Former Georgia State running back Marcus Carroll announced he will transfer to Mizzou and play for the Tigers next season. (Photo courtesy: Georgia State Athletics)

Terrance Williams
Staff Writer

The University of Missouri football program made a big addition on Monday, when it was announced that standout transfer running back Marcus Carroll from Georgia State had decided to transfer to Mizzou and play for the Tigers next season.

Carroll, who played four seasons at Georgia State, will have one year of eligibility remaining.

This past season for the Panthers, the 5-foot-10, 210-pound Carroll rushed for 1,350 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also hauled in 23 receptions and 234 receiving yards in what was his first season as Georgia State’s primary starting running back.

Carroll was at Mizzou over the weekend for a recruiting trip. It had been rumored that he might have plans to visit schools such as USC, Georgia Tech, and Louisville as well. But after meeting the coaches and seeing Missouri in person, the highly-productive ballcarrier from Atlanta knew he wanted to be at Mizzou.

“The culture at Missouri is amazing from the players to the coaches to the overall support from the community,” Carroll said. “Playing in the SEC has a big impact on this as well. Not only will it be on a top-tier team competing for a championship but I’ll also be able to showcase my talents against what I think is one of the most competitive conferences in college football right now week-to-week.”

At Georgia State, he worked his way up the depth chart to emerge as part of a three-man backfield in 2022, before starting this year and earning first-team all-conference honors in the Sun Belt Conference.

During his four years at Georgia State, Carroll has appeared in 40 career games, rushing for 2,136 yards and 22 touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

Most expect Carroll will be Mizzou’s starting running back next season, with the departure of current running backs Cody Schrader and Nathaniel Peat, who will play their final game as Tigers on December 29 in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State. Mizzou entered the transfer portal needing to find an experienced running back, and it landed one of the best available.

“Honestly going into my last year it was just a business decision for me,” Carroll said. “What program, what system, what culture do I want to be around that’s going to get me where I ultimately want to go?”

Carroll becomes Mizzou’s second transfer commitment in a week, joining former Clemson cornerback and St. Louis native Toriano Pride, who announced his plans to join Mizzou last week. Carroll will enroll in classes at Missouri and be on campus for the start of the second semester in January.

2023 Missouri Tigers Football Schedule

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTVResult
August 31, 2023 (Thursday)7 PMHomeSouth DakotaFaurot FieldSEC NetworkW, 35-10
September 9, 2023 (Saturday)6 PMHomeMiddle TennesseeFaurot FieldSECN+ / ESPN+W, 23-19
September 16, 2023 (Saturday)11 AMHome#15 Kansas StateFaurot FieldSEC NetworkW, 30-27
September 23, 2023 (Saturday)6 PMNeutralMemphisSt. Louis, Mo. / The Dome at America’s CenterW, 34-27
September 30, 2023 (Saturday)3 PMAwayVanderbiltNashville, Tenn.W, 38-21
October 7, 2023 (Saturday)11 AMHomeLSUFaurot FieldL, 49-39
October 14, 2023 (Saturday)6:30 PMAway#19 KentuckyLexington, Ky.W, 38-21
October 21, 2023 (Saturday)2:30 PMHomeSouth CarolinaFaurot FieldW, 34-12
November 4, 2023 (Saturday)2:30 PMAway#1 GeorgiaAthens, Ga.L, 30-21
November 11, 2023 (Saturday)2:30 PMHome#14 TennesseeFaurot FieldW, 36-7
November 18, 2023 (Saturday)6:30 PMHomeFloridaFaurot FieldW, 33-31
November 24, 2023 (Friday)3 PMAwayArkansasFayetteville, Ark.CBSW, 48-14
December 29, 2023 (Friday)7 PMNeutral#7 Ohio StateArlington, Texas / AT&T Stadium