Missouri football OL Drake Heismeyer, late in his career, is getting starting opportunity

Not many players will wait longer for a first career start than Drake Heismeyer.

The backup Missouri football offensive linemen arrived on campus in 2020, in a class alongside quarterback Brady Cook and since-drafted NFL corners Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kris Abrams-Draine. Heismeyer was in one year before the Tigers’ three-year starting center Connor Tollison, and has spent most of his career down the depth chart along the offensive line.

Don’t get it wrong, he’s been out on the field for the Tigers. 

He’s appeared in 48 games over the course of his career, mostly on special teams duties. This year, his role was mostly as the backup to Tollison and as part of the middle shield on MU’s punt team — a role Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said that the O-lineman “takes extreme amount of pride in that.”

But then he was called up to the offense four games before his five-year college career was over. Not under circumstances he wanted, but under necessity. Tollison is one of his best friends, Heismeyer said, and the pair lived together for multiple years. 

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But Tollison sustained an injury against Oklahoma and was pulled from the game. Heismeyer came in and kept backup quarterback Drew Pyne clean as the Tigers staged a late comeback to beat the Sooners. Tollison’s injury required surgery, and the starter was ruled out for the year.

Heismeyer was the next man up, and he was up at South Carolina. Four years and some change, and there was that first start. 

The Tigers lost 34-30 on the road to the Gamecocks, falling late after overturning a once-15-point deficit to give themselves a chance late at Williams-Brice Stadium.

“The game didn't go the way we wanted it to, but I thought I played pretty well. I wasn't as nervous as I thought it was going to be,” Heismeyer said Tuesday. “I had a really good time out there. It's my first time really playing in a game, like, the whole time. I've been thrown in later in some games, not the whole games. But I really enjoyed it. I thought I played well, but obviously we need to win, so we can always do better.”

More:With 3 losses, Missouri football’s potential bowl destinations narrow. Where MU could land

He’ll get his next chance Saturday against Mississippi State on the road in Starkville, and will be the planned starter in both the Tigers’ regular-season finale against Arkansas and wherever MU ends up bowling. 

Heismeyer has had quite the college journey off the field.

He had one of the more recognizable early name, image and likeness deals in the infant stages of the NIL era, as he used the slogan ‘69 Eats Local’ — an homage to the number he wears on his jersey — to score partnerships with and promote St. Louis- and Columbia-based eateries. 

More:What does Missouri football have to play for after South Carolina loss? Start with Brady Cook

He was one of the brand ambassadors when ‘Raising Cane’s’ opened in Columbia in 2021, and he was one of seven Mizzou O-linemen announced in a partnership with ‘Hooters’ in 2022.

Enterprising, starter or not.

But that’s just been the icing for Heismeyer, who is studying engineering and is from St. Charles, Missouri.

“When I committed to Mizzou, I was sold on the school. At the end of the day, I don't do this for money,” Heismeyer said. … “I’ve been here since 2020. I've been through the bad years, you know, when we were fighting for a bowl game. And now, obviously, we’re starting to reap some rewards here. 

“So, I'm not in it for the money. I'm not doing it for the fame. I love the school. I want to get a degree from the University of Missouri. It means a lot to me. So, I just wanted to keep it home.”

Playing time has been sparing. He’s taken some relief reps here and fourth-quarter minutes there. Tollison has been essentially ever-present in the middle of the O-line, starting 34 straight games before Mizzou went to South Carolina.

But when Heismeyer’s recognizable number was called, he mostly met the moment.

He kept pressure entirely out of Pyne’s face against OU, as PFF attributed no pressures to Heismeyer over the course of his 26 snaps in relief. Against South Carolina, which has recorded the third-most sacks among FBS teams this season, the offensive line allowed just one sack on a banged-up Cook over the course of the game.

“I was really, really impressed and proud of the way he played and performed,” Drinkwitz said. “I thought, for as good as that defensive front was, for him to keep us on the right IDs, there's only a handful of plays that weren't executed the way we wanted to. But he held up really well.”

Heismeyer has three more games to play as Mizzou goes in search of a second straight 10-win season, a feat that has only occurred twice in program history. 

It’s likely that the center’s snaps will be heading Cook’s way, despite Drinkwitz saying the quarterback is still “dealing with multiple injuries that aren't fully recovered yet.” 

Why? Heismeyer said “if (Cook) can play, he'll be out there.”

Same for the center, who has the starting job from here until the end of the year.

Long time coming.

“I think it's a really good opportunity for me, going out this way in my senior year,” Heismeyer said. “I’ve got nothing to lose other than the game. Pretty excited about it — I think it's a cool story. I'm excited to put on for the state of Missouri. I’m right down the road in St. Louis, so I’ve got a lot of fans. I’m just pretty happy about it.”