The Tigers missed out on a two-way player to an SEC competitor.
Mizzou Loses Talented DB Recruit to Conference Foe originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The blows to the Missouri Tigers' 2026 recruiting class continued Tuesday as three-star athlete Javonte Smith committed to Tennessee. The cornerback and wide receiver recruit chose the Vols over Missouri and Arkansas.
Smith took official visits to all three schools, as well as West Virginia. He also held offers from Kentucky, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and a few others from his home state of Tennessee
🚨BREAKING🚨 ATH Javonte Smith has committed to Tennessee, @ChadSimmons_ reports🍊
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 8, 2025
Read: https://t.co/hx7QKMYmFTpic.twitter.com/hoNdoWnVD9
Smith is ranked as the No. 964 player in the country according to 247Sports' rankings, along with No. 37 ranking in his home state.
He visited Mizzou during the first week of official visits and was in Arkansas the weekend after that, from June 6 to June 9. He visited West Virginia after that, staying there June 13-15, followed by Tennessee over this past weekend.
The 6-foot, 175-pounder attends Jackson (Tenn.) Northside, and first received an offer from the Vols after his sophomore season. Although Smith was initially predicted to head to Arkansas, the Razorbacks fell out of the running after his visit to the Vols.
The Tigers have still received two commitments on the defensive side of the ball in four-star linebacker Keenan Harris and three-star safety Tony Forney Jr. Mizzou is also awaiting the commitment of four-star linebacker Adam Balogoun-Ali, although he is favored to go with Auburn.
This is the third recruit the Tigers have lost in two days, as both four-star safety Jayden McGregory and three-star linebacker Braxton Lindsey each chose different schools, committing to Louisville and BYU, respectively.
Related: Mizzou Football Misses Out on Two Highly Touted 2026 Recruits
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
