Keeping Missouri’s OL stocked: It takes a lot

As you know if you’ve been following all the internets, Jack Buford of Lutheran North committed to Missouri’s class of 2019 on Wednesday, the first offensive lineman off the board for the Tigers in next year’s class.

So far, even with Paul Adams and Kevin Pendleton graduating, Missouri should be in pretty good shape on the offensive line next year. As it stands, with Buford in the fold, the Tigers are in line to have 12 offensive linemen on the roster who came to the school on scholarship.

Still, Missouri’s probably looking to sign three or four more linemen this year, just to be safe. Why? In order to have at least 11 healthy linemen at your disposal every game — which is, after all, the dream — you’re probably looking to have 15 or 16 on the roster.

Missouri’s actually been pretty lucky over the past decade in keeping a starting line mostly intact. Each of the past two years, the Tigers have returned all five starters. Next year, they’re set to return three: Trystan Colon-Castillo, Yasir Durant and Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms.

This would be the eighth time in the past 10 years that the Tigers returned at least three starters on the line. The only two years with fewer were 2012 (two) and 2016 (zero).

2016 turned out pretty well. 2012 ... did not.

It would be the sixth time in the past decade that they returned three or fewer. Here’s a look at what else those teams had in the cupboard, and from which recruiting classes those players came:

2019

Projected Returners

• Trystan Colon-Castillo, Jr.
• Yasir Durant, Sr.
• Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms, Sr.

Reinforcements — 9

Retention Rate — 75.0% (12 of 16)

• 2019 (1): Jack Buford (3-star/5.7), Lutheran North (St. Louis)
• 2018 (4): Mike Ruth (3-star/5.6), Coppell, Texas; Xavier Delgado (3-star/5.5), Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.); Bobby Lawrence (2-star/5.4), Central (St. Joseph); Javon Foster (2-star/5.3), West Bloomfield, Mich.
• 2017 (3): Case Cook (3-star/5.7), Carrollton, Ga.; Hyrin White (3-star/5.7), DeSoto, Texas; Pompey Coleman (3-star/5.6), Ben Davis (Indianapolis) -- medically retired; Larry Borom (2-star/5.4), Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)
• 2016 (0): Kyle Mitchell (3-star/5.5), American River Community College (Sacramento, Calif.) -- graduated; Darvis Holmes (3-star/5.5), Long County (Ludowici, Ga.) -- left team
• 2015 (1): AJ Harris (4-star/5.8), Blue Valley (Stilwell, Kan.); Tyler Howell (3-star/5.6), Butler County Community College (El Dorado, Kan.) -- graduated; Malik Cuellar (3-star/5.5), City College of San Francisco -- left team; Tanner Owen (2-star/5.3), Kearney -- transferred

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2016

Returners

• Nobody

Reinforcements -- 9

Retention Rate -- 56.3% (9 of 16)

• 2016 (2): Kyle Mitchell (3-star/5.5), American River Community College (Sacramento, Calif.); Darvis Holmes (3-star/5.5), Long County (Ludowici, Ga.)
• 2015 (3): AJ Harris (4-star/5.8), Blue Valley (Stilwell, Kan.); Tyler Howell (3-star/5.6), Butler County Community College (El Dorado, Kan.); Malik Cuellar (3-star/5.5), City College of San Francisco -- left team; Tanner Owen (2-star/5.3), Kearney
• 2014 (3): Andy Bauer (4-star/5.9), DeSmet Jesuit (St. Louis) -- medically retired; Paul Adams (3-star/5.6), Christ Presbyterian (Nashville, Tenn.); Kevin Pendleton (3-star/5.5), West (Lee’s Summit); Samson Bailey (2-star/5.4), Lamar; Michael Fairchild (2-star/5.4), Blue Valley West (Overland Park, KS) -- left team
• 2013 (1): Harneet Gill (3-star/5.6), Francis Howell (St. Charles) -- transferred; Clay Rhodes (3-star/5.6), Blue Valley (Stilwell, Kan.) -- left team; Alec Abeln (3-star/5.5), University (St. Louis); Nate Crawford (3-star/5.5), West Florida Tech (Pensacola, Fla.) -- medically retired
• 2012 (0): Evan Boehm (4-star/5.8), West (Lee’s Summit) -- graduated; Jordan Williams (3-star/5.5), Ryan (Denton, Texas) -- transferred

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2014

Returners

• Evan Boehm, Jr.
• Connor McGovern, Jr.
• Mitch Morse, Sr.

Reinforcements — 12

Retention Rate — 83.3% (15 of 18)

• 2014 (5): Andy Bauer (4-star/5.9), DeSmet Jesuit (St. Louis); Paul Adams (3-star/5.6), Christ Presbyterian (Nashville, Tenn.); Kevin Pendleton (3-star/5.5), West (Lee’s Summit); Samson Bailey (2-star/5.4), Lamar; Michael Fairchild (2-star/5.4), Blue Valley West (Overland Park, KS)
• 2013 (3): Harneet Gill (3-star/5.6), Francis Howell (St. Charles) -- transferred; Clay Rhodes (3-star/5.6), Blue Valley (Stilwell, Kan.); Alec Abeln (3-star/5.5), University (St. Louis); Nate Crawford (3-star/5.5), West Florida Tech (Pensacola, Fla.)
• 2012 (1): Jordan Williams (3-star/5.5), Ryan (Denton, Texas)
• 2011 (2): Jordan Chappell (3-star/5.7), Canadian, Texas; Michael Boddie (3-star/5.6), Gilmer, Texas -- transferred; Brad McNulty (3-star/5.5), McKinney, Texas
• 2010 (1): Nick Demien (4-star/5.9), Timberland (Wentzville) -- left team; Anthony Gatti (3-star/5.7), Parkway North (St. Louis)

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2012

Returners

• Justin Britt, Jr.
• Elvis Fisher, Sr.*
• Jack Meiners, Sr.

Reinforcements — 9

Retention Rate — 80.0% (12 of 15)

• 2012 (2): Evan Boehm (4-star/5.8), West (Lee’s Summit); Jordan Williams (3-star/5.5), Ryan (Denton, Texas)
• 2011 (3): Jordan Chappell (3-star/5.7), Canadian, Texas; Michael Boddie (3-star/5.6), Gilmer, Texas; Brad McNulty (3-star/5.5), McKinney, Texas
• 2010 (2): Nick Demien (4-star/5.9), Timberland (Wentzville); Anthony Gatti (3-star/5.7), Parkway North (St. Louis)
• 2009 (1): Chris Freeman (3-star/5.6), Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio); Mark Hill (2-star/5.4), Branson -- left team
• 2008 (1): Dan Hoch (4-star/5.8), Harlan, Iowa -- graduated; Travis Ruth (3-star/5.6), Jefferson City; Taylor Davis (3-star/5.5), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) -- left team; Daniel Jenkins (3-star/5.5), Gilmer,Texas -- left team

* Elvis Fisher is so starred because he was a returning starter, kind of. He started all of 2010 but missed all of 2011 with an injury. And I didn’t count people who graduated in the retention rate. Didn’t seem fair to ding them for running out of eligibility before the four-year people.

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2011

Returners

• Dan Hoch, Sr.
• Jayson Palmgren, Sr.
• Austin Wuebbels, Sr.

Reinforcements — 9

Retention Rate — 80.0% (12 of 15)

• 2011 (3): Jordan Chappell (3-star/5.7), Canadian, Texas; Michael Boddie (3-star/5.6), Gilmer, Texas; Brad McNulty (3-star/5.5), McKinney, Texas
• 2010 (2): Nick Demien (4-star/5.9), Timberland (Wentzville); Anthony Gatti (3-star/5.7), Parkway North (St. Louis)
• 2009 (2): Chris Freeman (3-star/5.6), Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio); Mark Hill (2-star/5.4), Branson
• 2008 (1): Travis Ruth (3-star/5.6), Jefferson City; Taylor Davis (3-star/5.5), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) -- left team; Daniel Jenkins (3-star/5.5), Gilmer,Texas -- left team
• 2007 (1): Elvis Fisher (3-star, 5.7), Catholic (St. Petersburg, Fla.); J.T. Beasley (3-star, 5.5), Dyersburg, Tenn. -- left team

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2009

Returners

• Tim Barnes, Jr.
• Kurtis Gregory, Sr.
• Elvis Fisher, Soph.

Reinforcements -- 8

Retention Rate -- 68.8% (11 of 16)

• 2009 (2): Chris Freeman (3-star/5.6), Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio); Mark Hill (2-star/5.4), Branson
• 2008 (3): Travis Ruth (3-star/5.6), Jefferson City; Taylor Davis (3-star/5.5), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas); Daniel Jenkins (3-star/5.5), Gilmer,Texas
• 2007 (3): Jayson Palmgren (3-star, 5.7), North (Kansas City); J.T. Beasley (3-star, 5.5), Dyersburg, Tenn.; Austin Wuebbels (3-star, 5.5), Triad (Troy, Ill.)
• 2006 (0): Jesse Hernandez (2-star, 5.3), Ardmore, Okla. -- left team; Mike Prince (2-star, 5.3), Carroll (Southlake, Texas) -- left team
• 2005 (0): Dain Wise (3-star, 5.6), Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) -- left team; James Stigall (3-star, 5.5), Blue Springs -- left team; Louis Pintola (3-star), Pasadena City Community College (Pasadena, Calif.) -- graduated; Matt Russell (3-star), Solano Community College (Fairfield, Calif.) -- left team

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So, if you want your offensive line coach to sleep well at night, you’re looking to sign at least three linemen every year so you end up with 11 or 12, because you’re doing pretty well if you’re seeing 75 to 80 percent of them all the way through to the end of their eligibility.

Which is why it was kind of touch-and-go at the beginning of 2016, with no returning starters and less than 60 percent of the possible linemen available.

But, like we said earlier, that turned out just fine.