Missouri’s busy transfer portal offseason took another expected turn, as clarity finally arrived regarding the status of one of its earliest commitments from this cycle. After days of speculation and mounting signs behind the scenes, the Tigers officially moved on from a player who never made it to campus, further reshaping an already overhauled wide receiver room. The decision closes the door on a short-lived pairing while opening the next chapter for both the program and the player involved.
According to a report from On3 college football insider Pete Nakos, Missouri has formally released Auburn transfer wide receiver from his signed agreement with the program. The move had been widely anticipated over the past several days as indications grew that Fields would not be part of the Tigers’ plans for the 2026 season.
Concerns first surfaced over the weekend when reports from PowerMizzou and 247Sports noted that Horatio Fields had yet to arrive in Columbia. Unlike most of Missouri’s other transfer additions during this window, his name did not appear in the university’s student database, a strong sign that he had not enrolled. From that point forward, the expectation was that Fields would not suit up for Mizzou.
Missouri had announced Fields’ signing on Jan. 8 through social media, meaning he needed to be formally released from the agreement before pursuing another opportunity. That agreement could have included financial aid, NIL arrangements, or a combination of both. With the release now complete, Fields is free to explore other destinations.
The timing of the situation became clearer shortly after Missouri revealed it had signed Ole Miss wide receiver Cayden Lee. Lee is one of four wide receivers the Tigers added through the portal, joining Caleb Goodie from Cincinnati, Kenric Lanier II from Minnesota, and Naeshaun Montgomery from Florida. Those additions lessened the impact of Fields’ departure before he ever arrived.
Since then, multiple reports have suggested Ole Miss as a potential landing spot for Fields. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound senior from Douglasville, Georgia, missed most of the 2025 season at Auburn due to injury. Prior to that, he played at Wake Forest, where he recorded 39 receptions for 467 yards and four touchdowns during the 2024 season.
Originally a member of the 2021 signing class, Fields has one year of eligibility remaining. He was also among the earliest transfer commitments Missouri secured in this portal cycle.
Overall, Missouri has signed 28 transfer portal players this offseason and has largely stabilized its wide receiver depth despite significant turnover, even without Fields ever stepping on campus.