Fanshots

Shane Ray is highest rated 1st-round rookie through preseason

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Denver Broncos: Shane Ray, DE (PFF Grade: +6.2) Ray has been a force throughout preseason, and is a little unlucky that second-year teammate Shaquil Barrett is stealing his thunder and doing even better. Ray has a sack in each of his last two games and has graded positively against both the run and pass in each preseason outing. He will have to fight for playing time during the season, but could have a real impact as a situational option.

Grades for every 2015 first-round pick | ProFootballFocus.com

Michael Porter Jr. now part of a THREE-way package deal?

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In his latest journal entry for USA Today High School Sports, five-star junior Michael Porter Jr. dishes on some of his most recent recruiting thoughts, among them the chance that he becomes a package deal with not only good friend Trae Young, but ALSO top prospect DeAndre Ayton. Guh. Can't imagine this HELPS Mizzou's chances at landing him/them, but hey ... who wants to go to Duke when you can rebuild a program in your own image, right? RIGHT, GUYS???

Mizzou sends players to the NFL

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According to Pro Football Reference, 184 players sent to the NFL and 27 are active. Only two have made it to the Hall of Fame but 43 have been selected to Pro Bowls.

Since 2001 when Gary Pinkel became Mizzou's head coach, 39 players have played in the NFL.

Mizzou finishes 2016 non-con slate with Delaware State

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A day after MTSU announced it would be playing Missouri in 2016, Mizzou announced it had completed its non-conference football slate with the addition of Delaware State. Mizzou's four non-SEC games will come at West Virginia (Sept. 3) and at home against Eastern Michigan (Sept. 10), Delaware State (Sept. 24), and MTSU (Oct. 22). The Tigers' SEC home games (unscheduled thus far) are against Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas; the road games are against Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU. That's a mostly barren home slate and a tough set of road trips; hopefully Mizzou's 2013-14 road magic continues.

Mizzou schedules 3-game series vs. MTSU

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Making #MizzouMade

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Mizzou Mag published a pretty cool piece last week about what goes into #MizzouMade. Gary Pinkel's evaluation system is mysterious and successful; we don't know a ton of what goes into it, but he expounded on it a smidge in this piece. Take a look.

An excerpt: "The starting point of Pinkel’s recruiting success is what he calls 'size, strength and speed potential.' By examining a player’s build — arm length, shoulder width, bone thickness — and other less-obvious clues, Mizzou recruits players who can develop into SEC– and even NFL-caliber athletes. Cases in point: offensive linemen Justin Britt, BGS ’13, of the Seattle Seahawks, and Mitch Morse, BS ’14, of the Kansas City Chiefs."

Richaud Floyd used football as a post-Katrina escape

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We linked to this over the weekend, but in case you didn't see it, The Missourian had a wonderful piece about Mizzou freshman receiver Richaud Floyd and the role football played in his life after he and his family were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

WATCH: Corey Fatony 70 yard punt

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If you saw this video on Gary Pinkel's YouTube channel, he mentions he's punted the ball 70 yards before.

Fatony also notes that he was born without his left major pectoral muscle and that's probably why he can kick the ball so far.

Lose yourself, Marquise Doherty

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