Transfer Talk: New faces speak with the media during fall camp

It was a day to meet some new faces. Five transfers talked with the media about topics ranging from how they’ve meshed with their new team to how the transfer portal compared to being recruited out of high school.

Here are some of the top quotes and notes from what Theo Wease, Jr., Joe Moore III, Cam’Ron Johnson, Tre’Vez Johnson (no relation) and Nyles Gaddy had to say:

Theo Wease, Jr. | Wide Receiver | Senior

Transferred From: Oklahoma

• On what makes Kirby Moore’s offense unique: “Everything looks the same but we run so many different things. In having talked to some of the defensive guys, they talk about how they think they know what’s coming in practice and then it’s totally different.”
• “I feel like my role here is bigger than what it was at Oklahoma.”
• On what has impressed him about the incoming group of freshmen receivers (Josh Manning, Daniel Blood, Marquis Johnson, Nicholas Deloach): “It’s not normal that you see a group of young guys that just want to get in the playbook and get in the film room. I love seeing that.”
• On what stands out about the duo of Ennis Rakestraw and Kris Abrams-Draine: “They are both really good at what they do. They are real smooth and they have a very high IQ. I think they’re the best corner duo in the country, and I know I can’t take any days off going against them.”
• “We go against the best defense in the country every day, so every time we get something up on them we feel pretty good.”
• On how the WR room has responded to Eliah Drinkwitz’s public challenge to be better at blocking: “You have to want to block just as much as you catch the ball, so it was all a mindset that we needed to change.”
• On how he would rate his camp performance thus far: “I have one drop so far, so I’ll probably say an 8 or 7.5 out of 10.”
• On stepping in and being a leader as an older guy on a new team: “I embrace it every day, I just try to keep everybody in good spirits, I just know how it was as a young guy during this time of year.”
• “I’m ready to see what all the SEC hype is about.”

Joe Moore III | Defensive End | Junior

Transferred From: Arizona State

• On the difference between the defense at Arizona State versus Mizzou: “I gotta be more tuned in, it’s more of an NFL-style defense. That’s what I needed, I needed to be doing more in terms of schemes and technique. I think [Blake Baker’s defense} is going to take me to the next level.”
• On coming back to play in his home state as a St. Louis native: “It means everything. I’m playing for my city, my family, friends, teachers, so it means a lot to me. People didn’t want to push or sway me, but some people were tryna tug my ear and tell me that it’s time to come home.”
• Moore noted that he has received just as much advice and help from the defensive tackles as the ends, notably Realus George, Josh Landry and Kristian Williams.
• On who has challenged him the most on the offensive line: “Javon Foster. I think he’s the best tackle in the SEC, and being able to go against him is truly iron sharpening iron. He’s not going to give me any days off, and he’s allowed me to really see what SEC offensive tackles are going to look like.”
• On what has impressed him the most about this team: “I don’t have to ask anybody to do any extra work, because they are all already doing it whenever I show up to the building. Everybody has the same mindset, we’re all trying to prove the doubters wrong. I just want to prove to people that Joe Moore can be a top defensive end in this conference.”
• On the differences between being recruited in high school and the transfer portal: “With high school, you’re still looking at all the flashy stuff, everything outside of football. When it came to the transfer portal, it was much more of a business decision.”
• On defensive coordinator Blake Baker: “There’s not one day that he comes in lackadaisical, he always brings the energy.”
• On the initial adjustment period and advice he received: “From the linebackers to the safeties, they reminded me every day to study that playbook, and once I took that advice from those guys, it started showing on the field.”

Cam’Ron Johnson | Offensive Guard/Center | Junior

Transferred From: Houston

• On reuniting with offensive line coach Brandon Jones. Johnson played under him at Houston: “It’s always good to see a familiar face in somewhere unfamiliar. He really helped me getting accustomed to everything.”
• On rotating between left guard, right guard and center: “If you want to play at the next level, you have to be versatile. Being able to play all three positions has been fun.”
• On how the offensive line has progressed through camp: “We’re playing together, coming along more as a unit. It’s kind of hard, throwing a piece or two in there and trying to get that chemistry merged together, but the more we play and practice I can see it coming together.”
• On what he has seen from Armand Membou thus far: “He’s smart, he and I bounce ideas off of each other to see where we can improve our game. He’s going to be a very good player. He’s very athletic and very physical.”
• On how Eastern Michigan transfer Marcellus Johnson and others have helped him in working at right guard: “He’s [Marcellus Johnson] been helping me with right guard and trying to figure a lot of that out, same with Armand [Membou].”
• On adjusting to life in the SEC: “There won’t be anything that I can’t do. I think I’m more than capable of coming out here and dominating.”
• On what he can bring to the table to improve the O-line this season: “Hopefully I can bring energy and leadership. The coaches talk about how confidence comes from preparation, to maybe last year there wasn’t the right preparation. We’re going to get it fixed this year.”
• On what the relationship with Connor Tollison has been like: “Right now, I’m at right guard, so they have me next to Connor [Tollison]. He was really helpful technique-wise and learning the play calls.”
• “Guard or center, it doesn’t really matter for me. I have fun at both.”
• On what he has seen from Javon Foster and his leadership style: “There’s a lot of dudes on this team that are workaholics, and he is one of them. We have a group chat for the offensive line, and every day he’s reaching out saying ‘today’s a day to be great’ and ‘come ready to work.’ Throughout practice, you’ll hear him out there uplifting players.”

Tre’Vez Johnson | Safety/STAR | Junior

Transferred From: Florida

• On what influenced him to choose Mizzou: “When I came on the visit, it just felt right. One of the main reasons was how great this defense was, too.”
• On how he has been able to step in and become a leading voice on the team: “That’s how I came up, that’s how it was in high school and at Florida. Just coming in, doing my job and making the guys around me better.”
• On the biggest differences between Florida and Missouri: “The cold weather. In Florida it doesn’t get cold, so this spring was something to get used to.”
• On how former Florida teammate Ty’Ron Hopper assisted in his recruiting process: “I talked to him a lot during the recruitment process, and he gave me perspective on what the locker room was like, what the staff was like, and what kind of ball they like to play around here. I loved everything about it.”
• On how transfer portal recruitment was different from high school: “Going through the second round, I knew what questions to ask and what to expect on those visits. For me, I prioritized the locker room environment and how my role could expand on the team.”
• On fellow safety Daylan Carnell: “He’s an athlete. The ball finds him all the time, and he looks like a linebacker but moves like a DB.”

Nyles Gaddy | Defensive End | Freshman

Transferred From: Jackson State

• On how he has adjusted to life within the program: “Mizzou ain’t done nothing but show me love, and I’m loving the team, loving the offense, loving the defense, loving the coaches.”
• On what he is keying in on during fall camp: “I really want to make sure to work on my hand placement and work on different things with my rush.”
• On coming back to the SEC after starting his career at Tennessee: “If I was going to come out of the portal, I wanted to go back to the SEC. That’s where I started, so that’s where I was going to finish it.”
• On the experience residing on the defensive side: “That was one of the things that helped me pick Mizzou, seeing that they had a lot of older guys coming back.”