Mizzou Football's Most Important Players: No. 8 Chris Graves Jr.
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One of Missouri's final transfer additions was one of its most important, with the Tigers landing a cornerback with significant experience in the Southeastern Conference in Ole Miss transfer Chris Graves Jr.
In a cornerback room with lots of questions, Graves stands out as a proven player. That stability places him at No. 8 on our countdown of the 30 most important players on Missouri's 2026 roster. He's the second-highest rated defensive player on our countdown and the first of three Ole Miss transfers in the top 10.
Missouri lost all three of its starting cornerbacks from 2025 after the trio exhausted their eligibility. The Tigers added three true cornerbacks in the portal, signing Oregon transfers Sione Laulea and Jahlil Florence in addition to Graves.
Because of injuries and an early portal entry, Florence has only played on 22 snaps over the last two seasons. But he was a significant contributor for the Ducks in 2022 before becoming a starter in 2023. Laulea was a significant rotational player in 2025 after playing a limited role in 2024.
While those two bring potential, Graves has appeared on over 1,000 snaps in his career. He started in nine games in Ole Miss' 2025 season that ended in the College Football Playoff. He allowed 18 receptions on 35 targets for 283 yards on the season, according to Pro Football Focus. In both 2023 and 2024, Graves played on at least 100 snaps, consistently rotating into the lineup.
Outside of the three transfers, the rest of Missouri's cornerback room is incredibly young. Out of the four returners at the position, Nicholas Deloach Jr. is the only one who has played meaningful snaps. The redshirt junior should have the chance to compete for playing time again in 2026 after not having much of a role in 2025.
The lack of depth and of experience made cornerback one of Missouri's biggest needs in the offseason. Graves is the best solution the Tigers found to fill that need.
"Chris Graves has played a ton of football, so we felt really confident with him at one of the corner positions," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference ahead of spring practices. "And then maybe allow some development and competition with a couple of guys who have played a lot, maybe got dinged up and injured."
While there's still questions about the position group entering the season, Graves provides much more confidence.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/missouri as Mizzou Football's Most Important Players: No. 8 Chris Graves Jr. .
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