2014 Missouri Walkthrough: Charles Harris and Marcus Loud are staring at a high bar

Charles Harris

6'3, 235, RSFr.

Bill C.: The life of a Missouri defensive end is unique. Gary Pinkel and company have unearthed so many gems at the position, from Stryker Sulak to Michael Sam, that the less-heralded recruits almost excite us more than the more well-touted ones. And they don't come any less heralded than Charles Harris, who signed with Missouri without even a Rivals.com profile in 2013. Harris was offered the day before Signing Day thanks to potential alone; he had been a more successful basketball player and had barely played football. Now he's the heir apparent. And thus far, practice reports suggest he might live up to the hype. We'll have to see how quickly he can begin putting the pieces together, however. He will serve as a backup in 2014, but he and the next player on the list might need to become stars by 2015.

The Beef: Raw, raw, raw. That is what Harris was described as when he came out of KC. But lo and behold (and at some point we will stop being surprised when it happens), he had an impressive spring campaign and now will look to play an important role on the team in backing up Shane Ray. Will he see as many snaps as Ray saw last year in the same role? Doubtful, but it is going to be important for Harris to be a contributor when he is in there.

countrycal: Charles will probably back up Shane Ray and is a similar type of athlete. He brings 235 pounds to the field, but is considered to be stronger than his size would indicate, and a superb athlete. This will be his first taste of action, though he is not likely to command the same minutes as Ray did last year.

AlaTiger: Charles Harris is maybe the ultimate example of "we do what we do." A zero star recruit, pursued by no one else, and better known as a prep basketball player. Pinkel and staff liked what they saw, offered him a scholarship, and after a redshirt year, he sits on the second team headed into camp. Regardless of where his career goes from here, Harris is proof that Pinkel isn’t kidding when he says the staff does their own evaluations and don’t care about rankings.

CapnCribbs: I hope the hype he’s been getting from the coaching staff turns out to be a reality. It’s almost not fair how Mizzou can take an unknown recruit and make him into a beast, but that’s what Coach Kul does.

wooderson: harriers clash, relish car rash

Marcus Loud

6'4, 270, RSFr.

Bill C.: Marcus Loud was (yawwwwn) almost a four-star recruit per Rivals.com. He lived up to his name at times in spring practice, sharing second-string duties with Harris. He's got every-down size, putting on enough solid weight that Loud-to-tackle rumors were floating for a bit. But he's an end, and a potentially good one.

The Beef: The most intriguing of the four ends who we expect to see time just because of his size and growth. Coming in from Houston, TX, his recruiting bio had him at 235. The pre-spring depth chart has him at 6’4, 270, putting him 10 pounds heavier than Golden, who he will back up. Can Loud become the next Ealy-type of end? Our line would be all the better for it if he does right away, though the true test will (hopefully) not be until 2015.

countrycal: Marcus is another redshirt stepping in to back up Markus Golden, demonstrating how little playing experience the Tigers are beginning with at this position. Loud steps into the strongside end position as the Tigers largest defensive end at 270 pounds. Coaches speak highly of his potential. Either he or Charles Harris will need to come in and contribute early for the coaches to establish a rotation system similar to that used last year which gave Golden and Ray so much playing time.

AlaTiger: Marcus Loud is simply a great name for a defensive end.

wooderson: muscular do, mucous lard, a mucus lord, soul mud car