Surprise, surprise: Mizzou Tigers football announces three transfer additions

The Missouri Tigers football team announced several mid-year enrollees on Tuesday, including eight transfers and six freshmen. Among them were three transfers who hadn’t hadn’t previously publicly committed to the program: running back Nathaniel Peat, offensive lineman Dylan Spencer and defensive back Dreyden Norwood.

A native of Columbia, Missouri and former Rock Bridge star, Peat spent the last three seasons at Stanford. He led the Cardinal with 404 rushing yards and three touchdowns as a junior in 2021, but where he made a name for himself was as a kickoff return specialist.

Peat led the Pac-12 with 663 return yards, averaging 24.6 yards per return last season. He received All-Pac 12 honorable mention for special teams by league coaches.

Across his three seasons at Stanford, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound back recorded 665 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 117 attempts, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He also had 16 receptions for 106 yards.

Spencer should also be a familiar face to Missouri fans. The left guard signed with the Tigers in 2020 and started in one game against Florida, during which he got involved in a halftime brawl and was suspended before transferring to Jackson State.

Norwood, a native of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was a freshman at Texas A&M last season. He only appeared in two games against Prairie View and LSU, but he was a four-star prospect out of high school, ranked as the best player in the state of Arkansas and the No. 24 cornerback in the country, according to the 247 Sports Composite.

The freshmen who enrolled early are wide receivers Luther Burden and Mekhi Miller, cornerback Marcus Scott II, linebacker Xavier Simmons, offensive lineman Armand Membou and tight end Max Whisner.

The other transfers are Clemson defensive back Joseph Charleston, North Carolina defensive end Tyrone Hopper, Oklahoma State defensive lineman Jayden Jernigan, Buffalo offensive lineman Bence Polgar and Truman State running back Cody Schrader.

“It’s just a great feeling to have our student-athletes back on campus, in our facilities,” MU head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “To see our newcomers enjoying fellowship and showing camaraderie with our returners, it’s motivating and energizing. We’re ready to work.”