Rock M Nation - 2022 Position Performance PostmortemA Blog for Ol' Mizzouhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50319/rmn-fav.png2023-03-07T09:00:00-06:00http://www.rockmnation.com/rss/stream/233122662023-03-07T09:00:00-06:002023-03-07T09:00:00-06:002022 Position Postmortem: Specialists
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 12 Missouri at Tennessee" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yowCYHmLu4udkpIf4IeNo94elWI=/2x0:4079x2718/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72046862/1244725959.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>A review of the specialist performance for the 2022 season.</em></p> <p id="XnznQu"><em>With the 2022 season officially over, it’s time to break down the performance of the team position by position. We’ll look at the stats for the year, the departing players, new additions, and some predictions for what we’ll see in 2023.</em></p>
<p id="8ExAqA"><em>Missouri’s 2022 special teams were easily the worst product that the group had put out under Eli Drinkwitz but were still Top 40 in the country. Can a slimmer Thiccer and Aussie punter bring the Tigers back to the Top 10 promised land?</em></p>
<p id="OislJl">There’s a theory posited by Bud Elliott - formerly of SB Nation, currently of 247 - that having good luck in close football games comes down to three things: clock management, quarterback play, and special teams. In 2020 the clock management was - fine? - but with a quarterback who didn’t make many mistakes and a Top 25 special teams unit, the Tigers were able to go 3-0 in one-score games. In 2021 the clock management was again passable and the special teams play was the 11th-best in the country, but the quarterback play was more mistake-prone, and subsequently, Missouri went 2-3 in one-score games.</p>
<p id="5vbSpw">And in 2022? Special teams gaffes directly cost Mizzou two wins and the Tigers went 2-4 in one-score games. In a season where they went 6-7.</p>
<p id="L70XxE">I’m not saying elite special teams will always deliver two extra wins per season but Missouri’s special teams ranking tumbled from 11th to 38th while the offense fell apart and they <em>still</em> were in a bunch of games they could have won.</p>
<h2 id="4vYIOk"><strong>The Departed</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 13 South Carolina at Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yC66_1k34d1PgOEbSwoQRnKuapk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24481235/1236575594.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="3aLBGF"><strong>Sean Koetting</strong> has been Missouri’s kickoff specialist extraordinaire over his six-year tenure in black and gold, knocking over 87% of his career kickoffs out of bounds. Do you want to know why Mizzou was the #1 kick return defense unit in the country in 2022? It’s because Koetting only had <em>four</em> total kickoffs not land out of the back of the end zone. That’s not an impossible skill to find but it is one that needs to be utilized to keep up the streak of Tiger opponents not returning a kickoff for a touchdown.</p>
<p id="sghX5m"><strong>Jake Hoffman</strong> was Missouri’s long snapper for punts. The best thing you can say about Jake is that you never noticed him. How is that good? Well, the only way you know your long snapper’s name is if he’s spraying snaps all over the field and...well, he never did. Experienced hands at this position are vital and Missouri lost a good one to graduation.</p>
<p id="zdL5Ga"><strong>Jack Stonehouse</strong> took over punting responsibilities from Koetting a fourth of the way into the ‘22 campaign and did a decent job in his lone season as punter. His 42.3 average yards per punt was ok, as was his 31.9% inside-the-20 rate. But he was a noticeable upgrade from Koetting and Stonehouse’s transfer to Syracuse came as a bit of a surprise for the California freshman.</p>
<p id="k73zcp"><strong>Daniel Hawthorne</strong> was the Tigers’ long snapper on extra points and field goals, representing a third of jobs for successful points made with by kicking the ball. A good snap and good hold are necessary if you want a good kick and Hawthorne was incredibly reliable in his role. Unfortunately he decided to hit the transfer portal, leaving two freshmen to man the position.</p>
<h2 id="zl3heU"><strong>The Returners</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Kentucky v Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PDUdppbGiHvmCHkdUdRNd6WVv6o=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24481272/1441306483.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8nC9EnhDVnBjVGoUrGrV7ID23QY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24481277/Capture.PNG">
<figcaption>Harrison Mevis Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="xNa5jK">The lone returner for the special teams unit is the one guy you know the best.</p>
<p id="09RFNO">Harrison Mevis. The Thiccer Kicker. He of the phrase “advantage me”, the victorious post field goal salute, the delicious heart-attacking monstrosity “Thiccer Burger”, and this god-tier gif:</p>
<div id="g66U5n">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/pAirJQLLkl">pic.twitter.com/pAirJQLLkl</a></p>— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) <a href="https://twitter.com/nocontextcfb/status/1576395915631337473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="RudgGE">We love our Thicc boy. We can also acknowledge that he did not have a very good year last year (to his standards, anyway). He missed four field goals under 40 yards - when he had combined to miss <em>one</em> in his previous <em>two years</em> - and also missed two field goals over 40 yards. He’s still perfect on extra points but Jolly Old Saint Kick seemed to show some mortality in his third year on campus. Granted, he still has a career-make percentage of 84.7% on all field goals and scores on 93.6% of all kicks he attempts, but last year’s 77% accuracy on field goals certainly left Mizzou fans shocked and a tad concerned.</p>
<p id="8WrFsi">As far as those who returned balls kicked into the air, Luther Burden III, Kris Abrams-Draine, Nathaniel Peat, and Tavorus Jones all had at least one return (so did Elijah Young, but...ya know...he’s gone) but Burden was the only one who had a touchdown. In fact, for the year, there were only 12 punt returns (all by Burden) and 14 kick returns (6 by KAD, 6 by Peat, 1 by Jones, 1 by Young) and...good news, Burden had a tremendous 12.6 yard average in punt returns! However, every kick returner had terrible averages, some of the worst in the country, in fact. Definitely an area for improvement!</p>
<h2 id="RZo8wy"><strong>The Transfers</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vQ3aJw8m6jL45LeEj5F1uSNLLSs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24481304/5AgYr0m4_400x400.jpg">
<cite>@R_R_Williams</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KL3PYysHhXsCCGcnm-FKLfNiwkQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24481313/Capture1.PNG">
<figcaption>Riley Williams Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="4x6Zad">With no punters left on the roster, Mizzou hit the transfer portal and brought up Towson punter Riley Williams. A former Australian football player processed through Australia’s legendary Prokick Academy, Williams managed a 44.7 yard average on his 46 punts last year and managed to down 28.3% of them inside the 20. It’s slightly more yards and slightly fewer inside the 20 than Stonehouse but it’s certainly better than nothing. It was also Williams’ first year as starting punter, so hopefully there’s some growth and improvement he experiences in Columbia.</p>
<h2 id="mXqP1r"><strong>The Freshman</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jrvzG28qzOaUJF_4tN3VPaGT20k=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24485820/Capture2.PNG">
<cite>Courier Tribune</cite>
</figure>
<p id="lrUdSA"><em>2022 stats</em>: 79 kickoffs, 56.8 average, 67 TBs/50-52 PATs, 17-24 FGs</p>
<p id="FtZ4A7"><strong>Blake Craig</strong> is a kicker, and a pretty good one at that. At Liberty North High School he managed an 80% field goal accuracy while making the fifth- (56) and seventh-longest (53) field goals in Missouri state high school football history. He also managed a 56 yard average on his kickoffs! High school kickers are typically less reliable than college kickers and Craig managed numbers comparable to your typical college-level specialist. I’d anticipate Craig getting some looks as a kick off guy unless Mevis somehow regresses even further.</p>
<h2 id="blluGH"><strong>2023 Forecasting</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="EZJcMa">
<em>Prediction</em>: Thiccer and Williams are your starting foot people with Craig as the kickoff guy. Peat and KAD split kick return duties, Burden is back at punt returner.</li>
<li id="Nw0Fst">
<em>Bold Prediction</em>: Missouri has both a kick return and a punt return for a touchdown</li>
<li id="ahH2TS">
<em>HOT TAKE</em>: Thiccer doesn’t miss a kick all year. Burden has five punt return touchdowns. KAD pulls a Deion Sanders and becomes just as dynamic a kick returner as he is a cornerback.</li>
</ul>
<p id="6q94Ip"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/3/7/23626293/2022-mizzou-tigers-football-sec-position-postmortem-specialistsNate Edwards2023-02-28T09:00:00-06:002023-02-28T09:00:00-06:002022 Position Postmortem: Defensive Backs
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 23 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dBZFbc30vqNNy1mycuDpdHw1PVY=/0x0:5605x3737/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72021564/1245804838.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>A review of the defensive back performance for the 2022 season.</em></p> <p id="XnznQu"><em>With the 2022 season officially over, it’s time to break down the performance of the team position by position. We’ll look at the stats for the year, the departing players, new additions, and some predictions for what we’ll see in 2023.</em></p>
<p id="8ExAqA"><em>To conclude the defensive portion of this assignment we take a look at the secondary, one that returns almost everybody and continues to add talent.</em></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-kN03HMpVq28G8K_O8baVme1wuY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463551/Capture.PNG">
<figcaption>2022 Missouri Defensive Back Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="DmocAn">When thinking back on the best individual unit of the 2022 <a href="https://www.rockmnation.com">Missouri Tigers</a>, it’s hard not to go with the defensive secondary.</p>
<p id="lSKrLL">Consistency? Heck yeah! There were 4,245 total snaps taken by members of the secondary, more than any other defensive unit combined. Having five positions helps with that, sure, but the starting defensive backs were five of the top eight defenders in total snaps taken. </p>
<p id="5DIeSf">Tackles? Absolutely. Even though not typically relied on for the tackling prowess, their 325 tackles on the year were more than any other position group while also being the most accurate tacklers, missing only 15% of their tackling attempts.</p>
<p id="S6O5Lg">Havoc? Oh baby. Missouri’s defense, as a whole, had a 19.2% havoc rate and the defensive backs had a 9.2% havoc rate, the <em>7th best defensive back havoc rate in the nation</em>. They swatted passes, forced fumbles, and nabbed interceptions with the best of them and were one of the key reasons the defensive turnaround from ‘21 to ‘22 was so stark.</p>
<p id="DwLYvG">The best news? This group loses one starter and three role players. That’s it.</p>
<p id="0ZNriS">Will this be the best secondary in the nation? Maybe! It has a ton of experience and returns almost everybody and - as you should know by now - overall defensive success hinges strongly on experience in the defensive backs.</p>
<p id="0MlfU0">Last year I worried that the young guys of ‘21 didn’t get enough reps to be ready to take over in ‘22; thankfully that was a whole lot of worrying for nothing.</p>
<h2 id="4vYIOk"><strong>The Departed</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV. 05 Kentucky at Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jrDUPqIOSwxzzQ_sNhakANhs8oA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463574/1244591788.jpg">
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cNI8pJK0bttIcUvQ6mfKNLElzbM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463579/Capture1.PNG">
<figcaption>Graduated Defensive Back Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/evNzA6BcL8S_TzwnKj6-Fs6nu9A=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463581/Capture2.PNG">
<figcaption>Transfer Out Defensive Back Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="8iY7ol">Five guys leave from the ‘22 secondary, four of which actually saw some time on the field, two of which saw any significant snaps.</p>
<p id="UJNGqp"><strong>Martez Manuel</strong> was the heart and soul of Missouri’s secondary for four years. The local Rock Bridge product saw the field in Barry Odom’s doomed final season and solidified himself as Drink’s most versatile safety for the next three years. Manuel was a safety that played near the line/linebacker that could cover receivers, and that versatility helped him stay on the field in almost any personnel package the Tigers rolled out. The ‘22 season wasn’t his most productive but it was definitely one of his most havoc-y and now he gets to see if that four year success in Columbia can translate to the NFL.</p>
<p id="k3KgnY"><strong>Jalani Williams</strong> was a rare blue chip recruit for the Odom staff who became a dependable rotation piece under the Drinkwitz staff. He had his most snaps in a year during the ‘22 campaign but wasn’t nearly as productive as he was in ‘21. Seeing as he had one (maybe two) more years to play, and figuring he wasn’t unseating Joseph Charleston, Williams opted to hit the portal and wound up with fellow former Tiger Devin Nicholson at Kent State.</p>
<p id="HDILnf"><strong>D.J. Jackson</strong> was a starting corner in his freshman year of 2021 but struggled to see the field in ‘22. He opted to hit the transfer portal and wound up at Texas State. <strong>Davion Sistrunk</strong> was a high school recruit while <strong>L.J. Hewitt</strong> was a JUCO import, but the two things they had in common were 1.) being suspended from the team for ‘22, and 2.) transferring away from Mizzou. Sistunk ended up at Murray State while Hewitt currently is still in the portal.</p>
<h2 id="zl3heU"><strong>The Returners</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV. 25 Arkansas at Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wPuDnwyCnfLY4vrRNFXuXGKdpOs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463589/1245096942.jpg">
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/em4rbun9mo8TFVF8-yQjsJahBYw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463592/Capture3.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning Cornerbacks</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9c-1RsGwTy95_s1z9d05NeHeL_4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463593/Capture4.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning Strong Safeties</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rH7OHMM0AhB_6CeUJytO9ON_4Ms=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463597/Capture5.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning Free Safeties</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4VVVOnM6AXksUnoFOrGMnDwpibg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463599/Capture6.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning STARS</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="2DEJ1J">Like I said, basically <em>everybody</em> returns! Here we go...</p>
<p id="7taOuF">Of the cornerbacks, the top two starters return. You know <strong>Kris Abrams-Draine</strong> and <strong>Ennis Rakestraw, Jr.</strong>: they are quite possibly the best corner tandem in the league and combined for a whopping 24 passes defensed in 2022. The fact that they are both coming back for another year is a miracle and one of the key reasons for so much hope heading into the season. The other reason? Both <strong>Jaylon Carlies </strong>and <strong>Joseph Charleston</strong> return from the safety corps. Missing Martez Manuel does hurt, but his understudy - boom-or-bust extraordinaire <strong>Daylan Carnell</strong> - also returns and figures to get first crack at replacing Manuel. These five all finished with over 300 snaps on the year and should be looked to as a continuation to the success the ‘22 defensive secondary had.</p>
<p id="3ue7DY">The backups in the defensive secondary were not nearly as productive, however. Only one - slot corner Dreydon Norwood - earned more than 45 snaps on the year (he had 294 at season’s conclusion) and that was in a role that was a relief position for KAD and Rakestraw. <strong>Marcus Clarke</strong> - the late transfer in from Miami - was familiar with DC Blake Baker’s system but only saw 45 snaps on the year, most towards the end of the season. The <strong>Tylers - Hibbler</strong> and <strong>Jones -</strong> combined for 55 snaps on the year at their respective safety slots and will be looked to provide a steadier presence in the rotation. Blue chipper <strong>Isaac Thompson</strong> and receiver-turned-safety-turned-back-to-receiver <strong>Ja’Marion Wayne</strong> combined for 8 snaps on the year in redshirt campaigns, while blue chip corner <strong>Marcus Scott II</strong> didn’t see the field at all in his redshirt season. If any of those two push for snaps in the second year on the team that will be a good thing.</p>
<h2 id="RZo8wy"><strong>The Transfers</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 02 Eastern Washington at Florida" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zc0sOm8i_Ap1WbIAz1-7VCAA30U=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463604/1243906490.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NTQn0SKWJGrsTRG4Hv6Ca6qf_qs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463610/Capture7.PNG">
<figcaption>Transfer In Defensive Backs</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="mkNRKf">Missouri looked to the Sunshine State schools to beef up their defensive secondary ranks this offseason. Did they need to? I mean...on the outside looking in, no, but clearly they wanted a few more experienced pieces, especially since four of the five potential starters will most likely be gone next year.</p>
<p id="t1gWWd"><strong>Tre’Vez Johnson</strong> was a three-year starter at Florida before being unseated under the Napier regime. Despite not being the most havoc-creating corner, he has notched an interception each season and will be a SEC-experienced rotational piece to spell KAD and Rake.</p>
<p id="Gv8UHw"><strong>Sidney Williams</strong> is a free safety from <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/">Florida State </a>one who is comfortable with roaming the backfield and picking off receivers that leak through coverage. Like Johnson, he’s not much of a havoc creator but has 405 snaps and 25 games worth of experience under his belt and can help bridge the gap between Charleston and Thompson (assuming the latter isn’t ready to start after this year).</p>
<h2 id="mXqP1r"><strong>The Freshmen</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8vXc9CvEcKmOCMYUe2diw9X0hm8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24463621/Capture8.PNG">
<cite>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</cite>
</figure>
<p id="hNXibt"><em>Marvin Burks 2022 Stats</em>: 95 tackles, 1 INT, 2 fumble recoveries (also 1,717 yards & 26 TDS rushing)</p>
<p id="1oHXqt"><em>Phillip Roche 2022 Stats</em>: 51 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 PDs, 2 INTs, 1 forced fumble (also 237 yards & 1 TD receiving)</p>
<p id="OnIC79"><em>Nicholas DeLoach 2022 Stats</em>: 68 tackles, 3 PDs, 3 INTs (also 421 yards & 5 TDs receiving)</p>
<p id="8PtV4f"><em>Shamar McNeil 2022 Stats</em>: 35 tackles, 2 TFLs, 15 PDs, 2 INTs</p>
<p id="mwczPb">One thing that stood out to me about the ‘23 crop of defensive back high school recruits was their athleticism. Other than <strong>Shamar McNeil</strong>, this batch of guys played defensive back and some offensive position as well. <strong>Nick DeLoach</strong> and <strong>Phillip Roche</strong> were receivers and <strong>Marvin Burks</strong> was a dang 1,500+ rusher with <em>26 rushing touchdowns in a season</em>. Burks was the lone blue-chipper but all four showed tremendous potential from their overall athleticism alone. None should see the field this year - or, at least, there’s no urge for them to do so - but the potential of this group going forward is sky high.</p>
<h2 id="Fnmu6N"><strong>2023 Forecasting</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="qgBG7X">
<em>Prediction</em>: At least one starting defensive back earns All-SEC honors.</li>
<li id="N2VG9I">
<em>Bold Prediction</em>: At least two starting defensive backs earn All-SEC honors and one becomes an All-American.</li>
<li id="hfrvxl">
<em>HOT TAKE</em>: Blake Baker deploys the first modern usage of the 6-0-5 defense, featuring six defensive linemen, zero linebackers, and five defensive backs in order to get Missouri’s most talented defenders the most snaps. They go undefeated and Blake Baker makes so many royalties from coaching camps on these designs that he eschews bigger paychecks at other schools and stays at Missouri forever.</li>
</ul>
<p id="c1CzpJ"></p>
<p id="HbY9Fj"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/2/28/23616207/2022-missouri-tigers-football-position-postmortem-defensive-backsNate Edwards2023-02-21T09:00:00-06:002023-02-21T09:00:00-06:002022 Position Postmortem: Linebackers
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 25 Arkansas at Missouri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/o0j6Tw-YrwNCn0W1Npg892gSp5I=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71997549/1245169778.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>A review of the linebacker performance for the 2022 season.</em></p> <p id="XnznQu"><em>With the 2022 season officially over, it’s time to break down the performance of the team position by position. We’ll look at the stats for the year, the departing players, new additions, and some predictions for what we’ll see in 2023.</em></p>
<p id="8ExAqA"><em>Two dudes played most of the snaps at linebacker last year and both return. What does that mean for a surprisingly deep position with very few playing opportunities ahead of it?</em></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QThkkXT5fgp5q9C4tcbPupGzJFY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445051/Capture.PNG">
<figcaption>2022 Missouri Linebacker Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="M74cJT">During the 2021 postmortem on Missouri’s linebackers, I said this:</p>
<blockquote><p id="g6o4c8">When the spread offense revolution began in the early aughts and fully took over the sport in the early teens, it not only transformed the way the game is played but damn near changed the way players are used. Offensive linemen became more spaced out and needed to win one-on-ones more often; tight ends had to be pass catchers; skill position guys needed to be able to take a handoff and catch a pass; defensive linemen needed to pressure the quarterback; and linebackers needed to be able to play the pass effectively. The fullback essentially disappeared overnight and, with it, the run-stuffing linebacker specialist became a less sought-after skill. Linebackers do still need to hit the hole and bash into runners, of course, but the days of a Brock Christopher/Andrew Wilson/Michael Scherer enforcer that’s a total liability while covering passing lanes are all but gone. Linebackers that can stop the run, cover tight ends, and create quarterback pressures are the ones that continue to see the field, which is why a Sean Weatherspoon/Cale Garrett/Nick Bolton type of player are the ones that see the majority of the snaps.</p></blockquote>
<p id="MTduQr">And, lo, did we see a very modern linebacking corps in 2022! Blake Baker - like most modern DCs - almost exclusively deployed some variation of a 4-2-5 look, with the number “2” reflecting the number of linebackers he put on the field. And with Ty’Ron Hopper and Chad Bailey, he found two tackle machines who could also generate pressure and be a nuisance in the passing game.</p>
<p id="P7EGR7">You might as well change the position name from “linebacker” to “havoc maker”, as the modern game values smaller edge rushers in those positions, with enough quick twitch and speed to chase down ball carriers and get hands on passing lanes. Hopper and Bailey were the best on the team when it came to creating havoc...and no one else really came close. The good news? They’re back! The bad news? Who the hell is going to replace them in ‘24?</p>
<p id="olKAK1">Alas, that a problem for our future selves. Let’s take a look at what these gentlemen did last year.</p>
<h2 id="pHonoe"><strong>The Departed</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV. 19 New Mexico St. at Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eCpm4Ocucq9Bk5ZCs8fDlgmE-v0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445572/1244914654.jpg">
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9HdwyL36xoNcPGmJUMXSOcuhN3Q=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445575/Capture1.PNG">
<figcaption>Devin Nicholson Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="490dON"><strong>Devin Nicholson</strong> was Eli Drinkwitz’s first inside linebacker on the ‘20 football team, playing nearly every snap of the ten-game season. He played in every game of the ‘21 season as well but had his snaps siphoned off by an emerging Chad Bailey. Nicholson went from 556 snaps to 498 to a mere 118 in ‘22 and saw the writing on the wall. He hit the transfer portal and now will be playing for Kent State.</p>
<h2 id="GH6Vmo"><strong>The Returners</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Vanderbilt v Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E1yXfwjfwThRB0djGbtOlqKQ7B4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445577/1438021911.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aTjmSRJ7xYqCEq8dd-agrfcUAzY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445590/Capture2.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning 2022 Linebackers</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3qgsUK97Fqc9GruvPFBsG-eJiLw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445592/Capture3.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning 2022 Linebackers</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="4iW7MW">It’s all of them! Well, minus Devin Nicholson.</p>
<p id="2hGgbj">Frankly, I’m shocked that there’s only been one portal out from this group. And, truly, I think we see a few more after spring practices. The top two are so dang good and the rotation was so dang small and the roster is over budget by five guys that I can’t imagine Missouri carries <em>ten</em> linebackers into the ‘23 season. But I digress...</p>
<p id="1OOYBd">You know <strong>Ty’Ron Hopper</strong> and <strong>Chad Bailey</strong>. They took 81% of the total linebacking snaps for the year and represented 82.7% of the tackles, 98% of the TFLs, 85% of the run stuffs, and 100% of the sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles from the linebacking corps. And they’re both back! It would be nice if some youth can push their way into playing time, especially given that the skill level of the top two meant very little time missed for injury. However, do try to enjoy this year of their production as it’s hard to see two linebackers play at such a high level for your favorite team.</p>
<p id="NA4mmV"><strong>Dameon Wilson</strong> was the only guy we really got to see an extended audition for, and the results were mixed. Wilson was pressed into service when Bailey missed two games for injury and was a decent tackler but didn’t have nearly the instincts or disruption of his predecessor. He was still a redshirt freshman at the time so hopefully that extended experience taught him some valuable lessons. <strong>Will Norris</strong> was the only other backup that managed to see the field (aside from Nicholson) and, even then, only managed 19 snaps on defense. His most infamous moment came when he tackled the Kentucky punter and gave the ball back to the Wildcats to seal the victory for the bad guys. Let’s hope he has a few more chances to redeem himself this year.</p>
<p id="p2ddqL"><strong>Xavier Simmons</strong>, <strong>Carmycah Glass</strong>, and <strong>D.J. Wesolak</strong> all took a redshirt year in ‘22 to preserve eligibility going forward. <strong>Chuck Hicks</strong> also didn’t see the field but that was due to an injury suffered in fall camp. Of these four, Hicks is the only one who for sure won’t be back next year. Wesolak, in particular, is an intriguing piece as he was a blue-chip edge rusher in high school that got the “LB” put next to his name on the roster. We’ll see how he’s used going forward and if he stays in a crowded linebacking room.</p>
<h2 id="8EsacP"><strong>The JUCO</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZgvWwOGI__YQ0178Od0C0oTNu_g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445610/Capture5.PNG">
<cite>Daily Journal</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IoaE4CXBFgewiV3bFw9M2CwnUg0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445611/Capture4.PNG">
<figcaption>Triston Newson Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="6CSj5E">The MACCC defensive player of the year, <strong>Triston Newson </strong>enters a crowded position group with a ton of accolades to show for his brief JUCO career. Newson tore it up at Northeast Mississippi Community College, finishing last year with 107 tackles, 9 TFLs, 2 sacks, 4 passes defensed, 3 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles. Needless to say, if he can do that in the SEC, he’ll have some more hardware to add to the mantle. As it is, he has three years left to play two years and could theoretically step into the chair of the departing Hopper or Bailey to help ease the transition from experienced vets to new freshmen. I’m excited to see what he can do at this level and hope he can push for playing time.</p>
<h2 id="wlTBN6"><strong>The Freshman</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r9vueK688hVxLvtm513Nt7RrikI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24445625/Capture6.PNG">
<cite>@BrayshawnL</cite>
</figure>
<p id="nzhjOZ"><em>2022 stats</em>: 87 tackles, 20 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 3 PDs, 1 FF</p>
<p id="0E8xDg"><strong>Brayshawn Littlejohn</strong> is fun. Turn on his tape and you see a guy who is aggressive, fast, and hits way freaking hard. He has a lot of runway to grow and adapt in the SEC and certainly won’t be seen this year. But this is the under the radar guy that I have my eyes fixed on, and I can’t wait to see what he can do with a few years of seasoning.</p>
<h2 id="PCYtj7"><strong>2023 Forecasting</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="fBpR8o">
<em>Prediction</em>: Starters will be Hopper and Bailey; backups will be Wilson and Norris.</li>
<li id="UIvKx0">
<em>Bold Prediction</em>: For the fourth year in a row, Missouri’s Will linebacker leads the team in tackles for loss and run stuffs.</li>
<li id="KY8qak">
<em>HOT TAKE</em>: Chad Bailey outperforms Ty’Ron Hopper to close the season and gets drafted before Hopper does. And by that, of course, I mean Bailey gets picked 1st overall and Hopper is picked 2nd.</li>
</ul>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/2/21/23606532/2022-position-postmortem-linebackersNate Edwards2023-02-16T07:30:00-06:002023-02-16T07:30:00-06:002022 Position Postmortem: Defensive Line
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 08 Missouri at Florida" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cecnO55eq2jcduNT5QQ0mydyRdU=/4x0:3997x2662/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71982527/1243824156.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>A review of the defensive line performance for the 2022 season.</em></p> <p id="XnznQu"><em>With the 2022 season officially over, it’s time to break down the performance of the team position by position. We’ll look at the stats for the year, the departing players, new additions, and some predictions for what we’ll see in 2023.</em></p>
<p id="8ExAqA"><em>This week we finally jump over to the defensive side of the ball and look at the other half of the guys who make up the SEC’s “line of scrimmage” mantra, the defensive line.</em></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CAnIxKpf32Iq3zpHHifZiKewoh8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24431658/Capture.PNG">
<figcaption>2022 Missouri Defensive Line Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="D3PCi4">What a difference a year makes, huh?</p>
<p id="pQnvVh">In case your eyeballs didn’t tell you enough of how much better Missouri’s ‘22 defense than their ‘21 counterparts, here’s some numbers to drive the point home:</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K00BT5_TJpKB0abOiIIfny2VAb0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24431932/Capture1.PNG">
<figcaption>‘21 Defense vs. ‘22 Defense</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="2cTkjj">I could break it down into standard vs. passing downs, rushing vs. passing, and every other permutation possible but the conclusion is the same: Missouri’s defense made herculean leaps in a single year, thanks to five transfers on the line and a new coordinator.</p>
<p id="fFHxC5">Those imports on the line, by the way? 80% are coming back. As is every interior defensive lineman who’s been with the team from the start of their career. The problem, then, is that the top three defensive ends are off to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>, leaving behind two promising youngsters and two portal imports. </p>
<p id="vMn4nG">So this offseason we’ve now flipped the script from last offseason: whereas heading into ‘22 we knew what we had at end and had no idea who would stick at tackle, there are now nine tackles who could effectively play and we have no idea who can deliver at end.</p>
<p id="6x9cnl">It comes down to this...do you trust Blake Baker, Kevin Peoples, and Al Davis? If yes, then there’s nothing to worry about! If not...</p>
<h2 id="CrqVRU"><strong>The Departed</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Georgia v Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PmIxvjT2yajWmqVr3mdKullkZmA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24431985/1430532335.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gKW_tmA0ISpomVLMHVRnEYHA2BM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24432020/Capture2.PNG">
<figcaption>Graduating Missouri Defensive Linemen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="42Vnqk"><strong>Isaiah McGuire</strong> was one of the two best linemen heading into the ‘22 season and absolutely delivered. His 12 tackles for loss ranked second on the team (behind Ty’Ron Hopper) while leading the team with 7 sacks. He wasn’t the best at generating consistent pressure (only 11%...fine, but not world-beating) but was an excellent run defender (10 run stuffs) and logged the most snaps on the line with 498.</p>
<p id="8XAI59">Despite not figuring heavily into the rotation until four games into the season. FCS transfer <strong>D.J. Coleman</strong> was an underwhelming addition in the offseason that became a key component on the rejuvenated line. Despite a mere 10% pressure rate, Coleman logged 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss along with 10 run stuffs over 355 snaps, an incredibly productive final college season and one that was absolutely needed.</p>
<p id="Y53ctL"><strong>Tyrone Hopper</strong> - a seventh year senior - was an experienced rotation piece that provided experience in a depth position. He was a guy the staff trusted to spell McGuire and Jeffcoat and helped the other three stay fresh throughout the season. Hopefully he enjoyed his time in Columbia on got a great start on the doctoral degree.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sdpAsG4evtOxpThgg-iP3nNbY3Y=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24432040/Capture3.PNG">
<figcaption>Transfer Portal Departures from Missouri’s Defensive Line</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="wqFEtD"><strong>Trajan Jeffcoat</strong> and <strong>Daniel Robledo</strong> are the sole portal losses along the line (so far). Robledo was a JUCO addition in Drink’s second recruiting class but only saw the field for 38 snaps, 18 as an edge rusher and 20 as an interior lineman. With nine tackles on the roster there just wasn’t anyone way the graduate student was going to see the field and left for playing opportunity. Jeffcoat, on the other hand, is an odder situation. Some thought he’d go into the NFL and others thought he was done with his playing career but the idea of him returning for another year seemed slim. And then he announced on Twitter he was coming back. And four days later he entered the portal. Whatever rumor you subscribe to as to instigating factor, it seems clear that why the timeline played out as it did was that the staff did not expect him back and Jeffcoat didn’t clear his return with them before announcing. An odd scenario, for sure, but sometimes that’s how college roster management plays out.</p>
<h2 id="InD9NO"><strong>The Returners</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Missouri v Kansas State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/M719XXilG-LDoJQK21JtGCDkbk0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24432068/1243103380.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GbLz6yg7gZy4_LBhOeyQYr4RrtI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24432070/Capture4.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning 2022 Defensive Ends</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1UvGRAUqJbE7051r7dZJPX2T2xI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24432081/Capture5.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning 2022 Defensive Tackles</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0Qt_r1hcS8JNhj-maDcAvE9PDI0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24432083/Capture6.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning 2022 Defensive Tackles</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="fEZnXF">There are A LOT of returning defensive linemen and 81% profile as interior linemen. Gear up, there’s a lot to review.</p>
<p id="40sROn">On the edges, underclassmen <strong>Johnny Walker, Jr.</strong> and <strong>Arden Walker</strong> are your sole returning experienced pieces. Even over limited snaps both Walkers impressed; Johnny, in particular, was a pass rushing menace with a 17% pressure rate (for comparison, Alabama pass rushing aficionado Will Anderson managed a 14% pressure rate). With two transfers and four freshman joining the edge rushing platoon, the Walker boys will be looked to as a bridge between the success of last year and the potential of this year.</p>
<p id="japm5p">On the inside, <strong>Darius Robinson</strong> stepped up as a vocal leader in offseason workout last year and was finally able to play an entire season without injury. He wound up with the second-most snaps on the line, adding 34 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks, excellent production from an interior line. His decision to come back for another year is great news for a line that needs to generate a lot of creative pressure. <strong>Realus George, Jr.</strong> was a former fullback from The U that saw his usage pick up this past year on defensive tackle. His production picked up over the back half of the season, including 2 TFLs against <a href="https://www.bloggersodear.com">Wake Forest</a> while finishing fifth on the team in run stuffs.</p>
<p id="pH4D8e"><strong>Kristian Williams</strong>, <strong>Jayden Jernigan</strong>, and <strong>Josh Landry </strong>all portaled in from elite defenses where they couldn’t get playing time and made an instant impact. Williams, in particular, became the de facto #2 interior lineman, winding up with 36 fewer snaps than Robinson but the same amount of TFLs. Jernigan and Landry were effective in rotation snaps and helped the line experience very little drop off from their substitution packages.</p>
<p id="3mgWwr"><strong>Ian Matthews</strong> and <strong>Ky Montgomery</strong> weren’t able to see the field in ‘22, with Montgomery nursing yet another injury and Matthews taking a redshirt year. Freshmen <strong>Marquis Gracial</strong> and <strong>Jalen Marshall</strong> saw a combined 12 snaps on the year in a redshirt season. Given the fact that three interior linemen are definitely done after the ‘23 season - and potentially another two on top of that - these four will be looked to continue the excellence in ‘24 and a slow ramp-up period will hopefully be beneficial.</p>
<h2 id="LClj8N"><strong>The Transfers</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 17 Eastern Michigan at Arizona State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0fByQ3SjZWn0nVepHf8hizevLAU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24433065/1243347334.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7vhr_v6AohBN_Dg8CoExfSMHGLk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24433074/Capture7.PNG">
<figcaption>Incoming Transfer Defensive Linemen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="6SjD0Y"><strong>Austin Firestone</strong> and <strong>Joe Moore III</strong> are the first two defensive line portallers attempting to reinforce the Tiger line. Both are edge rushers but Firestone profiles as a bigger run-stuffer while Moore was tabbed as an edge rusher coming out of high school. Firestone only saw 44 snaps over 3 games at Northwestern so he’s still a bit of an unknown. Moore has struggled to consistently see pass rushing victories; his tape shows a guy who has two moves and gets eliminated by any tackle with some decent skill. But he has tons of experience and produces at almost the same clip as Trajan Jeffcoat; hopefully the tutelage of Peoples in Baker’s defense can bring out some of that blue-chip talent he flashed as a high schooler.</p>
<h2 id="DrOnet"><strong>The Freshmen</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RE67j9F2iyrXKWKgLQ_em9XRFig=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24433141/Capture8.PNG">
<cite>Hudl</cite>
</figure>
<p id="hNXibt"><em>Jahkai Lang 2022 Stats</em>: 60 tackles, 19 TFLs, 8 sacks, 4 FFs</p>
<p id="1oHXqt"><em>Jordon Harris 2022 Stats</em>: (played tight end)</p>
<p id="OnIC79"><em>Serigne Tounkara 2022 Stats</em>: 18 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 sacks (3 games played)</p>
<p id="8PtV4f"><em>Sam Williams 2022 Stats</em>: (if anyone can find them let me know)</p>
<p id="QdNeGm">Missouri added four super interesting freshman in the ‘23 recruiting class. <strong>Jahkai Lang</strong> was the most productive, logging 19 TFLs and 8 sacks as a strongside defensive end that was able to play inside and outside. Jordon Harris’ recruiting rankings rocketed to a high 3-star prospect despite being a tight end that had just picked up the sport last year; the potential for him to take the mantle of Charles “Did You Know He Played Basketball in High School?” Harris is palpable, as is the potential talent. Serigne Tounkara and Sam Williams are versatile pieces that could absolutely contribute as either an edge or an interior guy, and all four of these guys have some time to acclimate. Obviously the edge depth is thin but there still isn’t a major need for any of these guys to contribute immediately.</p>
<h2 id="6zMAsr"><strong>2023 Forecasting</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="FIcvtr">
<em>Prediction</em>: Starters against South Dakota: Moore III - Robinson - K. Williams - Johnny Walker</li>
<li id="qok3DN">
<em>Bold Prediction</em>: Montgomery moves to end and finally avoids a season-ending injury to positively contribute.</li>
<li id="Yw2cmh">
<em>HOT TAKE</em>: Moore, Gracial, and D.J. Wesolak have an offseason leap, earn starting reps, and lead the line for the next three years as Missouri-born and raised terrors that revive the vaunted “D-line Zou” cult.</li>
</ul>
<p id="Qes0OI"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/2/16/23598026/2022-position-postmortem-defensive-lineNate Edwards2023-02-08T07:30:00-06:002023-02-08T07:30:00-06:002022 Position Postmortem: Offensive Line
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 01 Georgia at Missouri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y15BtM1FoftbtoQsV1xxGqxTD_E=/0x0:3433x2289/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71952852/1243657183.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p><em>A review of the offensive line performance for the 2022 season.</em></p> <p id="XnznQu"><em>With the 2022 season officially over, it’s time to break down the performance of the team position by position. We’ll look at the stats for the year, the departing players, new additions, and some predictions for what we’ll see in 2023.</em></p>
<p id="8ExAqA"><em>This week we look at one of the most beleaguered units of the ‘22 campaign, the offensive line.</em></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Es9xImHRLzzFz8byUkITzmFPiPc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24415524/Capture.PNG">
<figcaption>2022 Missouri Offensive Line Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="7F6N2L">Last year’s offensive line was not good. But before we dive into the stats, let’s recap the year they had.</p>
<p id="qhtNvh">The ‘21 offensive line loses Mike Maietti to graduation but that’s it. Bence Polgar portals in to replace the departing Maietti and things seem good. Then, projected starting tackle Hyrin White suffers a lower leg injury during offseason workouts and is officially announced to miss spring practices. Then, on the first day of August, Bence Polgar is ruled academically ineligible. And then, Hyrin White’s injury is revealed to be much more serious and the team fears he could miss the entire season. So the Tigers enter the ‘22 campaign with the following starting five:</p>
<ul><li id="ZeikIi">Javon Foster - Xavier Delgado - Connor Tollison - Connor Wood - Zeke Powell</li></ul>
<p id="zg88J7">From game one it is apparent that the line does not have the usual push that they were able to maintain in ‘21. They get manhandled by K-State and then FCS foe Abilene Christian holds them to a 37% success rate on the ground and even getting a sack of Brady Cook in. </p>
<p id="dvEKLw">Then Powell is lost for the year against Auburn. Wood slides over to tackle, Mitchell Walters slots in at guard, and it doesn’t get better. Delgado misses a game, Luke Griffin gets a spot start, and it doesn’t get better. Armand Membou squeezes into a #9 jersey and plays an attached tight end/sixth offensive lineman role to help the right side of the line on outside zone and the results don’t change. Connor Wood misses a game so Membou takes the tackle position and E.J. Ndoma-Ogar comes in at guard. EJNO impresses but is injured after 70 snaps as a starter so back comes Walters. Walters struggles with penalties so Wood goes back to guard and Membou takes over at tackle. Then Tollison and Wood get injured against <a href="https://www.bloggersodear.com">Wake Forest</a> and the line ends up with these five gentleman:</p>
<ul><li id="V4iBa8">Javon Foster - Xavier Delgado - Drake Heismeyer - Mitchell Walters - Armand Membou</li></ul>
<p id="KQLTeC">That’s a lot of unexpected juggling for a group that should have only had to replace one guy! Injuries happen to everyone so it’s certainly not an excuse but Mizzou thought they had plugged the one need they had, lost that plug, and the fallout rippled across the line, even before injuries kicked in. I love Connor Tollison’s game and hope he can be great but starting a 287 pound freshman against SEC defenses is typically not going to work. The depth that was worth replacing the starters was too light and too young, and the older beefier guys were not quality replacements. Marcus Johnson is a good offensive line coach but he was dealt a crappy hand this year and the magic ran out.</p>
<p id="3waCs6">I put this in my <a href="https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/1/31/23576847/missouri-tigers-football-revisiting-2022s-count-the-ifs-sec">Revisiting 2022’s “Count the ‘Ifs’” piece</a> and I’ll put it here again - Missouri’s offensive line was pretty decent until this past year:</p>
<ul>
<li id="TQGKvP">2020 (Powell-Delgado-Maietti-Cook-Borom): 44.8% opportunity rate/60.0% power success rate/18.4% stuff rate/3.6% sack rate/28.6% pressure rate</li>
<li id="oKhzAK">2021 (Foster-Delgado-Maietti-Wood-White): 52.2% opportunity rate/74.2% power success rate/18.3% stuff rate/3.8% sack rate/23.4% pressure rate</li>
<li id="69t3AL">2022 (Foster-Delgado-Tollison-Wood-Membou): 48.3% opportunity rate/59.5% power success rate/17.4% stuff rate/5.9% sack rate/22.8% pressure rate</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="fpsJpv"><strong>The Departed</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Missouri v Kansas State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_QTaJJeT3cYMC3uUrVeBGbLLguQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24415575/1422975314.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2KPfQ6v7xsZvUoiqzXgfRphSXYk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24415582/Capture1.PNG">
<figcaption>Departing 2022 Offensive Lineman Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="GhAc7D"><strong>Zeke Powell</strong> was a very late addition to the ‘20 recruiting class, committing in late July before the COVID season began. However, he started game one of the Drinkwitz era against Alabama and was mostly unnoticeable (which is a good thing!). He wound up starting eight games that year before being relegated to a rotational piece in ‘21. However, with the loss of Hyrin White, Powell once again stepped up and played fine as Mizzou’s starting right tackle before getting injured. His contributions to the team and willingness to do what was asked of him by this staff should absolutely be commended.</p>
<p id="pp7siF"><strong>Connor Wood</strong> was an FCS call up for the ‘21 season, eventually wrestling away the role of starting guard. He was a versatile piece that could play either tackle or guard but always seemed to thrive as a guard...but, like Powell, was called upon to provide more than just his preferred skill set. Wood is why the transfer portal is good for Mizzou: find overlooked guys who have proven their worth elsewhere and bring them in to fill in depth and challenge for starting snaps.</p>
<p id="mL2UzN"><strong>Bobby Lawrence</strong> was a scholarship add by Barry Odom when his philosophy was to simply recruit the biggest linemen you could find, while <strong>Richard Taylor</strong> was a walk-on who earned a scholarship under Drinkwitz. Lawrence saw a few starts but struggled with injuries, while Taylor’s work ethic and dedication to the team earned him a free college tuition. Both were valuable depth pieces who decided to call it a career at the end of the ‘22 season.</p>
<h2 id="C2wIRH"><strong>The Returners</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 23 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WJ0Ve8azrbYJCIJwgn2XDVjAbWc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24415606/1245832296.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jUsVm_hDKaitP9eILLS74w4qnfE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24416371/Capture2.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning 2022 Offensive Tackles</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MW9SXf1giIUDDhJzx2J8G-8dbno=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24416376/Capture3.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning 2022 Interior Linemen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="czJ3k8">At this time last year I said the quality of Missouri’s offensive line was the quantity of dudes it could choose from. Turns out, the options weren’t nearly as numerous as I thought. Drinkwitz and Johnson trusted, essentially, six dudes to go out and eat snaps, while they were willing to plug in a Walters or a Griffin in emergency situations. So now we get the super fun question: what is the worth of returning a ton of experience from a bad unit?</p>
<p id="n1bS39"><strong>Javon Foster</strong> and <strong>Xavier Delgado</strong> have been stalwarts on the left side of the line, entering their third year playing next to each other. Foster had a tremendous ‘21 campaign but seemed to regress last year, despite still claiming the crown of one of the top ten returning tackles in college football according to PFF. Delgado is a serviceable guard who has proven to be the rung in a ladder match that no one can beat. He’s fine in most situations but you’d like to see a strength or some growth in areas; oddly enough, he’s basically been the same caliber of guy since he stepped on campus...and yet no other guard has been good enough to beat him out. He’s nice to have but you also hope a youngster can beat him out.</p>
<p id="b3kYok"><strong>Connor Tollison</strong> was a dude who impressed from the moment he stepped foot on campus but wasn’t quite physically ready to take over as starting center. He seems to have the mental aspect down - calling protections, being the captain of the line, etc. - but would be frequently overwhelmed when going up against beefier defensive lines. <strong>E.J. Ndoma-Ogar</strong> would probably have been a starting guard for the rest of the year had he not been injured against Kentucky; he showed a lot of flash and potential in the few snaps we saw him on the field and could be the favorite to nab a spot. His backup, <strong>Mitchell Walters</strong>, is a gigantic 6’8” golem on the interior but struggled with holding and false starts, one of which robbed a potential touchdown from the Georgia 1-yard line against the national champs. I think his skillset is better used on the outside, but then again, I thought <strong>Armand Membou</strong> would be a better fit as a guard and he was a noticeable upgrade at right tackle as the year wore on. <strong>Luke Griffin</strong>, <strong>Ma’Kyi Lee</strong>, and <strong>Drake Heismeyer</strong> were clear “break glass in case of emergency” guys who hardly saw the field; Heismeyer, though, had 71 snaps at center in the bowl game. <strong>Valen Erickson</strong>, <strong>Tristan Wilson</strong>, and <strong>Curtis Peagler</strong> all spent their redshirt year in the “gun club”, cutting out the “baby fat” and packing on “good” weight and getting used to SEC football in hopes that they can start pushing the guys ahead of them and making it into the rotation. The only question for <strong>Bence Polgar</strong> is whether he is finally eligible or not. We’ve heard nothing to the contrary so far so it’s a good bet he’ll get significant opportunities to obtain a starting spot.</p>
<h2 id="dkIxYf"><strong>The Transfers</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 11 Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fqcUM0f7wHk8qo9-Oiaxph1VL34=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24416418/1235254567.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Bkd3f6cSHzT1ieFPgrBxHZe1qqI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24416419/Capture4.PNG">
<figcaption>Marcellus Johnson Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="ZhgjFl">Besides quarterback, offensive line is one of the hardest positions to project out of high school, simply because high school boys are not done growing yet and modern athletic training can do wonders in building dudes up to whatever they need to be. It always feels like 2-star offensive line recruits are the ones that punch way above their recruiting rank and make it on all-conference teams and get drafted in the NFL. </p>
<p id="vojAi0"><strong>Marcellus Johnson</strong> is hoping to follow Mike Maietti as “2-star transfer that rocks as a Tiger”. Johnson is a bit of a mixed bag: he’s been a starter for Eastern Michigan for the past three years and has logged over 2,000 snaps at right tackle. However, he allowed more pressures on the quarterback last year than any Missouri offensive allowed last year...but is also a PFF darling. I have no clue how his game translates to the SEC or how he’ll work in the scheme, but you don’t bring in a heavily experienced left tackle and not play him for the lone year he has left.</p>
<h2 id="kQ4cdL"><strong>The Freshmen</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ea3Dw83APA6nAPO1KaXkgB6_Ax0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24416460/Capture5.PNG">
<cite>UGASports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="fuObuh"><strong>Logan Reichert</strong> is the first blue-chip offensive lineman to sign with Missouri since A.J. Harris in 2015. If you want a good laugh and get stars in your eyes, go watch any of his game film; he’s gigantic and he destroys dudes on every snap, it’s great.</p>
<p id="MYUba1">He isn’t the best pass protector in the world, however, which was why his ranking dropped over the last year. There are rumors that he might play inside as a guard or, of course, wander over to a swing tackle, but those conversations are future problems. There is no doubt he is good and can be great but it’s tough to expect a freshman - even a highly ranked one - to come on to the line and play immediately. His development and usage will be a fun story to follow.</p>
<p id="kE8VRQ"><strong>Brandon Solis </strong>was an addition two days before early signing day. A 3-star prospect out of Tennessee powerhouse Lipscomb Academy, Solis was a decent tackle on a really good team (that lost their head coach to UAB, I might add). You always need prepared depth at offensive line as we painfully found out last year, but there’s no rush to get him on the field soon. We’ll check in two years from now to see where he matches up.</p>
<h2 id="r5fkEg"><strong>2023 Forecasting</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="T72PBM">
<em>Prediction</em>: The starters against South Dakota will be Foster-Delgado-Polgar-Membou-Johnson</li>
<li id="P24kKM">
<em>Bold Prediction</em>: Tristan Wilson and Valen Erickson earn significant snaps</li>
<li id="ItM0BX">
<em>HOT TAKE</em>: Armand Membou makes a permanent move to tight end/tackle hybrid to help with blocking and accidentally transforms into one of the best tight ends in the country.</li>
</ul>
<p id="zyYzgA"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/2/8/23589238/2022-position-postmortem-offensive-lineNate Edwards2023-02-01T11:00:04-06:002023-02-01T11:00:04-06:002022 Position Postmortem: Tight Ends
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV. 19 New Mexico St. at Missouri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7M8B89jzggzO-0VDCvPLFjndYkU=/0x262:1604x1331/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71929665/1244914334.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p><em>A review of the tight end performance for the 2022 season.</em></p> <p id="XnznQu"><em>With the 2022 season officially over, it’s time to break down the performance of the team position by position. We’ll look at the stats for the year, the departing players, new additions, and some predictions for what we’ll see in 2023.</em></p>
<p id="8ExAqA"><em>It’s time to look at a position group that allegedly exists on the roster, the tight ends.</em></p>
<p id="Z0fuLD">I usually post the season stats graphic at the top of these articles but, first...</p>
<p id="fXpQfR">QUICK.</p>
<p id="o20B92">How many times do you think a tight end was targeted in the passing game for the entire 2022 season?</p>
<p id="HqrbXS">I’m not asking for catches, you can easily look that up.</p>
<p id="bUNYoV">I’m asking, “How often did Brady Cook attempt to throw a pass at a gentleman who has the position of ‘tight end’ listed on the official Mizzou athletics website football roster?”.</p>
<p id="uJmoKE">I’ll give you a second.</p>
<p id="wfbAmN">And I’ll give you some guide posts as well!</p>
<p id="vVI3Vf">Three tight ends caught a pass in ‘22, and they combined to run 183 routes on the year.</p>
<p id="6Tx55T">Do you have your answer?</p>
<p id="C9Zr1M">Good! Here you go:</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FsAdLdY8QE4ci2NFmsemupIKEzw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24399614/Capture.PNG">
<figcaption>2022 Missouri Tight End Receiving Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="D3DdSF">The answer is 15. Over 183 routes run, Missouri tight ends were <em>targeted </em>15 times, catching 10 balls for 112 yards and two touchdowns.</p>
<p id="grZnCW">On the one hand: that is an excellent catch rate! And no drops!</p>
<p id="wXZ1Ki">On the other hand: what the hell?</p>
<p id="axa07A">After three years it seems like Eli Drinkwitz just straight up hates using tight ends in the passing game. And as the school that - in my mind, anyway - will forever be “Tight End U” thanks to Kellen Winslow, Martin Rucker, Chase Coffman, Michael Egnew, and Albert Okwuegbunam, it is a got dang shame that the past three years have featured jack squat from the tight end position.</p>
<p id="lt7RGv">Let’s run it back! Here is the passing data for Mizzou tight ends since 2018. See if you can figure out when Eli Drinkwitz took over:</p>
<ul>
<li id="m7w9Vr">2018 (Albert O, Kendall Blanton, Daniel Parker, Jr.): 100 targets, 71 catches, 706 yards, 9 TDs</li>
<li id="ThvbX3">2019 (Albert O, DPJ, Niko Hea): 74 targets, 44 catches, 476 yards, 6 TDs</li>
<li id="HChfMT">2020 (Niko Hea, DPJ, Logan Christopherson): 36 targets, 27 catches, 252 yards, 2 TDs</li>
<li id="UEOYQ3">2021 (Niko Hea, DPJ, Messiah Swinson): 57 targets, 35 catches, 288 yards, 5 TDs</li>
<li id="CZzKJx">2022 (Tyler Stephens, Kibet Chepyator, Ryan Hoerstkamp): 15 targets, 10 catches, 112 yards, 2 TDs</li>
<li id="GpWMzB">2022 Fresno State Tight Ends (for comparison): 46 targets, 34 catches, 288 yards, 2 TDs</li>
</ul>
<p id="eTMhMH">How much of the decline is due to a “lack of a play-making, pass-catching tight end” versus “scheme that doesn’t utilize the tight end as a viable pass-catching option?” Probably a little of both, frankly. And it is true that, outside of Tyler Stephens, Mizzou in ‘22 didn’t have a single tight end who had caught a pass or taken meaningful snaps at the college level. So inexperience is playing into that as well.</p>
<p id="XJmyPs">Still, it would be nice to have a #TightEndPassingGame return at the school that featured the guy that revolutionized the position, and the two guys that helped revolutionize personnel schemes. Missouri without a pass-catching tight end is just wrong. WRONG.</p>
<h2 id="idaA1e"><strong>The Departed</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Missouri v Auburn" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/USegVOrYySExeqYYkbOUviOMRKI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24399683/1243478457.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="BoCGI9">The walk-on from Carol Stream, IL, Kibet Chepyator was pressed into service early in the season, mostly as a run blocker. Before the ‘22 campaign he had earned one target — you probably remember a Brady Cook deep shot late in the bowl game against Army, Chepyator was the target — before being targeted six times in the first four games, including a 3 target/3 catch day against Auburn. He then was mostly phased out of the rotation by Ryan Hoerstkamp before earning his last target as a Tiger against New Mexico State. Walk-ons are expected to do everything scholarship players do on top of running the scout team offense of the week and, of course, doing it all for “the love of the game” which is no easy feat. So, a tip of the cap to Mr. Chepyator being able to see the field and provide snaps for a position lacking in experience.</p>
<h2 id="AFCCuK"><strong>The Returners</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 01 Georgia at Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pURNSRa25VxgfA27Ww8kRGMIofg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24399715/1243657378.jpg">
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-g_YZParTgQ1Vuiw_BN7jAwNNE4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24399730/Capture2.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning Tight End Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="LYEoHd">Good news: Missouri returns every scholarship tight end!</p>
<p id="XUv8Du">Bad news: half of them have yet to play a snap at the collegiate level!</p>
<p id="GOQlxv">I never want to be seen as someone who is pushing players out - I don’t want that ever! - but, frankly, I’m shocked Gavin McKay is still here. Stephens and Hoerstkamp saw the majority of snaps last year and Whisner is more in-line with the type of tight end Drinkwitz likes to utilize. McKay is a shorter, lighter version of the other guys and I just don’t see a path for him to start. But I’m glad he’s still here! Hopefully Kirby Moore finds a way to utilize his skill set.</p>
<p id="VRmZmg">Whisner completed his redshirt year and hopefully can start working his way into the rotation. BK’s golden child, Ryan “THE HORSE” Hoerstkamp, had that great touchdown against NMSU but mostly just blocked while Tyler “Smitharrow” Stephens had that memorable touchdown grab against Georgia...and that’s it.</p>
<p id="1Jb2RL">The mind always hopes the young guys can either push or usurp the established dudes, but considering 75% of the tight ends are young guys, I feel pretty confident that all four returnees have a shot at seeing the field. Whether they do, or not, is OF COURSE determined by how well they practice.</p>
<h2 id="trkEcA"><strong>The Freshman</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/51EKlViM_V5IPZmVyNCwztV7J2U=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24399752/Capture3.PNG">
<cite>Sports Illustrated</cite>
</figure>
<p id="kMxST6"><em>2022 stats</em>: 9 catches, 107 yards, 2 touchdowns</p>
<p id="ySBaCG">Here’s another fun stat for you: Missouri has only signed four blue-chip tight ends since the advent of the high school recruiting website era. Can you name them?</p>
<p id="BGDm0o">And, yes, most of them happened a long time ago.</p>
<p id="u8fUeT">Like...pre-2010 long time ago.</p>
<p id="SivSTQ">If you name them all you win a free life time subscription to Rock M Nation.</p>
<p id="iJm1AJ">The list:</p>
<ul>
<li id="aJwRFL">Zach Zwilling (‘02)</li>
<li id="99tA3c">Josh Barbo (‘03)</li>
<li id="LeQeM8">Andrew Jones (‘08)</li>
<li id="boqQMS">Daniel Parker, Jr. (‘18)</li>
</ul>
<p id="RqHLRj">Brett Norfleet becomes the fifth blue-chip tight end recruited to Mizzou since 2000 and, hopefully, can have a more dynamic impact than the gentlemen who came before him. Norfleet is certainly SEC sized - Francis Howell lists him as 6’7” 225 - but, as usual, a year in the “gun club” as Mizzou will probably be needed to build him back up to handle SEC defenders. Norfleet joins Sam Horn as another baseball guy on the team, but - just like Horn - his scholarship is provided by the football team and he will be a football player first and foremost. He enters a young and unproven unit so there is always the chance that he sees the field, but it’s most likely we won’t see anything meaningful from him until 2024.</p>
<h2 id="I5qPfr"><strong>2023 Forecasting</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="MI5Kic">
<em>Prediction</em>: Tyler Stephens and Ryan Hoerstkamp get starter-level snaps, Whisner backs both of them up with the hope of siphoning away snaps from one of those two.</li>
<li id="AJ4rLQ">
<em>Bold Prediction</em>: A Missouri tight end will end the season with more than 500 yards receiving for the first time since 2011</li>
<li id="RYCXNq">
<em>HOT TAKE</em>: Kirby Moore, sleeping in his office one night, accidentally falls out of chair and lands with an odd <em>thunk</em> near an oddly-colored carpet piece near his desk. As he taps the area again he continues to hear an almost hollow sounding ringing on what he thought was sturdy floor. He then starts to forcibly punch at the floor as the echoes yield to crashing <em>thwacks</em> and, eventually, Moore - with surprising ease - punches a hole in the floor to find a secret, rectangular compartment aligned perpendicular to his desk. Clearing his head to make sure this isn’t a dream, he bravely - or foolishly - begins rooting around the compartment until his fingers brush against a firm, but movable, item that feels of worn leather and dust. He taps his fingers around the item to gauge the size and manages to wrap around a portion of the object, lifting it to the dim lighting of his office to find a well-worn book. But what kind of book is it? With no identifying markers on the spine or cover, Moore cracks open the tome and leafs through the dusty pages, coughing and squinting through the dust to attempt to read the scribble left on the folio. Finally, he flips on the full lights of his office, rubs the sleep from his eye, and sees a lone sentence emblazoned on the first page: “How to make your tight ends f***ing good”. His eyes scatter to the bottom of the page, with a name accompanied by a signature. The signature is hopeless but the name rings true: Dave Christensen. “Yes, yes...this could be it!” Moore thinks to himself as he tucks it into his drawer labeled “good plays and stuff” and drifts back to sleep, dreaming of Chase Coffman reincarnate. </li>
</ul>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/2/1/23580136/2022-position-postmortem-tight-endsNate Edwards2023-01-26T08:00:00-06:002023-01-26T08:00:00-06:002022 Position Postmortem: Wide Receivers
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Vanderbilt at Missouri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZNDu1hHlXg5N2DIeiCobUctO9VU=/0x165:4767x3343/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71907991/usa_today_19280364.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>A review of the wide receiver performance for the 2022 season.</em></p> <p id="XnznQu"><em>With the 2022 season officially over, it’s time to break down the performance of the team position by position. We’ll look at the stats for the year, the departing players, new additions, and some predictions for what we’ll see in 2023.</em></p>
<p id="8ExAqA"><em>It’s time to look at the position with the highest recruiting rankings, highest potential, and massive inefficiency: the wide receivers.</em></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B5fRZdbaJ_bkBROuxWxrohHETgM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380812/Capture.PNG">
<figcaption>2022 Missouri Wide Receiver Receiving Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="GFmg9N">How do <em>you</em> feel about the 2022 wide receiver performance? It seems like most people have mixed feelings about them! </p>
<p id="QQ1C2h">On the one hand: Dominic Lovett was a revelation! On the other hand... he’s gone now.</p>
<p id="AJRm3z">But hey, there was Luther Burden III looking flashy! But, despite having the second-most targets on the team, it never felt like he was being utilized enough (SPOILER: that’s mostly the six drops he had on the season giving you that impression).</p>
<p id="IjK5hU">Barrett Banister was his usual unstoppable third-down-conversion-machine self, Mookie Cooper and Mekhi Miller had moments of impressive catches, but, overall, the Missouri passing game just seemed like it should have been more.</p>
<p id="wkPtG7">And now Mizzou heads into the ‘23 season with two flashy transfers - who haven’t done a lot at the college level - and missing three of their top five targets in the receiving corps. There are two former 5-stars and three former 4-stars in the room, meaning it is easily the most high-upside athletic position group on the team. But it’s also full of guys who are either waiting to make the leap or are still getting used to the game. </p>
<p id="SzSY7m">Upside and potential: high. Certainty and production: still way freaking low.</p>
<p id="75Dx6H">Let’s break it down. </p>
<h2 id="8NiazJ"><strong>The Departed</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Football: Arkansas at Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nC55WcLTiG_3zchIdg46lBH8JkI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24304460/usa_today_19617635.jpg">
<cite>Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gOZePXlk-Fb2XtLBxlONM7oo09Y=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380855/Capture1.PNG">
<figcaption>Departing 2022 Wide Receiver Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="xb6t8Y">I loved the Barrett Banister story and appreciated all six years he was able to give to Mizzou. He was never going to be a burner or some dude that Moss’d his defender; he was just a smart receiver that would sit in the zone, make the catch, and move the chains. Every team needs a receiver like that, and Banister will always have a special place in Mizzou lore for his service to the team.</p>
<p id="xwW2Gt">Tauskie Dove was a possession receiver who got stuck run blocking most of the time. He was arguably the best receiver who could run block which would have him on the field for damn near every snap but the difficulty of the throws he would attract meant his catch rates and efficiency were rotten. To wit, last year he had a 45% catch rate. That’s bad. And even his junior year where he almost eclipsed 600 yards featured 0 touchdowns and a 57% catch rate. He was asked to make difficult catches and block the hell out of corners and he was excellent at one of those skills. He should tear it up at Memphis and it’ll be interesting to see how he does when Mizzou plays the blue and gray tigers next year.</p>
<p id="kGLKoS">Dom Lovett takes the Mekhi Wingo memorial trophy for “portal loss that’s a personal attack to me”. A young guy from the east side of the state who comes in, becomes a starter while still young, and hints at so much potential for the Tigers in the future...who throws it away to play for an SEC blue blood where he can win titles. I get it; rumors cited specific issues with Mizzou that weren’t going to change so if you want to get out, chase the bag, and win national titles at Georgia? That’s fine. Just don’t feed me that “HOME SWEET HOME” BS that he sent around the socials when he committed to the Bulldogs.</p>
<h2 id="8gHwCG"><strong>The Returners</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Kentucky v Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y0Qri3FcjCq9qqN0WJ9fnn9IrBw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380891/1441306484.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/erTP7_92Za-ZsArcsVC9lVGaVPg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380892/Capture2.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning “X” Receiver Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KCNV7YhnpzvD1czEbHQodPd51dA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380894/Capture3.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning Slot Receiver Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="dIbkIJ">Missouri’s 2022 receiving corps finished with 2,387 yards, 10 touchdowns, a 66.2% catch rate, 12.1 yards per catch, and 8.0 yards per target.</p>
<p id="XXUoCc">Strip out the guys that aren’t coming back and you get this: 844 yards, 6 touchdowns, a 63.1% catch rate, 10.3 yards per catch, and 6.5 yards per target.</p>
<p id="3RhUSA">That returning total is two fewer yards than Lovett got on his own last year; all those touchdowns listed were by one guy (Luther Burden); and the efficiency is noticeably lower.</p>
<p id="gyq9vH">Mizzou is going to miss Lovett and Banister, if you haven’t figured that out yet.</p>
<p id="ZeUGQM">But the pitch isn’t, “these receivers are going to do <em>that</em> again”. The pitch is “they’re going to improve like Dom did last offseason!” which... yeah, they could! Miller and Burden could absolutely make a leap, either with a full year in the program or moving them to positions that benefit their skills better (aka make ‘em slot guys!). Assuming Chance Luper has fully recovered and is back to form, he could be electric on the outside. And maybe Mookie and Peanut finally put it together and contribute the entire season what they managed to contribute in the last few games.</p>
<p id="fniwfJ">But, once again, we enter an offseason embracing potential maxed-out potential rather than seeing the actual breakthrough and waiting for it to happen again. I can’t wait to see what happens but I hesitate to lock-in group-wide improvement for the ‘23 campaign.</p>
<h2 id="y08tJq"><strong>The Transfers</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Oklahoma v Texas Tech" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ryH4wvroCIH77IQg-2Ar2TMqp0s=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380927/1445080598.jpg">
<cite>Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aHLIbLLLWkvMAt_I_6jcy1u9DPc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24380931/Capture4.PNG">
<figcaption>Incoming Transfer Wide Receivers</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="viA1jb">Whenever you get the chance to bring in two former blue-chip recruits, you do it. It’s exciting and immediately upgrades the athleticism of the position group, no doubt. But Theo Wease, Jr. profiles as a bigger-play Tauskie Dove and Dannis Jackson has only earned 35 targets over five years, including sitting the ‘22 season out.</p>
<p id="0omvwW">At some point, the recruiting rankings cease to matter and it's your production that counts. And while the production is fine (more so for Wease), it’s yet another grab at potential rather than proven production.</p>
<p id="65JkmL">And, hey, maybe that’s just where Missouri is as a program; they don’t have the history or NIL to drag an all-conference caliber performer away but <em>can</em> lure in unproven blue-chippers who haven’t maxed out or struggle to see the field. I’m certainly ok with that!</p>
<p id="ESVvwC">Wease could be a deadly possession guy on the outside, and Jackson profiles as an all-gas/no-breaks deep shot specialist with his career 54% catch rate but <em>17 yards per catch</em>. If he (or Luper) can provide a reliable downfield speed threat this offense really starts to open up. Here’s hoping Coach Peeler and his “Nasty Wide Outs” brand can build these dudes up to reach their potential.</p>
<h2 id="YYRimx"><strong>The Freshmen</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bm1gStuwEPXi9fzzZWSZ20nOvrg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24381817/eDrR091L_400x400.jpg">
<cite>Twitter @joshmaning121</cite>
</figure>
<p id="qUB8Pr"><em>Joshua Manning 2022 receiving stats</em>: 63 catches, 844 yards, 14 TDs</p>
<p id="td2UlU"><em>Marquis Johnson 2022 receiving stats</em>: 38 catches, 740 yards, 9 TDs</p>
<p id="r18Lod"><em>Daniel Blood 2022 receiving stats</em>: 20 catches, 441 yards, 10 TDs </p>
<p id="oCGv4w">Last year’s recruiting class featured the first building blocks of the receiving room, with Burden, Miller, and Wayne providing three different skill sets to anchor the receiving corps. This year, Mizzou adds a second wave of reinforcements to the group, with a speedy slot-type (Johnson), versatile-do-everything scorer (Blood), and a big-play possession type (Manning). It would be cool if even one of these three were added to the regular rotation as it would mean that they are ready to go and that rocks. The best thing that could happen, however, is to get maybe 30 snaps over the year in situational roles; enough to work with the 1s and get reps against college defenses, but not enough where they have to make plays or this team is screwed.</p>
<h2 id="cSUOA0"><strong>2023 Forecasting</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="wHtGc8">
<em>Prediction</em>: Missouri has two receivers finish the year with 600+ yards</li>
<li id="xZSa4w">
<em>Bold Prediction</em>: Missouri has its first 1,100+ yard receiver since 2009</li>
<li id="VZRnu8">
<em>HOT TAKE</em>: Luther Burden - spending the ‘22 season looking “mortal” to give the rest of college football a chance to win stuff and do well - explodes for a 2,000+ yard receiving year, capped by a Heisman-sealing play against Arkansas where he takes the snap as a Wildcat quarterback, throws it 60 yards downfield, and catches it for a touchdown. </li>
</ul>
<p id="VM6hLG"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/1/26/23567964/2022-missouri-tiger-football-position-postmortem-wide-receiversNate Edwards2023-01-18T12:00:00-06:002023-01-18T12:00:00-06:002022 Position Postmortem: Running Backs
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 25 Arkansas at Missouri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/usGbVwqGCoEY8ILnAIlzDM1CfgA=/0x525:4000x3192/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71879806/1245170064.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>A review of the running back performance for the 2022 season</em></p> <p id="XnznQu"><em>With the 2022 season officially over, it’s time to break down the performance of the team position by position. We’ll look at the stats for the year, the departing players, new additions, and some predictions for what we’ll see in 2023.</em></p>
<p id="8ExAqA"><em>This week looks back on the engine that keeps a Drinkwitz offense humming, the running backs.</em></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4K-RdzQQg7zsLqi6dy-SUCTAui0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24364629/Capture.PNG">
<figcaption>2022 Missouri Running Back Rushing Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="ceJjRN">Last year I posited the question: is Eli Drinkwitz simply working with NFL talents at running back or <em>making</em> NFL talents with his offense?</p>
<p id="KJR1QK">I love Cody Schrader’s story and work ethic. I think Nate Peat is a much better back than that snake-bitten season he just went through. But I don’t think either one will be making an NFL roster in their lifetimes.</p>
<p id="RFmjKd">So let’s rephrase the question in lieu of what we just saw last year: is an Eli Drinkwitz running back naturally talented or does the scheme elevate his production?</p>
<p id="SY4IaP">And to that question I’d answer: it’s the running back.</p>
<p id="YS2jlh">Now, both questions need way more data points to start crafting a legitimate answer, but last year’s rushing attack was easily the worst of Drink’s tenure at Mizzou. A 41.3% success rate on the ground - 90th best in the country - is really the only stat you need to read to know that Eli’s beloved ground game couldn’t do anything to consistently move the ball. An offensive line that could not put two of its expected starters on the field aided in the misery, including losing the backup right tackle a quarter of the way through the season, causing a continuous juggling act on the right side of the line. But even operating with the shackles of a 60% power success rate - 112th in the country - and a 16% stuff rate, Cody and Nate didn’t do much when they <em>did</em> get open ground, featuring the 77th best explosive rate on the ground.</p>
<p id="C1OZX5">But, so far - as of January 18th, 2023 - only one running back will be missing from last year’s group so everyone has a year of experience to try again and get better. Let’s see which individuals will get that chance.</p>
<h2 id="RpIgsE"><strong>The Departed</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 10 Missouri at Kansas State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vkszibhUHzFxam5AxszH8Vq8tBU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24364656/1243184096.jpg">
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TEQ2PlTNrjug9kFOmbEGW_SpUDY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24364660/Capture1.PNG">
<figcaption>Elijah Young Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="LZx35F">Elijah Young hit the portal on January 3rd, thus robbing us of a fourth-straight year of the “ELIJAH YOUNG, GOT NEXT” discourse. He only had 66 carries in his Mizzou career but flashed enough potential - especially in the bowl game against Army - that you couldn’t help but believe he’d be the next bell cow in Drinkwitz’s offense. However, he was passed over by Tyler Badie, Nate Peat, and then Cody Schrader and, with the latter two seemingly coming back in ‘23, it made total sense for Young to move on and try to see the field elsewhere.</p>
<h2 id="FUbPJ9"><strong>The Returners</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 23 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cFgN60z5pv7uAicJaZAkI8FAKNY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24364670/1245831991.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OKqr6o2LhNk7NSef9TGzBHB5LB0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24364681/Capture2.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning Running Back Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9pJ-_RcVQcZaYt8j9vAoNiT6HP0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24364682/Capture3.PNG">
<figcaption>Returning Running Back Stats</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="BrZMBv">I mean...it’s literally every running back on the team not named Elijah Young.</p>
<p id="gMtMWb">Cody Schrader and Nate Peat represented 86.2% of all carries distributed over the year. Peat started as the favorite but lost that spot as the year wore on and he suffered some of the most soul-crushing misfortunes you could imagine. Schrader took over and was mostly steady until Bush Hamdan took over play calling responsibilities, in which his success rates took a nose dive towards the end of the year. Again, I enjoy watching both guys play and hope that the first year of SEC seasoning prepares them for ‘23...but if someone else wants to step up and take over (possibly a transfer?), I would also be ok with that. </p>
<p id="sWYti6">The other 13.8% of the carries were split between five other dudes, none of which showed enough to unseat Schrader or Peat. I’ll be frank: I’m shocked that Young has been the only departure so far. Drinkwitz and Luper have shown a propensity of basically playing one back - maybe two, especially in ‘22 - and the running back stable currently has seven options in it. I have to think that the spring practices will help shake a few out as they realize that their playing time options continue to not improve but, until then, I’m rooting for all of these dudes to improve and be a rock star. </p>
<h2 id="E1EhkD"><strong>The Freshman</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DlhiNFol0zx_FxW_z6AF4k4G4V4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24364694/ae9aeaf919e18e53a626dff45e9351e9.jpg">
<cite>Yahoo</cite>
</figure>
<p id="t679A3"><em>2022 stats</em>: 167 rushes, 1,899 yards, 28 TDs/9 catches, 155 yards, 2 TDs</p>
<p id="IbrQHd">The lone addition to the 2023 running back room (so far), Jamal Roberts is a 3-star prospect out of St. Mary’s in St. Louis that helped lead the Dragons to a Class 4 State Championship. For all the versatility that his “athlete” designation hints at, Roberts did most of his damage as their primary running back, running for almost 1,900 yards and a whopping <em>28 touchdowns</em>. As previously stated he enters an extremely crowded stable of runners but if he can produce even half of his senior stats at the SEC level he’ll be a starter in no time.</p>
<h2 id="N0nuAi"><strong>2023 Forecasting</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="8ESNhj">
<em>Prediction</em>: Cody Schrader, Nate Peat, and Tavorus Jones split reps at 40%/30%/25%.</li>
<li id="VMG2Vn">
<em>Bold Prediction</em>: Jones finishes the year with the second-most carries of the running backs.</li>
<li id="HiLEve">
<em>HOT TAKE</em>: Kirby Moore scraps everything and reboots the Missouri offense as a flexbone attack with Luther Burden at QB, Cody Schrader and Taj Butts at fullback, and Peat/Harris/Jones as wing backs. </li>
</ul>
<p id="KlCqZ5"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2023/1/18/23557779/mizzou-football-2022-running-backs-cody-schrader-nate-peatNate Edwards