzou’s main priority is recruiting interested players and getting ready for the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State on December 29.
2023 Missouri Tigers Football Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31, 2023 (Thursday) | 7 PM | Home | South Dakota | Faurot Field |  | W, 35-10 |
| September 9, 2023 (Saturday) | 6 PM | Home | Middle Tennessee | Faurot Field |  | W, 23-19 |
| September 16, 2023 (Saturday) | 11 AM | Home | #15 Kansas State | Faurot Field | | W, 30-27 |
| September 23, 2023 (Saturday) | 6 PM | Neutral | Memphis | St. Louis, Mo. / The Dome at America’s Center |  | W, 34-27 |
| September 30, 2023 (Saturday) | 3 PM | Away | Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. | | W, 38-21 |
| October 7, 2023 (Saturday) | 11 AM | Home | LSU | Faurot Field |  | L, 49-39 |
| October 14, 2023 (Saturday) | 6:30 PM | Away | #19 Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. | | W, 38-21 |
| October 21, 2023 (Saturday) | 2:30 PM | Home | South Carolina | Faurot Field | | W, 34-12 |
| November 4, 2023 (Saturday) | 2:30 PM | Away | #1 Georgia | Athens, Ga. |  | L, 30-21 |
| November 11, 2023 (Saturday) | 2:30 PM | Home | #14 Tennessee | Faurot Field | | W, 36-7 |
| November 18, 2023 (Saturday) | 6:30 PM | Home | Florida | Faurot Field | | W, 33-31 |
| November 24, 2023 (Friday) | 3 PM | Away | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. | | W, 48-14 |
| December 29, 2023 (Friday) | 7 PM | Neutral | #7 Ohio State | Arlington, Texas / AT&T Stadium | |