Twenty-one standout student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to attend the University of Missouri and play football for Head Coach Gary Pinkel, as announced today by Mizzou's head coach.

According to the Rivals.com rankings, Mizzou's 2006 recruiting class rates ahead of 27 other schools that participated in bowl games during the 2005 season.

Five of Mizzou's 2006 class hails from the state of Missouri, including two of the state's top four players, according to Rivals. Once again, the state of Texas was a big focal point for MU's recruiting efforts, turning in 9 players. Mizzou also signed two student-athletes from the states of California and Oklahoma, and one each from the states of Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana.

Mizzou's quarterback class rated 13th-best in the country, according to Rivals.com, and MU also fared well in the wide receiver position (17th-best class in the nation). The defensive back class (featuring seven players, the second-largest DB class in the nation, according to Rivals) ranked 30th.