Three minutes after midnight on Wednesday, blue-chip defensive tackle Trevor Trout of St. Louis’ Chaminade High School released a trimmed-down list of his favorite schools.
The Missouri Tigers made the cut, along with Alabama, UCLA, Miami, Georgia, and USC.
— Trevor Trout ® (@totaltroutmove) August 30, 2017
Earlier this year, Trout told Rivals’ Josh Helmholdt that he was expecting to make some cuts by the end of the summer and then schedule his official visits. We might expect USC to be among those among those official visits:
"I have never been to California my entire life. I will probably take an official visit there. It is an historic program, great academic school. That’s USC. I really like the USC defensive line coach (Kenechi Udeze)."
The Miami Hurricanes, with former Mizzou defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski, certainly can not be counted out as contenders. Closer to home, Trout has reportedly established a strong relationship with new Missouri defensive line coach Brick Haley.
Trout has visited Missouri several times — for the Tigers’ Junior Day a few years ago, the Night at the Zou events during the summer, and earlier this offseason when Barry Odom organized a “Tiger Top 10” visit that featured top prospects like Kamryn Babb, Michael Thompson, Ronnie Perkins, and Trout. Given the number of visits and Mizzou’s proximity, the Tigers may not received an official visit (perhaps another unofficial instead) before National Signing Day, when Trout expects to make his decision.
The 2017 season will be a critical factor in many recruits’ final decisions. In April, Trout told Frank Cusumano, "If [Mizzou] can win 6-7 games in the SEC, that's pretty impressive."
The Tigers will be relying on junior Terry Beckner Jr. of East St. Louis (Ill.) to spearhead an improved defensive line this fall. If Beckner departs for the NFL, Mizzou could be looking for someone to step into playing time immediately. And even if not, the coaching staff has already demonstrated a willingness to play talented defenders early in Columbia.
Here are some Trout highlights: