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There weren’t many surprises as Missouri released its Week 1 depth chart Tuesday morning. As expected, a slew of upperclassmen and a select few underclassmen will lead the Tigers heading into a matchup against UT-Martin Saturday.
A gaggle of true freshman found themselves in crucial roles as well.
#Mizzou week 1 depth chart is out.
— Jack Parodi (@jack_parodi) August 28, 2018
Offense and kicker: pic.twitter.com/WTVWlnwcfD
Defense, punter, and long snapper: pic.twitter.com/aAJiDUq6sI
— Jack Parodi (@jack_parodi) August 28, 2018
Here is the full depth chart with a quick reaction to it following:
Quarterback
- 3 Drew Lock*** 6-4 225 Sr. Lee’s Summit, Mo. (Lee’s Summit)
- 2 Micah Wilson -OR- 6-3 210 RSSo. Tulsa, Okla. (Lincoln Christian)
- 5 Taylor Powell 6-2 210 RSFr. Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville)
Running Back
- 16 Damarea Crockett** - OR- 5-11 225 Jr. Little Rock, Ark. (Christian)
- 34 Larry Rountree III* 5-10 210 So. Raleigh, N.C. (Millbrook)
- 6 Tyler Badie 5-9 190 Fr. Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest Christian)
Wide Receiver
- 7 Nate Brown*** 6-3 210 RSSr. Suwanee, Ga. (North Gwinnett)
- 9 Jalen Knox 6-0 195 Fr. Mansfield, Texas (Timberview)
-OR-
- 10 Alex Ofodile 6-2 200 RSJr. Columbia, Mo. (Oregon/Rock Bridge HS)
Wide Receiver
- 84 Emanuel Hall*** 6-3 195 Sr. Franklin, Tenn. (Centennial)
- 13 Kam Scott 6-2 170 Fr. Manvel, Texas (Manvel)
- 1 Khmari Thompson 6-1 210 Fr. Lawrenceville, Ga. (Central Gwinnett)
Slot Receiver
- 12 Johnathon Johnson** 5-10 180 RSJr. Memphis, Tenn. (Melrose)
- 14 Dominic Gicinto 5-9 180 Fr. Raytown, Mo. (Raytown)
- 30 Barrett Banister 6-0 190 RSFr. Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville)
Left Tackle
- 70 Yasir Durant* 6-7 330 Jr. Philadelphia, Pa. (Imhotep/Arizona Western)
- 50 Hyrin White 6-6 305 RSFr. DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto)
Left Guard
- 71 Kevin Pendleton*** 6-4 325 RSSr. Lee’s Summit, Mo. (Lee’s Summit West)
- 56 Samson Bailey* 6-5 295 RSSr. Lamar, Mo. (Lamar)
Center
- 55 Trystan Colon-Castillo* 6-4 315 RSSo. Webb City, Mo. (Webb City)
- 67 Jonah Dubinski** 6-2 295 RSJr. Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge)
Right Guard
- 75 Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms** 6-5 330 Jr. East St. Louis, Ill. (East St. Louis)
- 59 Case Cook 6-5 295 RSFr. Carrollton, Ga. (Carrollton)
Right Tackle
- 77 Paul Adams* 6-6 315 RSSr. Nashville, Tenn. (Christ Presbyterian)
- 79 Larry Borom 6-6 340 RSFr. Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Brother Rice)
Tight End
- 81 Albert Okwuegbunam * 6-5 255 RSSo. Springfield, Ill. (Springfield)
- 11 Kendall Blanton*** 6-6 265 RSSr. Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs South)
Defensive End
- 93 Tre Williams* 6-5 260 RSSo. Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge)
- 29 Nate Anderson* 6-4 255 Sr. Toronto, Ontario (Pratville, Ala./NM Military Institute)
Defensive Tackle
- 5 Terry Beckner, Jr.*** 6-4 295 Sr. East St. Louis, Ill. (East St. Louis)
- 13 Rashad Brandon* 6-3 300 Sr. Jersey City, N.J. (St. Anthony’s/ASA Academy)
- 78 Kobie Whiteside* 6-1 310 So. Houston, Texas (Alief Taylor)
Nose Tackle
- 99 Walter Palmore* -OR- 6-4 320 Sr. Columbus, Ga. (Hardaway/Eastern Arizona JC)
- 95 Jordan Elliott 6-4 315 RSSo. Missouri City, Texas (Westside/Texas)
- 90 Markell Utsey 6-4 295 Jr. Little Rock, Ark. (Parkview)
Defensive End
- 39 Chris Turner* 6-4 255 So. Hammond, La. (Hammond)
- 97 Akial Byers* 6-4 280 So. Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville)
- 45 Franklin Agbasimere 6-2 245 RSJr. Lagos, Nigeria (Montverde Academy)
Weakside Linebacker
- 24 Terez Hall* 6-2 230 Sr. Lithonia, Ga. (King)
- 22 Aubrey Miller, Jr. 6-2 225 So. Memphis, Tenn. (Whitehaven)
- 32 Nick Bolton 6-0 235 Fr. Frisco, Texas (Lone Star)
Middle Linebacker
- 47 Cale Garrett* 6-3 230 Jr. Kearney, Mo. (Kearney)
- 46 Jacob Trump 6-3 230 RSJr. Kahoka, Mo. (Clark County)
-OR-
- 25 Jamal Brooks 6-1 240 So. Bessemer, Ala. (Bessemer City)
SAM Linebacker
- 4 Brandon Lee** 6-2 225 RSSr. Indianapolis, Ind. (Lawrence Central)
- 3 Ronnell Perkins** 6-0 205 RSJr. St. Louis, Mo. (University City)
- 6 Tavon Ross 6-0 215 RSSr. Cochran, Ga. (Bleckley County)
Cornerback
- 14 Adam Sparks* 6-0 180 So. Baton Rouge, La. (Dutchtown)
- 21 Christian Holmes 6-1 200 RSSo. Leland, Miss. (McNair)
Cornerback
- 2 DeMarkuus Acy** 6-2 195 Jr. Dallas, Texas (Wilmer-Hutchins)
- 10 Terry Petry 6-1 175 RSFr. Missouri City, Texas (Ridge Point)
Strong Safety
- 7 Cam Hilton** 6-0 190 Sr. St. Louis, Mo. (Webster Groves)
- 18 Joshuah Bledsoe* 6-0 205 So. Houston, Texas (Dekaney)
Free Safety
- 20 Khalil Oliver 6-1 210 RSJr. Meridian, Ida. (Rocky Mountain)
- 9 Tyree Gillespie 6-0 210 So. Ocala,Fl. (Vanguard)
Kicker
- 19 Tucker McCann** 6-2 215 Jr. O’Fallon, Ill. (O’Fallon)
Punter
- 26 Corey Fatony 5-11 205 Sr. Franklin, Tenn. (Franklin)
Long Snapper
- 86 James Workman 6-0 220 Jr. Renton, Wash. (Liberty)
- 51 Drew Wise 6-2 235 So. Lawrence, Kan. (Free State)
Punt Returner
- 12 Johnathon Johnson** 5-10 180 RSJr. Memphis, Tenn. (Melrose)
- 14 Dominic Gicinto 5-9 180 Fr. Raytown, Mo. (Raytown)
Kick Returner
- 6 Tyler Badie 5-9 190 Fr. Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest Christian)
- 34 Larry Rountree III* 5-10 210 So. Raleigh, N.C. (Millbrook)
Depth chart analysis
The first thing that jumped off the page was the fact that Lindsey Scott Jr. wasn’t listed as Drew Lock’s backup. Many thought the former Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year would easily become the No. 2 option, but it turns out Barry Odom and Co. decided redshirt sophomore Micah Wilson and redshirt freshman Taylor Powell were both better options than Scott to start the season.
The second was redshirt junior Khalil Oliver, an Oregon transfer, getting the nod as Missouri’s first-string free safety. This moves senior Cam Hilton over to strong safety, but for good reason. Oliver proved throughout the preseason why one of the premier programs in college football offered him a scholarship out of high school. His high football IQ and natural ball skills will complement Hilton’s aggressiveness and physicality as a safety duo.
Another Oregon transfer, redshirt junior wide receiver Alex Ofodile (son of wide receivers coach A.J. Ofodile), was slotted into a second-string wide receiver role with Jalen Knox. Ofodile was a four-star recruit from Rock Bridge (Columbia, MO) who received MSHSAA Class 6 Offensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. Foot injuries have hindered the former 12th-ranked wide receiver in his class, but Ofodile has the natural size and ability to become an instant contributor for Missouri’s offense. Look for him to have a big year for the Tigers if he can stay healthy and come out on top of a position battle with Knox.
Looks like sophomore Texas transfer nose tackle Jordan Elliott did enough to earn a first-string job, as he will split time with senior Walter Palmore. Elliott was a four-star recruit out of high school and the 15th-ranked defensive tackle in the Class of 2016. It takes a lot of talent to have a young guy take the job of an already established player like Palmore, but it looks like Elliott did enough to earn himself some playing time this year. He’s an exciting athletic nose tackle that runs a sub-4.9 second 40-yard-dash, while still being a monstrous human being at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds.
Six true freshman made the squad for Week 1. Tyler Badie will be the third-string running back, but more importantly, will be handling kick returns alongside Larry Rountree III. His speed and quickness (4.46 second 40-yard-dash, 4.12 second shuttle run) make him a perfect fit for that role. As stated earlier, true freshman wide receiver Jalen Knox will be in a position battle as the backup wide receiver with Alex Ofodile. Another true freshman wide receiver, Dominic Gicinto, will return punts with Johnathon Johnson. Wide receivers Kam Scott and Khmari Thompson were penciled in as Emanuel Hall’s backups, in that order. True freshman linebacker Nick Bolton made the cut as the team’s third-string weakside linebacker as well.
This Missouri team is deep, and while it’s loaded with experience at the top, has some exciting young talent backing them up. This should be a fun squad to watch come Saturday.