Toni Bryant Leads Off No. 1 Signing Class for Men’s Basketball
11/12/2025 11:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
One of the most versatile frontcourt players is joining the Mizzou men's basketball team as five-star Toni Bryant (Tampa, Fla.) is the first signee in the Tigers' No. 1 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-10 five-star prospect is the first Mizzou signee to rank in the top 20 nationally since Michael Porter Jr. finished second in the Class of 2017, placing as high as the nation's No. 14 recruit by ESPN and the fourth-ranked power forward in the class.
"Toni is a gifted talent who can be a dominant forward at Mizzou," said Whitten Family Head Coach Dennis Gates. "We have had success with players that share his skillsets like Kobe Brown and Mark Mitchell and we think he can be the next forward to flourish within our system. Offensively, Toni plays above the rim, can run the floor and shoots the ball well for his size. On the defensive end, he is a top shot blocker and can rebound the ball with the best of them. He is already a force to deal with but we think his best basketball is still in front of him."
Bryant averaged 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds on the Puma Pro16 circuit this past spring and summer. As a junior during the 2024-25 season at North Tampa Christian High School, Bryant averaged 21.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 6.5 blocks per game, while shooting 66 percent from the field and 43 percent beyond the arc. He enters his senior campaign as a three-time all-state honoree by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association.
"Toni and the Missouri coaching staff have developed a great relationship the past few years," said Zephyrhills Christian Head Coach Zach Reynolds. "When Toni was in eighth grade, I reached out to Coach Smithpeters, visualizing how they play and how Toni could fit with their program. Since that time, Coach Gates has been in the gym the most recruiting Toni and developing a strong relationship off the court. When he stepped foot on campus earlier this year, it just sealed the deal and it felt like home for him. We knew that he would be around great people and there is a great community for him at Missouri.
"Toni is a blue-collar kid," Reynolds continued. "He is going to work extremely hard and is very approachable. He is still new to basketball as he hasn't been playing his entire life. He continues to grow, however, and is shooting in the right direction. I'm just excited to see where God is going to take him. We believe and we know he is going to do great things at Missouri with the help of that coaching staff. So, we're just excited to see him continue to grow and develop his game with the Tigers."
Bryant is Mizzou's first signee for the Class of 2026 as the Tigers currently own the nation's top-ranked class by ESPN. He joins a program that has won 20-plus games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2-of-3 seasons under Gates leadership.
