Linebackers Preview: Can last year’s depth be this year’s stars?

With Mizzou coming off a wildly successful 2023 season, expectations (and roster familiarity) have never been higher. For our annual position preview series, we’re breaking the position groups into three categories: the star player; the best-kept-secret; and the players that will offer much-needed support.

Entering the 2023 season, the linebacker position was one of the most proven units on either side of the ball for the Tigers, with star Ty’ron Hopper and senior leader Chad Bailey looking to finish off their careers on a high note. Bad luck doomed both of them as Bailey battled core muscle injuries all year while Hopper missed the last month of the season with a sprained ankle.

What was the 2023 Tigers’ loss turns out to be 2024 version’s gain as the primary backups who filled in (admirably) for the two hurt linebackers are now taking over as the starters. The experience Chuck Hicks and Triston Newson gained during last season, in conjunction with two key transfer portal acquisitions and an influx of freshman talent is sure to pay dividends for Corey Batoon’s unit this season.

The Stars

While it may be stretching the term a bit considering the linebacker unit is built more on depth than talent at the top, the two stars for this unit have to be the two returners in Chuck Hicks and Triston Newson.

Last year, Hicks played in all 13 games for the Tigers, including nine starts. The primary replacement for oft-injured senior captain Chad Bailey, Hicks wracked up 53 tackles and two sacks, playing alongside Hopper for most of the season. Hicks isn’t the biggest or most explosive athlete on the roster, but his ability to be where he is supposed to be on just about every play makes him a major asset for Corey Batoon when scheming ways to slow down opposing running attacks. While Hicks did have two sacks last year, don’t expect him to be a primary havoc-inducer for this year’s squad. He’ll be used more as a run stopper and coach on the field, directing others to where they need to be play in and play out.

Triston Newson played sparingly early in the 2023 season, but entered the starting lineup once Ty’ron Hopper was sidelined by an ankle injury for the last three games. The JUCO transfer made hay in his relatively limited playing time, finishing the year with 51 tackles and seven tackles for loss. His season culminated in an outstanding 10-tackle and 2.5-tackles-for-loss performance against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Newson is a higher risk/reward type player than Hicks and may trade a missed assignment in the run game with a big tackle for loss at the right time. If he had 50 tackles in such limited playing time last year, expect that number to skyrocket in 2024.

The Secret

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Calling a player with 179 career tackles and 5.5 career sacks a “secret” might be a bit over the top, but in the case of Corey Flagg and his role on the Tigers defense, that may very well be accurate. The senior Miami transfer has oodles of experience, playing a key role for the Hurricanes in his first four years in college football. Where he slots in for the Tigers defense remains a bit of a mystery, but be assured that he will see the field.

Flagg is a havoc-y playmaker who is great at getting into opponents’ backfields and stirring $@&! up, whether through sacks, tackles for loss or just throwing off the timing of plays. He may not (and probably won’t be) an every-down type player, but expect to see him on passing downs and other big plays as a curve ball that Corey Batoon can throw at quarterbacks to get in their heads.

The Support

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The Tigers finalized their transfer portal acquisitions this past spring with the addition of Khalil Jacobs. The linebacker ultimately chose to follow his former defensive coordinator in Corey Batoon over his former head coach Kane Wommack at Alabama. The junior has experience and production on his resume, with 56 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss at South Alabama last year. No unit at Mizzou has shown the importance of depth more than linebacker in recent years and Jacobs will be a vital piece of that depth. Expect him to play this season in a backup role, paving the way to step into Newson’s starting role in 2025.

The remainder of the linebacker room is talented, but young. Sophomore Brayshawn Littlejohn will be a special teams stalwart this season and expect at least one of the talented freshmen in Jeremiah Beasley, Nicholas Rodriguez and Brian Huff to see the field in some capacity this season as well.

This spring, the linebacker room looked like it was going to be top heavy and shallow. Thanks to the late acquisitions of Jacobs and freshman transfer Jeremiah Beasley from Michigan, this unit is set up well for 2024 and beyond.