Connor Tollison, the starting center for the Missouri Tigers, is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Tollison suffered the injury this past Saturday, when Missouri narrowly defeated Oklahoma 30-23. As a redshirt junior, Tollison is considered an NFL Draft prospect, so this injury begs the question of whether this will be the last game Tollison plays for the Missouri Tigers. Missouri is in the midst of a 7-2 season where they still have an outside chance at the expanded College Football Playoff if they can run the table. But that will be even more difficult without their starting center.
Connor Tollison’s Career
Connor Tollison has been Missouri’s starting center since he was a freshman. As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Tollison started 12 games for the Tigers. The following season, he started all 13 games. That season, the Missouri offensive line was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the NCAA’s best offensive line unit. Before his injury, Tollison was tracking to be a 2024 Rimington Trophy candidate, awarded to the best center in college football. He made the preseason watchlist for the award, but with the injury, that may all be derailed.
Now that Tollison has sustained this injury, the question looms around the 2025 NFL Draft. Connor Tollison is not a top tier prospect but could still realistically enter the draft and be selected in one of the later rounds. He is a bit undersized for a center at 6’4”, 290 lbs, and was recruited out of high school as a tackle.
Because of his lack of size, it is Tollison’s mobility that sets him apart as a prospect. He can be a lead blocker and get to the second level effectively. But, again, the lack of size hurts Connor Tollison and his draft stock in the NFL. So, it will be up to him to either declare for the draft or return to Missouri for his senior season.
Where Missouri Goes from Here
When Connor Tollison went down in the game against Oklahoma, he was replaced by Drake Heismeyer, a redshirt senior. The Tigers completed a crazy comeback win, improving to 7-2 on the season. They are currently ranked 24 in the AP poll, and if they can win out, then they have a chance at the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff. But they finish out the season against South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Arkansas.
This will not be an easy final stretch, as Missouri has struggled in many games this season. Their two losses were blowouts at the hands of Texas A&M and Alabama. They’ve also been in close games with Boston College, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Oklahoma. The Tigers currently have two conference losses, so the only way they would qualify for the SEC Championship is if other SEC teams lost. Because, judging by their resume, if the CFP Commitee had to choose between a two loss Missouri or a two loss Alabama, Texas A&M, or Georgia, they are likely picking the latter.
So, if they want a chance at the College Football Playoff or an SEC Championship, the Missouri Tigers will need to win out and have some other games break their way. Winning out without their starting center will be tough. Connor Tollison has started for the Tigers for the past three seasons, and while Heismeyer played well in his absence, Tollison will still be missed on Missouri’s line. There is also the matter of Connor Tollison’s draft stock. This past game against Oklahoma could have been his last for the Tigers if he chooses to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Fellow Missouri Tiger, Luther Burden, will also be drafted, so the Tigers could be losing many key pieces.
