Top storylines for Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri football at SEC Media Days

It’s the time for talkin’.

And not many coaches do talking season like Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

Missouri football will be among the first group of teams to take to the stage at SEC Media Days this year, with the Tigers set to step behind the lectern beginning at 10 a.m. CT Monday, July 20.

It will be Drinkwitz’s seventh year at the event. He is bringing along fourth-year left tackle Cayden Green, third-year linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez and fourth-year running back Jamal Roberts with him to the event in Tampa, Florida.

The full SEC Media Days slate runs from Monday through Thursday. Missouri is the second team on the docket for the week, following Kentucky.

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Here are the top storylines to watch for as Mizzou rolls into media days:

Do we get update on Ahmad Hardy injury status at SEC Media Days?

Of course, the biggest storyline out of the Mizzou camp is the health of its star running back.

Hardy was shot in the upper leg while attending a concert in May in Mississippi. He underwent successful surgery and has returned to Columbia for his rehabilitation, which by all accounts appears to be progressing well.

But we still don’t have anything in the way of a timeline for when Hardy could return. Drinkwitz has said that it’s a difficult timetable to judge, because of the novel and unpredictable nature of the injury. The coach has previously said SEC Media Days may be the place we learn more.

Everything is still on the table. Hardy may be ready Week 1. He might not play at all in 2026. Anything in between is possible.

Drinkwitz should have an update. That update, for what it’s worth, may very well be that the team still isn’t sure when Hardy can return to play or practice. That’s actually the most likely outcome.

Hardy’s name will come up, though.

What does Drinkwitz say about QB Austin Simmons?

Drinkwitz made a statement of sorts by naming the left-handed Ole Miss transfer as the Tigers’ next starting quarterback coming out of spring camp. There is no fall competition this year. The race has been settled.

Now, what kind of expectations does the head coach set for his QB this season?

Drinkwitz wasn’t shy late last season about critiquing Mizzou’s passing offense. It’s part of the reason the Tigers honed in early in the transfer portal on Simmons, whose arm is his biggest weapon.

Simmons will be working with a new offensive coordinator in Chip Lindsey, who MU hired from Michigan, and a new quarterbacks coach in Garrett Riley, who was at Clemson last year.

It will be interesting to see how much Drinkwitz addresses his quarterback, and more specifically what he thinks about Mizzou’s ability to move the ball downfield this year.

Is there an update on injury at right tackle?

Another injury storyline that should be on the radar for Mizzou fans is Arizona State transfer offensive tackle Josh Atkins, who was hurt in the spring.

Atkins, who has played more than 2,400 college snaps in his career, was expected to be MU’s starting right tackle, which also would make him Simmons’ blindside blocker. A big job. 

Drinkwitz didn’t provide a concrete return timeline but did say he could miss the start of the season. He has since said he is ahead of schedule in his recovery, but there’s still some ambiguity about what that means — since there wasn’t a schedule to begin with.

If Atkins can’t play, Mississippi State transfer Luke Work and returner Logan Reichert are the likely competition for the starting job to at least start the year. If Atkins can return, Mizzou has one of the more experienced offensive lines in the league.

What big topics does Eli Drinkwitz want to take on?

Eli Drinkwitz + microphone + SEC Media Days = an unpredictable half-hour, if history is anything to go by.

The Mizzou coach hasn’t been shy at the conference’s media days. Last year, he opened with references to the Epstein files and the JFK assassination. No, seriously.

By the end of his spot, he was going viral for his thoughts on how to handle possible College Football Playoff expansion.

He quickly took to social media to rebuke what he viewed as a misrepresentation of his CFP suggestion, so maybe we see a more muted version of the head coach this season.

But ... there’s no shortage of topics to talk about if he wants to take on the bigger-picture stories in the sport again.

Playoff expansion is still in the news. How about the Protect College Sports Act, which appears to be close to a Senate vote? The nine-game SEC schedule, perhaps. Or age-based eligibility. Or Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech. 

On our bingo card: At least one barb for the Big 12’s branding deal with Monster Energy.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Top storylines for Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri football at SEC Media Days