Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper will not play in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic against Ohio State because of injuries, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Saturday.
Rakestraw, who is considered a top-five cornerback prospect in the 2024 NFL draft by ESPN’s Matt Miller and Field Yates, also missed the Tigers’ win over Arkansas to close out the regular season due to an undisclosed injury.
Hopper, a second-time All-SEC selection, suffered a sprained ankle against Tennessee on Nov. 11 and has not played since. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation’s most outstanding linebacker.
No. 9 Missouri will make its first appearance in a New Year’s Six bowl when it faces No. 7 Ohio State on Dec. 29 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+). The Buckeyes are 10-1-1 all time against the Tigers — winning 35-14 in 1998 in their most recent meeting — but they are 2-12 against SEC teams in bowl games.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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