In-state recruiting is important no matter where you are, but for a school like Missouri, it's darn near vital.
By way of location, Mizzou finds itself at the crossroads of the recruiting trail. Missouri, the state, is midwest enough for schools like Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, and Iowa to recruit while also still being firmly in SEC territory — bordering Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennesse and Kentucky.
That's hotly contested land, which makes it important for Mizzou head coach Eliah Drinkwitz to keep every possible in-state recruit, well, in the state.
The Tigers landed one such prospect on Tuesday as Daeden Hopkins, a four-star EDGE from Hermann, Mo., announced his commitment.
Committed!!@SwarmandPunish @coachbrianearly @MikeGant99 @JPRockMO @elitefootball @MizzouFootball @CoachDrinkwitz pic.twitter.com/4U9sO2oKvS
— Daeden Hopkins (@HopkinsDaeden) April 30, 2024
For Mizzou, it was a case of home-field advantage with the 2025 standout.
“Team culture is important to me and the proximity to home is also very appealing,” Hopkins recently told On3. “They are only an hour from home.”
That's an advantage Drinkwitz and the Tigers will gladly take because Hopkins is expected to be a big-time recruit.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Hopkins is the No. 27 EDGE in the 2025 class.
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