East St. Louis DB Jabarri Lofton commits to Mizzou

by: Kenny Van Doren03/07/26thevandalorian

With Missouri being the talk of The Opening this past weekend in Indianpolis, the Tigers followed it up with their second pledge in the 2027 class.

East St. Louis (Ill.) safety Jabarri Lofton committed to Missouri during an unofficial visit Saturday. The three-star chose the Tigers over Illinois, Kansas State and Purdue — the three other programs scheduled to receive official visits.

“Love the coaches,” Lofton told vice president of recruiting and transfer portal Steve Wiltfong on Sunday. “The facilities are amazing. They also have a great staff for eating habits, getting players bigger and stronger.”

Missouri safeties coach Jacob Yoro offered Lofton in late October, less than two weeks after his first visit for the Alabama game. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz and wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler also attended an East St. Louis matchup early into this past fall.

“He likes the way I move around and the way I play,” Lofton said about Yoro. “I just love that he’s a competitor and he loves to win.”

Lofton marked the second commitment from East St. Louis in the past three cycles. CJ Bass III signed with the Tigers in the Class of 2025, becoming a person Lofton made sure to see during his visits, especially after the season finale against Mississippi State in November.

Jabarri Lofton’s official visit schedule

Two weeks after his Junior Day at Missouri on Jan. 31, Lofton announced his official visit schedule: Illinois (April 10-22), Purdue (May 29-31), Missouri (June 5-7) and Kansas State (June 12-14). The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensive back left the weekend of June 19-21 open while also still planning to take those visits.

“It meant a lot to me,” Lofton said about announcing his decision during his visit. “I felt like I made the right decision committing to Mizzou.”

Lofton joined three-star quarterback Braylen Warren as the second commitment in the 2027 class. Both prospects competed in The Opening this past weekend, with Warren also receiving an invitation to the Elite 11 Finals.