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Eli Drinkwitz is not happy with the current state of college football. He provided a long-winded rant on tampering with his offseason approaching.
He says that everyone on his roster has already been contacted by another suitor now that the Tigers‘ national championship pursuit is over. A rival player leads us to believe the head coach is participating in the practices he’s preaching against.
Drinkwitz has been in the SEC for six seasons. He took over at Missouri following one year at Appalachian State. In that time, he’s built one of the most consistent programs in the league.
The Tigers have won eight games or more in three straight campaigns. They’ll be headed to a fifth straight bowl game in 2025.
Mizzou will face Virginia in the Gator Bowl. Drinkwitz has his hands full game planning for a team that made the ACC Championship.
He’s been forced to split his time coaching with recruiting. He’s doing his best to keep his current roster happy as tampering suitors make their pitches.
Eli Drinkwitz says college football is “cracking.”
Eli Drinkwitz says CFB is sick right now and says there are signs that the sport is cracking:
“Tampering is at the highest levels – there is no such thing as tampering, because there’s no one that’s been punished for tampering.
“Everyone on my roster is being called.” pic.twitter.com/uNmqWi52YG
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) December 16, 2025
“The system that we’re in is really sick right now,” he said while addressing the media. “It’s showing signs of this thing really cracking moving forward…
“Tampering is at the highest levels – there is no such thing as tampering, because there’s no one that’s been punished for tampering… Something needs to be done.”
Drinkwitz makes great points in that criticism of the current system.
Pay for play was never intended to be the mission. NIL was introduced with no guardrails. Schools are looking for workarounds as opposed to setting strict guidelines. No one is operating by the same set of standards.
This puts coaches in a tight spot, even those against what the sport has become. Those hesitant to adapt will fail. If someone poaches a player from your roster illegally, you now have a void to fill.
Eli Drinkwitz may not like the state of college football. He does have a job to do, though.
Hunter Rogers accused Missouri of tampering.
You can’t say that and then go offer our punter crazy money
— Hunter Rogers (@Hrogers_26) December 17, 2025
Rogers was a long snapper at the University of South Carolina from 2020 to 2024. He played against the Tigers five times as an annual rival.
He claims that Drinkwitz, or someone on staff, offered a Gamecocks punter “crazy money” to leave one Columbia for another.
Rogers does not mention a player by name. Context clues would guide us to either Kai Kroeger, an All-SEC performer that also suited up from ’20 to ’24, or freshman Mason Love from nearby Kansas City.
Neither player left the South Carolina football program despite Drinkwitz’s alleged offer.