1. Putting Missouri’s 2014 signing class into perspective.

That group is entering its final season at Missouri, and only ten players (all redshirt seniors) remain. Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post Dispatch does a tremendous job putting their time at Missouri into perspective — “continuity” certainly cannot be used in relation to their time in Columbia.

He didn’t put these numbers in the article itself, but this tweet was the most jarring, for me. After Gary Pinkel took pride in the continuity with his coaching staff, this group did not get to reap any of those rewards during their time:

On a simialr note, Eli Lederman of the Columbia Missourian writes about these seniors trying to alter their legacy with a strong year. They started with 11 wins; finishing the same way would be nice, wouldn’t it?

2. Don’t sleep on Khalil Oliver at safety.

The Oregon transfer seems to be kind of the overlooked name in Missouri’s secondary as we start the 2018 season, but Dave Matter astutely points out that it’s a good chance he’ll be the starter on Sep. 1:

Put it this way: Mizzou hasn’t released a public depth chart since the start of camp, and only starters were available for reporters after Wednesday’s practice. Oliver was indeed available.

Missouri definitely can use Oliver’s experience, and he showed potential at Oregon. In his one full year with substantial playing time (2016), Oliver tallied 46 tackles, 2.5 for loss and an interception..

3. Sports Illustrated has Missouri at No. 3 in the East in its betting preview

No issue with the predicted pick, but behind FLORIDA? I may look real stupid, but i just don’t see it. I don’t think people realize just how far Florida’s recruiting slipped under Jim McElwain. It’s going to take another few cycles to replenish the cupboard.

Anyway, here’s the gist of what SI wrote about Missouri:

But what surrounds Lock, and new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley, will determine the Tigers’ conference fate. Speedy wide receiver Emanuel Hall is a game-breaker if healthy. Then there’s the defense, which is solid but with concerns at end and safety. Mizzou has a brutal three-game stretch starting in late September—it hosts Georgia, then travels to South Carolina and Alabama—but the remainder of its schedule is manageable. The QB play alone makes the Tigers an intriguing betting option.

Yesterday at Rock M

• Podcast! Dive Cuts with Sam Snelling and Matt Harris

More Links:

• Barry Odom has a unique way to ensure his players get to know each other — public embarrassment, writes Aaron Reiss of the Kansas City Star.
• Riley Sents is stepping up as MU volleyball’s libero, writes Cameron Teague-Robinson of the Columbia Daily-Tribune.
• Another betting preview of the SEC, this time written by my former colleague Christopher Smith (who is a machine with his picks and you should follow him on Twitter @CFBlocksmith).