Missouri’s DJ Jones receives heart transplant and begins recovery

Missouri freshman offensive tackle Johnnie “DJ” Jones received a heart transplant Wednesday night and is recovering, coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Thursday morning. Drinkwitz said the surgery went well and thanked the medical team, donor and donor’s family in a statement shared on his X account.

Jones’ need for a transplant had become public earlier this week. Thursday’s message supplied the update his family and teammates had been waiting for: he had received a donor heart and was beginning recovery.

The Associated Press reported that Missouri’s medical staff found a heart issue during freshman intake testing. After roughly two weeks of observation without the answers the staff needed, it sought another evaluation at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Doctors there identified a more serious problem, and Drinkwitz said the coaching staff learned last week that Jones needed a transplant.

Local station KMIZ reported that Jones is an offensive tackle from Venice, Florida, who committed to Missouri in October 2025 and signed that December. He was arriving for his first college season when the medical evaluations changed those plans.

Missourinet carried audio of Drinkwitz discussing the situation before Thursday’s update. His account described the initial testing, further observation in Columbia and the decision to seek care in Jones’ home state. The coach had asked the Missouri community to support Jones and his family while he waited.

Drinkwitz’s new statement also thanked the broader Missouri community for its prayers and support. He asked that the donor’s family and Jones’ caregivers remain in those thoughts as the recovery process begins, and said the program would provide further updates when it could.