The Missouri Tiger recruiting run rolls on.
Its latest land is one that will probably play better with time, though Justin Bodford has plenty of confidence in himself in heading from south Florida to the SEC. The newest Tiger came to a decision during his final visit in the month of June.
“I love the atmosphere there,” Bodford told Rivals. “I was there for two days and it felt like home already. The fans, the people, the restaurant owners, everyone, they just treated me like a king or something.
“Before I left the visit, I talked to coach Al Davis, and told him I was coming. My mom really loved it, my sisters loved it. My mom even said she trusted them.”
The interior defender out of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla) St. Thomas Aquinas, where winning a state title nearly every year is the standard, believes in the culture in Columbia. Even flashes during the 2022 season helped to nudge him the Tigers’ way.
“They almost beat Georgia last year, they only lost by a few points,” Bodford said. “So hopefully when we get there, we can change things around and become national champs.”
For the three-star specifically, his modern build and traits on the interior fit what MU is coveting in the modern game.
“Coach likes my speed and quickness,” Bodford said. “All their DTs are smaller, between 6-foot and 6-foot-2, so they get vertical up the field, and they make plays. Coach Davis wants D-linemen that can make plays.
“I don’t think it’s gonna be easy, but I’ve got to keep grinding and I’ll get there.”
Bodford collected double-digit scholarship offers, with the bulk of the Power Five options coming in the New Year or during the offseason months, so there has been a growing chip on his shoulder relative to his production at a national power and the lack of depth in his recruitment.
“My size played a big role in my recruitment,” Bodford said. “Many colleges thought I was too short. But this past year you saw it in the draft with Calijah Kancey and players like that. They changed the game. Being an undersized DT, with quickness, is becoming the wave.
“I’ll show these other schools they messed up for sure.”
Bodford is the fifth new Tiger commitment since mid June, a number sure to balloon over the coming days.
