Two Missouri football defensive players enter the transfer portal, including a linebacker who just joined the team in December.
According to a team spokesperson, backup cornerback Ja’Marion Wayne, who has spent three years with the Tigers, is entering the portal. Wayne, a St. Louis native and Parkway West High School graduate, played in 28 games mainly as a backup and on special teams.
More unexpectedly, linebacker Mikai Gbayor, who transferred from Nebraska in mid-December, is also expected to enter the portal. His stint at Missouri lasted less than four months.
Originally recruited to Missouri as a four-star wide receiver, Wayne later switched to defense but struggled to find a role due to injuries throughout the 2024 season. With the arrival of Washington State transfer Stephen Hall and the return of cornerbacks Dreyden Norwood, Toriano Pride Jr., and Nicholas DeLoach Jr., Wayne’s chances for playing time diminished further.
Gbayor, listed at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, was among 17 players Missouri added from the portal this winter, brought in to fill gaps in linebacker depth. However, the position group has become more crowded than anticipated. The Tigers retained key players like Triston Newson and Khalil Jacobs, signed former freshman All-American Josiah Trotter from West Virginia, and returned young talents such as Nicholas Rodriguez and Jeremiah Beasley.
Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz described the linebacker corps as “very deep, very impactful” during a recent press conference, naming seven standouts from spring practice — though Gbayor wasn’t among them.
Missouri’s linebacker depth was further bolstered when the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to former junior college players, allowing Newson to return. The ruling followed a lawsuit involving JUCO eligibility led by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.
In total, four Missouri players are expected to transfer this spring. Quarterback Drew Pyne has already transferred to Bowling Green, and defensive end Jakhai Lang announced his intent to enter the portal on Wednesday.
Drinkwitz noted that while he expects a few more players to leave, he doesn’t think the number will exceed eight. Missouri exited spring with 86 scholarship players — one over the SEC’s limit of 85 — making room for additional departures and possible new portal additions between April 16–25.
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