Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz says freshman Johnnie 'DJ' Jones receives a heart transplant

Missouri freshman offensive tackle Johnnie “DJ” Jones has received a heart transplant, coach Eli Drinkwitz said.

Drinkwitz announced on X on Thursday morning that the surgery Wednesday went well and that Jones was 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.

Drinkwitz said at a news conference Tuesday that Jones was hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was awaiting the transplant.

Missouri staff first found an issue with Jones’ heart over the summer during freshman intake testing, Drinkwitz said earlier this week.

The team’s medical staff sought a second opinion with the Mayo Clinic when they weren’t getting a resolution or answers after two weeks of observation.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic detected a much more serious heart problem, Drinkwitz said. The coaching staff was told last week that Jones needed the transplant.

The 18-year-old Jones graduated from Venice High School on Florida’s Gulf Coast and signed with Missouri as a four-star recruit.

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