SPRINGFIELD–Shomari Lawrence is betting on his impressive senior season, as Missouri State’s lead running back, and officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, on Sunday.
The 6’0, 210 pound rusher became just the 11th player in Bears history to rush for over 1,000 yards, when he broke the millenia mark during MSU’s final game of the season — the Xbox Bowl — less than a week ago.
Advertisement
Lawrence transferred to Springfield for his final year of eligibility, from Florida International University, and made the most of it. He ran for 7 touchdowns and more than 100 yards on three separate occasions, including, a season-high 174 against Kennesaw State.
His size, power, and stats are comparable to his predecessor, and current Seattle Seahawks running back, Jacardia Wright. Wright declared for the NFL draft after the 2024 season, where totaled 824 yards and 14 total touchdowns. Wright went undrafted in April, but did so well at Seahawks training camp he earned a spot on the roster and even scored a touchdown in one of Seattle’s preseason games this fall.
Lawrence will surely hope his path to the NFL is a smoother one, but he could very well end up in the same situation as Wright.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR – OzarksFirst.com.