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UPDATE: His commitment is now official
I verbally commit to The University of Missouri❕#SEC pic.twitter.com/otwM4LZYJN
— Jet. (@Jetsonn1x) August 22, 2015
Welcome to the #MizFam Richmond, TX About to be #MizzouMade
— Nick Otterbacher (@Coach_Otter) August 18, 2015
Confirmed #Mizzou has landed a commit from the No. 12 RB in America & Texas’ No. 61 player: http://t.co/OpSrNNL6OB pic.twitter.com/R2fI0PodzL
— Gabe DeArmond (@GabeDeArmond) August 18, 2015
Darius Anderson, a high-three-star prospect according to Rivals.com and a mid-three-star per the 247Sports Composite, became Missouri's most recent 2016 commitment this afternoon. He boasts offers from California, Colorado, Houston, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Utah, and, yes, Texas. The 247 Crystal Ball thought he was a Texas lock, so this is at least a little bit of a surprise.
In so many ways, Anderson is the recent Mizzou prototype. Like Henry Josey, Marcus Murphy, and Russell Hansbrough, he's listed in the 5'10, 180-pound range ... he'd mid- to high-three-star ... and he's from Texas. And his highlight film, with all applicable caveats, is a delight.
His blocking in these highlights is pretty damn good, but there are all sorts of instances of him breaking defender angles and making some killer moves in the open field.
Anderson is Mizzou's 13th commitment in what is expected to be about an 18- to 21-man class. Assuming he goes on to sign in February, he will join an increasingly crowded depth chart. Russell Hansbrough and Tyler Hunt are seniors, but Morgan Steward and Chase Abbington* are juniors, Ish Witter is a sophomore, Trevon Walters is a redshirt freshman, Marquise Doherty and Ryan Williams are true freshmen, and Nate Strong, a longtime commit who is supposed to report from Hinds CC in January, will be either a redshirt freshman or true sophomore.
* Abbington is listed on the Mizzou roster as a junior, though I was pretty sure he was a redshirt sophomore when he signed in February, so that might be an error.
That's a lot of pretty exciting backs right there.
Welcome, Darius!