COLUMBIA, Mo. — Johnnie “DJ” Jones, a University of Missouri freshman offensive lineman who was awaiting a heart transplant, received the vital organ at a Florida hospital late Wednesday, team officials said.
Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz released a statement on social media on Thursday, stating that the surgery at a Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, went well and Jones is recovering.
“We are incredibly grateful for the medical team who cared for DJ and for the donor and donor family whose extraordinary gift made this possible,” Drinkwitz wrote. “Please continue to keep DJ, his family, the donor family, and his caregivers in your prayers as he begins the recovery process.”
Jones, 18, was a highly recruited, 6-foot-6, 305-pound offensive lineman from Venice, Florida.
https://t.co/BYfowNC2Uz
— Eliah Drinkwitz (@CoachDrinkwitz) October 8, 2026
During a news conference on Tuesday, Drinkwitz said the Tigers’ staff discovered a heart issue during freshman intake this summer, KMBC reported.
Doctors observed Jones for two weeks but “they weren’t getting the resolution that we wanted,” Drinkwitz told reporters.
[ Missouri freshman football player needs heart transplant ]
The team then sought a second opinion and sent Jones to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, one of three campuses of the nationally acclaimed medical facility, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune.
“We are so thankful for the incredible prayers and support from the entire Mizzou Family,” Drinkwitz wrote on Thursday. We will continue to update you when we can.”
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