Venice grad, Missouri football freshman Johnnie Jones needs heart transplant

Venice graduate and Missouri football freshman offensive tackle Johnnie Jones requires a heart transplant, Missouri football head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Tuesday.

The head coach said that the Tigers discovered a heart issue during freshman intake in the summer and observed him for two weeks but felt like “they weren’t getting the resolution that we wanted,” Drinkwitz said. 

The team then sought a second opinion and sent Jones to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, one of three campuses of the nationally acclaimed Mayo system.

“We sent him to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and discovered a much more significant issue,” Drinkwitz said. “And then last week we found out that Johnnie’s now on a heart transplant list, and he’s in Mayo, and it’s tough right now, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as they go through this.”

On the ABC broadcast after Mizzou’s win against Florida this past Saturday in Columbia, Drinkwitz mentioned Jones in his on-field postgame interview with sideline reporter Kris Budden.

“I want to give a shoutout to Johnnie Jones,” Drinkwitz said Saturday. “DJ, we love you, man. We’re praying for ya. We’ll see ya.”

Jones enrolled with Missouri this past June. He is a 6-foot-6, 305-pound offensive lineman who was among the top-ranked recruits in the country in the 2026 cycle. 

Drinkwitz was visibly choked up during his weekly media availability Tuesday as he announced the news.

“I know Johnnie was watching our game. It’s just hard, an 18-year-old with everything in front of him, and you’re just not prepared for that kind of news,” Drinkwitz said. “Our team wasn’t prepared for that kind of news, but we’re praying for him, and I know a lot of Mizzou fans will hopefully join in that prayer because he does need help in a hurry. We’re pulling for you, buddy.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Venice grad, Missouri football freshman Johnnie Jones needs heart transplant