Missouri names Drew Lock, Paul Adams, Jordan Harold, and Eric Beisel its 2017 captains

If you had asked me 18 months ago who Missouri’s captains would be for 2017 — I have no idea why you would have asked me this 18 months ago, but go with it — I’d have gone 0-for-4.

I didn’t know Barry Odom would begin allowing underclassmen to get picked, I didn’t know who Jordan Harold was, and honestly, I’d have probably assumed that Eric Beisel would be playing for Missouri State right now; Beisel was a prime transfer candidate after rarely seeing the field his first two (2.5, really) years.

Your captains for 2017: Drew Lock, Paul Adams, Harold, and Beisel.

"It means a lot to me," Lock said. "My dad was a co-captain when he was here, so to be alike him in this aspect is very nice. As far as my teammates voting me in for this, it speaks a lot of what they think of me and that means so much. Because at the end of the day, their opinion is the only opinion that matters to me."

"This shows the trust and belief of my teammates," Harold said. "It puts a lot on my shoulders, but it's a triumph for me; it means a lot. I'm excited to do what I can to help lead this team and give it all for them. I mean, they voted me as a captain so, I'm going to give them my all."

"It was kind of a surprise, very humbling," Adams said. "My immediate reaction was just a big smile and to thank the guys around me. It was truly a great and humbling experience. But, for me, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, maybe up the ante on leadership more, talk a little more. But I cannot get complacent. I've got people looking up to me even more now. So, I got to do what I do."

"It's an honor, being voted by my peers," Beisel said. "We put a lot of work in as a senior group, and the whole team, leadership wise. This is how we expected it to turn out, having a lot of guys step up to choose from to be our captains. It came down to us four, and it's just such a great honor to be elected by my teammates and to be put in those shoes to lead this team to what we're about to do."

Some feel-good stories right there. Congrats to each of them.

Meanwhile, at the same media gathering in which Odom revealed Christian Holmes’ injury, he also dropped pretty clear hints as to which true freshmen would likely be playing this year.

Odom said safety Joshuah Bledsoe, linebacker Jamal Brooks, running back Larry Rountree III, cornerback Adam Sparks and safety Jordan Ulmer will play. He also expects linebacker Aubrey Miller to have a significant role on special teams.

If I understand the context correctly, this list included names in addition to freshman defensive linemen Chris Turner and Akial Byers, who were all but confirmed to be playing previously.

Rountree, Brooks, Miller, and Ulmer aren’t particularly surprising — they’ve had nice buzz about them since they showed up in Columbia. Sparks, meanwhile, perhaps became a necessity when Holmes went down. But Bledsoe is a bit of a surprise to me, if only because, with a ton of veterans atop the safety depth chart, I didn’t expect more than one freshman to avoid redshirt.

Back to Holmes’ injury.

• Post-Dispatch: Mizzou secondary takes a hit with loss of key cornerback
• The Trib: Crowd thins at corner for Missouri following Holmes’ injury
• KC Star: Holmes’ injury forces Mizzou football to reshuffle secondary

It was an obvious topic when Odom and Ryan Walters talked to the media yesterday evening. Our own Tramel Raggs was on the scene and took some video.

Barry Odom

Ryan Walters

Finis Stribling IV

More Links:

• Kicker Tucker McCann on last year’s struggles: “I think it just makes you better. I wasn’t really worried. I know I got the best leg in the country. I know it’s meant for me to do special things here.” Well then.
• Linebacker commit Chad Bailey made the Rivals250 list at No. 170.
• Mizzou Hoops finished its non-conference slate in about the most nondescript, underwhelming way possible: with a game against Emporia State. I mean, hey, at least it’s not Pittsburg State, I guess ... that would have been awkward.
• Meanwhile, the SEC announced its women’s hoops conference schedule.

• Mizzou Wrestling made a late addition, and a good one: two-time state champion Cameron Valdiviez, a 125-pounder from Rockhurst.
• Everybody give a warm round of applause to Ethan Triebsch, who is beginning an internship with Mizzou Athletics and is therefore done writing for Rock M Nation. Well done, Ethan.