Missouri football’s Johnnie ‘DJ’ Jones recovering after successful heart transplant, coach says

Johnnie “DJ” Jones, a freshman offensive lineman for the Missouri Tigers, is recovering after undergoing a heart transplant, coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Thursday.

In a social media post, Drinkwitz provided a positive health update, saying Jones’ surgery went well and Jones was recovering.

“We are incredibly grateful for the medical team who cared for DJ and for the donor and donor family whose extraordinary gift made this possible,” the seventh-year Tigers coach wrote.

HEALTHY ATHLETE HAD NO SYMPTOMS BEFORE MANDATORY HEART SCREENING REVEALED HIDDEN DEFECT

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz is seen before an NCAA college football game against Florida on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Missouri. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jones had been hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, while awaiting a transplant, Drinkwitz said during a news conference Tuesday.

Missouri’s staff first identified a problem with Jones’ heart during freshman intake testing over the summer, Drinkwitz said earlier this week.

The team’s medical staff sought a second opinion with the Mayo Clinic when they weren’t getting a resolution or answers after two weeks of observation.

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A Missouri Tigers helmet is shown against the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Sept. 11, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic detected a much more serious heart problem, Drinkwitz said. The coaching staff was told last week that Jones needed the transplant.

A general view of the field before a game between the Missouri Tigers and Florida Gators at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo., on Oct. 3, 2026. (Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)

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The 18-year-old Jones graduated from Venice High School on Florida’s Gulf Coast and signed with Missouri as a four-star recruit. Missouri enters Week 6 of the college football slate at 4-1 and host Columbia on Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.