Darvis Holmes
6’5, 315, Fr.
Hinesville, GA
Oscar Gamble: Looked like he could shed some bad weight, is competing at tackle. Possibly a redshirt.
TheRonDavis: Darvis Holmes is a big, big man. He’s going to be a player at some point, but it would probably be wise to redshirt him and convert bad weight into good weight.
Sam Snelling: You’re always skeptical about a player’s ability when they’re unearthed so late in the recruiting year. But Holmes is big and has enough mobility to be a guy who can help this team down the road. It will be interesting to watch him grow and see if he can be the an impact player down the road.
Bill C.: Though he was the most highly-rated of Missouri’s three freshman OL signings (per the 247 Composite, he was the most highly-rated freshman in the class), it does appear that he’s a little bit behind the game. That makes sense for a guy who couldn’t report to campus as early as the others. I’m still excited to see this guy down the line, though.
Trystan Castillo
6’4, 295, Fr.
Webb City, MO
Oscar Gamble: He’s bigger than what’s listed here, and he’s competing at guard and center.
TheRonDavis: I’ve heard a lot of good things about him so far, and I’d expect him to play. He came from a very successful program in Webb City, and we’ll see if he carries that success to Mizzou. Reminds me a lot of Connor McGovern.
Sam Snelling: Mizzou held off some late charges from other programs to keep Castillo in state. So it would be nice if he panned out, but he’ll have some time to season if that’s what is needed.
Bill C.: Castillo is big, strong, and (per his highlight film) mean as hell. Glen Elarbee called him a “violent” guy. Sign me up. If he’s starting in 2016, that means other guys ahead of him have struggled or gotten hurt, so I don’t want to see too much of him just yet. But at this point I would be surprised if he weren’t on the two-deep to start the season.
Tre’Vour Simms
6’5, 300, Fr.
East St. Louis, IL
Oscar Gamble: Simms is massive. Easily 6’5 and 300-plus. From the sound of it, both he and Castillo have put on a lot of weight since getting to campus. Simms is my pick for contributing the most as a freshman.
TheRonDavis: Like Darvis Holmes, Simms will be a very hard guy to push around in the trenches. He seems a little further along than Holmes, so I’d bet on him seeing the field this fall. He’s got a lot of potential, and we’ll see some of that this year.
Sam Snelling: Simms is yet another in the long line of East St. Louis Flyers to head to Columbia, and while he may not be ready to contribute immediately, he has the ability to make a long term impact on the line for years to come. Missouri coaches sold him by telling him there would be opportunity to play and play early, so Simms could end up seeing the field, he certainly has the size and strength to be in the lineup but you’d certainly hope for the best of Missouri’s line that he’d be able to wait another year before seeing real action.