You can always count on Eli Drinkwitz to stir the pot. And this time, he’s cooking up something bold. The Missouri HC waltzed into SEC Media Days and dropped a playoff bomb that had everybody from fans to critics and media houses buzzing. A 30-team college football playoff! It sounds chaotic when you hear it, but he may have a case. However, that’s not the only message that he delivered. 

If you want to know where Eli Drinkwitz stands right now, keep the playoff chatter aside for a while and look at the recruiting board. That’s where the real story is. Missouri’s 2026 class currently ranks No. 66 nationally and dead last in the SEC, and fans have noticed. But instead of panicking, the HC is doubling down on a strategy that’s ruffling some old-school feathers and that’s the transfer portal. 

At the SEC Media Days, Eli Drinkwitz appeared for a local session interview posted by KMIZ ABC 17 News on July 20 and didn’t shy away from his philosophy. “We’ve got 38 new players on our team,” he said of his 2025 class. “You know, 21 from the transfer portal, 17 from high school recruiting. Each year, you got to figure out how you want to build your team and where you want to invest your money.” And right now, he’s investing in experience over potential. That shift explains why Mizzou fans are seeing fewer headlines on Signing Day and more portal commitments flying in. But the move has drawn heat, especially online. 

“I know there is some angst amongst the fan base or at least on Twitter or X about recruiting,” Eli Drinkwitz noted. But he gave a confident message for the fanbase saying, “I would just say relax. We’re building a roster.” And that’s going to be portal heavy. With NIL, the transfer portal, and calendar shifts, the game has changed. The issue is, not everyone’s caught up with that reality. Old-school fans want five-star recruits. The HC wants wins and he’s not waiting three years to get them.

“I’m confident in our process and what we’re trying to do. So I think we’ll be fine when it comes down to putting a very competitive team on the field starting this fall but in the future,” Eli Drinkwitz added. And while that’s easier said than done, the HC has earned some rope. He’s 38-24 in five seasons, including 22-20 in SEC play. It’s not elite, but it’s progress and hopefully, it keeps him out of the hot seat that’s being teased lately. This playoff plan might be his boldest move yet to level the playing field, much like his playoff proposals. 

Breaking down Eli Drinkwitz’s 30-team playoff proposal 

While most folks were fuming over Missouri’s 2026 class, Eli Drinkwitz already had a simple pitch that appeared complex on the surface. It’s the 30-team playoff format. That got aggregated into clickbait by Unnecessary Roughness, who mocked the quote with a jab about Mizzou players “not wanting to play in March.” That didn’t sit well with the HC. “That’s not what was proposed- or how it was presented,” he fired back on X. “Maybe evaluate the idea before just assuming & making an aggregate headline!” This wasn’t a meme. It was a blueprint. He wants structure, not spectacle.

Here’s the real idea. Play-in games on Championship Saturday determine the 16-team playoff field. SEC and Big Ten get four games (eight teams each), ACC and Big 12 get three (six teams each), and you add in a Group of Five champ and Notre Dame to get to 30. The plan may sound radical, but it actually mirrors the NFL model more than people realize. But at its core, this whole thing ties back to recruiting. 

Eli Drinkwitz is trying to future-proof his roster and the sport. “How do we get more people involved? Because that’s better for the players. That’s better for the player experience to have more people involved in the potential to play for a championship. And it’s better for the fanbases,” he said. He wants a postseason where teams like Mizzou aren’t just praying for a miracle but playing in meaningful games every December. Eli Drinkwitz may be coaching in Columbia, but he’s thinking nationally both in terms of playoff structure and recruiting strategy. And while not everyone’s buying his vision yet, he’s not asking for applause. Just a fair look.