MIZ-ZOOM: Meet the transfers!

COLUMBIA, Mo- On Thursday, the University of Missouri’s Head Football Coach, Eli Drinkwitz and a collection of players addressed the press via zoom call.

Yet another day of Mizzou football practice has passed and Coach Drinkwitz addressed the press today like he’s done every day before, highlighting the fact that no one will know who gets the starting QB job until week one rolls around. Drinkwitz did, however, mention that he thought the team practiced hard during their first day of practice in full pads. Drinkwitz seemed a little bummed to report that the defense recorded 6 sacks and 1 interception today, following up by saying, “Every time the defense does something good I think the offense stunk it up.” If that doesn’t show you the different coaching styles between Drinkwitz and Odom, then I don’t know what will.

A lot was said about the new graduate transfers. Coach Drinkwitz stressed that a tremendous amount of time and research went into this year’s transfer students, but he really thinks the guys they brought in are doing a fantastic job. One player in particular that’s been getting a lot of buzz has been WR Keke Chism. Coach Drinkwitz says that Chism has really taken advantage of all his opportunities so far during camp and has done everything his coaching staff has asked of him. In addition to being a coachable player, Chism has already put on 8 lbs of muscle since the start of fall camp. Other players, too, have acknowledged Chism’s extreme work ethic and freak athletic ability. OL Hyrin White claimed that he’s “...different than a lot of wide receivers.” It will certainly be exciting to see him take the field this season and see how his skills match up against top SEC corners.

Other notable graduate transfers from today’s press conference include WR Damon Hazelton and Mike Maietti. Hazelton, a transfer from Virginia Tech, says that he was drawn to Mizzou because of how much he liked the coaching staff. Hazelton recorded 8 touchdowns last season at Virginia Tech on only 31 receptions. With Drinkwitz running such high-powered offenses in the past, it will be interesting to see what Hazelton can bring to the table. Maietti, the other graduate transfer available to speak to the press today, was previously at Rutgers University, part of the Big Ten. Maietti is extremely happy to be here at Mizzou where he is able to take the field this fall.

Overall, not too much was revealed from today’s media conference, though it really seems like Drink and the guys are headed in the right direction as far as becoming a unified team goes. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the season actually happens. #MIZ