It’s now a cliché to point out that the transfer portal and ongoing free agency eroded the value of high school recruiting.
Missouri has certainly indulged in such shopping to stay old in perpetuity. Yet the Tigers haven’t entirely sworn off the prep market. Bringing in five freshmen this summer, comprising a top-five class, stands as stout evidence.
Framed another way, MU has been stockpiling assets while their value bottomed out. Now, half the current is comprised of underclassmen. If anything, the Tigers are approaching a saturation point for youth.
It potentially explains why the 2025 cycle went eerily quiet after Aaron Rowe committed last December.