Missouri lands 2027 edge Chris Kasky from Illinois’ Nazareth Academy

Missouri football picked up a new commitment for the Class of 2027 on Friday, adding 3-star edge Chris Kasky out of Illinois’ Nazareth Academy. The Tigers, led by head coach Eli Drinkwitz, beat out a group that included Indiana, Arkansas and Iowa, according to the reporting that followed the pledge. The commitment also marks Missouri’s first edge-rusher pledge of the cycle, and it comes with the program already leaning into the Midwest recruiting footprint it has built over the past year.

Kasky is listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, and his recruitment has been helped by Nazareth Academy’s recent success sending Division-I talent to the next level. On the field, Shaw Local reported that Kasky led Nazareth with 68 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2025, while also earning All-CCL/ESCC recognition. Shaw Local also noted he missed two games due to a shoulder issue, a reminder that even promising production comes with the small caveats that always accompany a full high school season.

Missouri’s pitch to Kasky has also included the comfort of a familiar environment. Kasky and fellow Nazareth standout Luke Injaychock, a Missouri commit from the Class of 2027, built chemistry as teammates before their college recruitment intensified. On3 reported that the two attended spring practice together in March and booked official visits for the same weekend window, which helped Missouri package the move as both a football decision and a continuation of a relationship that already existed.

The commitment was not treated as a one-off win by Missouri, either. On3 reported Drinkwitz visited Nazareth Academy in January, and that the Tigers’ staff used that trip to build trust with both prospects and their program. On3 also reported that Kasky’s scholarship offer came from defensive line coach Chop Harbin in the days leading up to an in-school evaluation, and that Kasky was encouraged by what he saw from Missouri’s coaches and approach to edge development.

Kasky’s pledge also fits a broader recruiting message for Missouri’s 2027 class: prioritize front-seven defenders early and keep adding high-effort athletes from states the Tigers can recruit with consistency. Saturday Down South reported that Kasky is the third-highest-rated commitment Missouri has in its 2027 cycle at the moment, with the Tigers’ class sitting 25th in the country per the composite rankings cited in that report. It also noted Missouri’s connection to the defensive line room already includes a separate commitment, 3-star defensive lineman Dami Sowunmi out of Indiana.

What happens next is likely to revolve around finishing the board behind the edge, then tightening up the second wave at other defensive spots. With Missouri now adding Kasky and already having at least one defensive lineman pledged, the Tigers can spend the rest of the summer refining position groups rather than chasing a single missing category. For Kasky, the key transition will be learning Missouri’s expectations for pass rush reps, run fit discipline, and how to translate high school edge traits into a college scheme where consistency is rewarded.

For fans, the immediate takeaway is that Missouri’s recruiting staff is indicating it wants a more aggressive defensive build for future seasons, not just a scattered collection of commits. Kasky’s Illinois roots, Nazareth’s growing track record of producing Power-5-caliber prospects, and the presence of Injaychock give Missouri a potential recruiting advantage it can build on, provided the Tigers keep adding talent at the other positions that most directly support an edge-rusher’s production.