Surprising decision from Texas cornerback highlights Signing Day for Missouri

Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks with a fan during a Tigers basketball game against Florida last month at Mizzou Arena.
Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks with a fan during a Tigers basketball game against Florida last month at Mizzou Arena.

COLUMBIA - Eliah Drinkwitz and the rest of Missouri's football staff were in the dark.

They last spoke to someone in Ennis Rakestraw Jr.'s corner at 9 p.m. Tuesday, and hadn't heard anything since. So Drinkwitz, like a few hundred other coaches and recruiting diehards, watched a livestream of the Duncanville, Texas, cornerback's commitment.

On stage, Rakestraw Jr. turned to his right, picking up a crimson University of Alabama hat, and placed it on the head of one of his fellow students who was also going through signing day, picked up a gray and orange University of Texas hat and did the same on the player seated to his left, then donned a black Missouri hat.

The gym erupted in cheers, and hundreds of miles away, Drinkwitz ran through the halls of the south end zone complex yelling, too. He had seen Rakestraw Jr. pick up hats belonging to other programs, mouth pressed into his left hand in a video posted by Missouri on social media, and then shouted, "Oh my God! Oh my God! Yes!" as Rakestraw Jr. made his decision.

"Either I'm a heck of an actor or I was totally shocked, one of the two," Drinkwitz said Wednesday at a press conference as the Tigers signed seven players on the first day of the regular signing period, bringing his first class at Missouri to 17. "I knew we had a great relationship, and he had given us indication that he was going to come here, but we had not heard from him in a few hours. So I was not sure. I was not sure at all, and knew that a couple of other schools had made really strong cases and obviously had been in the home and been on official visits, and knew that they really wanted him really bad."

Drinkwitz credited secondary coach David Gibbs and defensive coordinator and safeties coach Ryan Walters, both holdovers from the Barry Odom staff, as well as defensive backs coach Charlie Harbison with building and maintaining a relationship with Rakestraw, his family and his coaches.

"I was that excited for everybody," Drinkwitz added. "They just happened to film that one."

Missouri's class of 17 recruits finished No. 50 according to 247Sports and No. 56 according to Rivals, and 13th in the Southeastern Conference, ahead of Vanderbilt, according to 247Sports and last in the SEC according to Rivals.

Recruiting and scholarship restrictions as part of Missouri's NCAA sanctions played a factor: the Tigers only had room to sign 17 players, according to Drinkwitz, the number the Commodores and Mississippi brought in with their 2020 classes. According to both recruiting services, only Texas, Notre Dame and TCU signed fewer than 20 players in this class and also finished inside the top 35, which is about where the Tigers end up nationally on average.

In the 20 years 247Sports has kept recruiting rankings, Missouri has had six top-30 recruiting rankings (2002, '04, '07, '08, '10 and '15), and only the 2004 class, at No. 19, was top-20. It's a similar story at Rivals, which has kept rankings since 2004, with top-30 finishes for the 2004, '08, '10 and '15 classes and one top-20 finish, in 2010.

Missouri starts spring practice March 7.

Here is a look at the seven players who signed Wednesday with Missouri:

Ben Key, DT, 6-foot-3, 274 pounds, Cranbourne West, Aus. (East Los Angeles College): Missouri's first-ever football recruit from Australia. Previously signed with Mississippi State but released from his NLI after the Bulldogs fired Joe Moorhead on Jan. 3. Committed to Missouri on Feb. 1. Had 40 tackles, three sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss for the Huskies in 10 games, and forced two fumbles. Recruited by Charlie Harbison. Drinkwitz: "He's got all types of potential, untapped potential, but big, physical, strong, sudden-ness, will strike. He's going to be able to hold the point for us."

Damon Hazelton Jr., WR, 6-3, 213, Baltimore, (Ball State/Virginia Tech): Played his freshman season at Ball State before transferring to Virginia Tech, where he sat out the 2017 season. Graduate transfer expected to be immediately eligible and will likely be an outside receiver. Caught 82 passes for 1,329 yards and 16 touchdowns in two seasons with the Hokies while battling injuries, starting nine games each year. Drinkwitz: "That, for us, is a big get. We know he can play in man, beat man-to-man coverage, got great size, catch radius, so we're excited about him and know the maturity he brings to that room and the competition he brings to that room, which is something we needed."

Kris Abrams-Draine, WR, 5-11, 179, Mobile, Ala.: Likely slot receiver who played quarterback his senior season and helped Spanish Fort High School to the 6A state title game. 3-star recruit previously committed to LSU and Mississippi who also played corner and return specialist. Was Alabama's Coastal and Super All-State Player of the Year and Alabama Mr. Football runner-up, rushing 154 times for 1,745 yards and 19 scores in 14 games and throwing for 723 yards and nine more touchdowns according to AL.com. AL.com also reported Abrams-Draine left the state title game with a knee injury and had meniscus surgery in early December. Drinkwitz: "A guy that's got all kinds of athleticism when the ball is in his hand, the moment is never too big for him, a guy who can create on his own, and when he gets the ball in space is able to do something with it."

Montra Edwards, DT, 6-3, 293, Lexington, Miss.: Committed to Missouri previously before Barry Odom's firing. 3-star likely to play interior lineman. Had 93 solo tackles and 134 total tackles in 13 games as a senior at Holmes County Central, including 23 tackles for loss and 17 sacks according to MaxPreps. Drinkwitz: "A tremendous young man. Montra was one of the first to buy into our message and our vision and be vocal about it, so I'm very thankful to him. He did an outstanding job of, when he committed to us, he went and tried to get other people on board, which led us to the Dylan Spencer connection."

Dylan Spencer, OL, 6-4, 300, Madison, Miss.: Previously committed to Southern Mississippi, a 3-star offensive tackle. This season was his first playing football. Drinkwitz: "Great size and the attributes to be a good player. Coach (Marcus) Johnson was able to transition and recruit him and really fulfilled a big need for us in this class."

Ennis Rakestraw Jr., DB, 6-0, 173, Duncanville, Texas: Highly recruited 3-star corner in the late period, visiting Missouri, Alabama then Texas in the weekends before signing day. Dallas Morning News' 2019 SportsDay defensive player of the year who did not have a Power-Five offer until Missouri offered on Oct. 18. Re-united with high school teammate and fellow defensive back Stacy Brown, who played in 11 games as a true freshman in 2019. Had 30 solo tackles, 15 pass break-ups and an interception and didn't allow a touchdown all season, according to the Morning News, for a team that finished Texas 6A D-I runner-up in consecutive seasons. Drinkwitz: "Ennis has great length, ball skills, he's got transition ability, speed, ability to play man-to man, can mix it up in some zone coverages, track the ball down the field."

Johnny Walker Jr., DE, 6-3, 204, Tampa, Fla.: The 3-star defensive end was previously committed to Washington State. Had 47 tackles, 21 TFLs and 12 sacks as a senior and 48 tackles, 20 TFLs and 13 sacks as a junior, according to MaxPreps. Drinkwitz: "We need somebody who's got that quick first step, can bend and can be an affector of the quarterback, and we believe Johnny's got that ability."

Missouri signed 10 players in the Dec. 18-20, 2019, early signing period: Jaylon Carlies, DB, 6-2, 193, Winter Garden, Fla.; Brady Cook, QB, 6-3, 210, St. Louis; Drake Heismeyer, OL, 6-3, 283, St. Charles; Javian Hester, WR, 6-3, 190, Tulsa, Okla.; Tyler Jones, DB, 5-11, 185, Winter Garden, Fla.; Jay Maclin, WR, 5-11, 178, Kirkwood; Harrison Mevis, K, 6-0, 200, Warsaw, Ind.; Will Norris, LB, 6-1, 220, Columbia; Mitchell Walters, OL, 6-7, 290, St. Louis; Elijah Young, RB, 5-9, 186, Knoxville, Tenn.