Before Gasparilla Bowl, Missouri Tigers get the jump on Wake Forest ... on signing day

Missouri and Wake Forest don’t meet on the football field until Friday, but the Tigers have already recorded a head-to-head victory against the Demon Deacons this week.

Sam Williams, a defensive end from Hogansville, Ga., had originally committed to Wake Forest ... but then he flipped and signed with Mizzou instead.

Missouri’s coaches had a feeling about this move earlier in the week, when they met with Wake Forest’s coaches at a social event scheduled around the Gasaparilla Bowl in Tampa, Fla.

“For all of us to keep a straight face and not let that one slip out was a little big difficult,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said.

Drinkwitz said Williams — who goes 6-foot-3, 265 pounds — brings SEC size to the Tigers’ roster.

“It’s hard to recruit that kind of size,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s got great bend and size.”

Missouri announced a class of 21 newcomers, signees and transfers. Included in the group are seven from Missouri. Three are from Kansas City: Raytown offensive lineman Logan Reichert, Lee’s Summit wide receiver Joshua Manning and Liberty kicker Blake Craig.

“As they see local players play for us and contributing...it’s going to continue to do a better job locking down the borders,” Drinkwitz said.

The Tigers signed a quarterback, Gabarri Johnson, a 6-1, 190-pound prospect from Tacoma, Wash. As a high school senior, Johnson threw 22 touchdown passes and rushed for 15 more.

From the transfer portal comes wide receiver Theo Wease and defensive end Austin Firestone.

Wease spent his first two years at Oklahoma, where he arrived as a five-star prospect. In three seasons, Wease, who stands 6-3, 200, caught 64 passes for 1,044 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I’m really excited about Theo and what he can bring to our offense,” Drinkwitz said.

The addition of Wease should allow Missouri to be more versatile with star wideout Luther Burden, Drinkwitz said.

Firestone, who played a season at Northwestern, joins two other defensive end recruits who together should help Missouri begin rebuilding a position that had lost Isaiah McGuire and D.J. Coleman to NFL Draft preparation and Travion Ford, who transferred to Toledo.

Missouri 2022 recruiting class

OL Branden Solis 6-7, 275 Nashville, Tenn.

TE Jordon Harris 6-7, 230 Pine Bluff, Ark.

DB Marvin Burks, 6-2, 190 St. Louis

LB Triston Newson, 6-2, 225 Booneville, Miss.

DE Serigne Tounkara, 6-3, 240, League City, Tex.

OL Logan Reichert, 6-7, 345, Raytown

LB Brayshawn Littlejohn, 6-2, 222 Gaffney, S.C.

DB Shamar McNeil, 6-3, 175 Plantation, Fla.

WR Marquis Johnson, 6-0, 175 Dickinson, Tex.

K Blake Craig, 5-11, 180, Liberty

DE Jahkai Lang, 6-4, 240, Troy, Mo.

TE Brett Norfleet, 6-7, 225, St. Charles, Mo.

WR Joshua Manning, 6-2, 195 Lee’s Summit

DT Sam Williams, 6-4, 305, Hogansville, Ga.

S Phillip Roche, 6-1, 190, Merrilsville, Ind.

WR Daniel Blood, 6-0, 175, Destraham, La.

RB Jamal Roberts, 6-0, 200, St. Louis

WR Nicholas Deloach, 6-1, 170, Cahokia, Ill.

QB Gabarri Johnson, 6-1, 190, Tacoma, Wash.

WR Theo Wease 6-3, 200, Allen, Tex. (transfer from Oklahoma)

DE Austin FIrestone, 6-5, 260, Niceville, Fla. (transfer from Northwestern)