After his first visit to Missouri, D'Montae Tims made up his mind.
The Class of 2026 three-star safety announced his verbal commitment to the Tigers on Wednesday after an unofficial visit. Tims, the No. 63 safety in his class, received his offer from Missouri safeties coach Jacob Yoro in early January amid a recruiting surge.
"He's up front. He's going to keep it real with you. He's not going to sugarcoat nothing," Tims said of Yoro in February. "From my first impression, I feel like he's a good coach, but me getting to know him more and more, me being around him, me seeing him close to the guys when I get up there, that's going to solidify everything."
The Tigers made an effort to get multiple position coaches and recruiting coordinators in daily contact with Tims. The three-star safety also got to meet head coach Eli Drinkwitz for the first time, raving about his personality and laidback laid-back demeanor.
"He said he loves my film," Tims said. "The STAR position that they produce at Mizzou, he says he sees me playing it for the next three-to-four years and dominate at it."
Tims scheduled an official visit to Missouri for June 20-22, the final weekend before the NCAA Dead Period. He also locked in an official to Vanderbilt for the prior weekend, June 13-15.
Not hiding his immediate interest in the Tigers, Tims loved what he saw from cornerback Dreyden Norwood the past few seasons. As most recruits point to the production of Luther Burden III, Tims found a more niche player to follow.
"He's just a dog out there, man," Tims said about Norwood. "Any receiver he gets in front of, he's going to strap him. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it."
In 10 games during his junior season at Seffner (Fla.) Armwood, Tims totaled 25 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions. His recruitment took off in January, receiving his bulk of offers after the new year started.
Tims joined three-star defensive end Anthony Kennedy Jr. as Missouri's first two commits in the 2026 class. Kennedy, who is still exploring other schools, pledged to the Tigers in December. Tims recognized interest from Missouri right away and walked into his visit Wednesday with the idea of committing.
"You're getting a great one," Tims said on his message to Missouri fans. "You're getting a dog."
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