Coach Gary Pinkel's football staff received word today they had gained a commitment from Ritenour High School's Edmund Ray. Ray becomes to 16th player to verbally commit to attend Mizzou in 2012.
In getting Ray, Mizzou picks up a 6'5" 290 lb defensive tackle that had offers from Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Kansas State. He was a three-star recruit per Rivals.com and was ranked the ninth best senior in the state of Missouri heading into the fall.
Last season for Ritenour (St. Louis), he had 74 tackles and 8 sacks. As a junior he was second team All-State in Class 6 as voted by the Missouri Associated Press.
Ray also caps off an impressive month for the Tigers recruiting staff as they were able to obtain commitments from six players during the month of July.
Other players added since Maty Mauk's commitment on July 7th-
Simon Goines 6'7" 290 lbs OL Central High School (Keller, Texas)
Goines is three-star recruit who picked the Tigers over offers from BCS conference schools Arkansas, Baylor, Indiana, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Utah, and West Virginia
Donald Hopkins 6'2" 270 lbs DT Lago Vista High School (Texas)
Hopkins is a three-start recruit who picked Mizzou over BCS conference offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Kansas, Utah, and Wake Forest
Evan Winston 6'4" 240 lbs DE Muskegon Heights High School (Michigan)
Winston is also a three-star who selected Missouri over BCS conference offers that included Cincinnati, Iowa, and Syracuse
It certainly appears July was a month to add beef on both sides of the line for the Tigers.