Missouri Tigers: Post-spring stock report
With spring football in the rear view mirror, it’s time to fully embrace the Head Ball Coach’s “talkin’ season.” The transfer portal carousel has slowed, so while rosters aren’t totally finalized just yet, we at least have a sense of strong foundation for each SEC program. So let’s take a stock report for every team in the conference, examining their offense, defense and overall outlook heading into the 2022 season. Today we look at the Missouri Tigers.
MISSOURI OFFENSE — STOCK DOWN
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has done a nice job collecting offensive playmakers via recruiting (five-star freshman receiver Luther Burden and sophomore blue-chipper Dominic Lovett) and the transfer portal (former Ohio State wideout Mookie Cooper and Stanford tailback Nathaniel Peat), but the Tigers seem a year away from really taking a true offensive leap.
While senior wideout Tauskie Dove (38 catches for 576 yards) was a productive player in 2021, the Missouri Tigers are essentially starting over at quarterback and tailback in 2022. The Tigers relied heavily on Tyler Badie last year — who set the single-season school rushing record by leading the SEC with 1,604 yards and 14 touchdowns. The versatile scat-back was also a valued threat as a receiver, topping the Tigers with 54 catches.
Peat should be a solid replacement, but he won’t come close to replicating Badie’s production. And although the receiving core is young, deep and talented, there are real question marks about who will throw them the ball this fall.
Drinkwitz clearly wasn’t satisfied with either Brady Cook or Tyler Macon this spring, chasing multiple transfer quarterbacks to add to the room. He whiffed on JT Daniels, Jayden Daniels and Gerry Bohanon before adding Jack Abraham as a preferred walk-on from Mississippi State.
The well-travelled veteran is now at his fifth school (started at Louisiana Tech, played at Northwest Mississippi Community College and Southern Miss before sitting out last season at MSU battling post-concussion syndrome) but stands a real chance to start for the Tigers if he can stay healthy. The wildcard at the quarterback position is Sam Horn, a 4-star freshman who isn’t slated to enroll until the summer. There’s buzz Horn may opt to play baseball though, as he’s getting early MLB Draft pick hype.
Considering the available skill talent coupled with an experienced offensive line that returns seven guys who played at least 100 snaps in 2021, Missouri could field a serviceable offense (it averaged 5.86 yards per play in 2021, 67th nationally) if the QB questions get answered.
But that’s a major if, and without Badie there to shoulder the load, it’s hard not to see the Tigers take a step back.
MISSOURI DEFENSE — STOCK UP
Overall, the Missouri Tigers were terrible defensively in 2021, as Steve Wilks’ unit was shredded on the ground (No. 124th nationally in run defense). But notably, they did show real signs of improvement late in the year, allowing just 3.46 yards per carry in November.
While Wilks is back in the NFL, new DC Blake Baker looks to continue that momentum in 2022 with a unit that returns eight starters and added a bunch of decent depth pieces from the portal. Drinkwitz grabbed linebackers Ty’Ron Hopper (from Florida) and Tyrone Hopper (from North Carolina), as well as defensive linemen Jayden Jernigan (from Oklahoma State) and Ian Mathews (from Auburn). Defensive backs Joseph Charleston (from Clemson) and Dreyden Norwood (from Texas A&M) round out Mizzou’s newcomers.
The Tigers had a decent pass defense last season, mainly because teams simply ran it down their throats, but Kris Abrams-Draine (three INTs) has the potential to develop into one of the top corners in the SEC in just his second season at the position. Missouri’s run defense is likely to remain one of the worst in the SEC, but its pass rush could be legit in 2022.
Trajan Jeffcoat has All-SEC edge potential. He’s due for a bounce-back season after just 3.5 sacks in 2021. Meanwhile, Isaiah McGuire is a versatile end rusher/run defender, recording six sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss last season. There’s also freshman DJ Wesolak, one of the Tigers’ headliner signees in its 2022 class. Missouri had 29 sacks last season but that number should spike this fall.
For a unit that finished last season ranked in the 100s in multiple defensive categories, it should at least provide a bit more resistance for opposing offenses this fall.
2022 OVERALL OUTLOOK — STOCK DOWN
The Missouri Tigers haven’t had a winning season since 2018, and barring multiple upsets this fall, that streak looks likely to continue.
Drinkwitz has recruited really well at Missouri, but that’s yet to translate to a bunch of wins in a division that includes the defending national champions, a 10-win Kentucky team and rising programs in Tennessee and South Carolina. Oh, and Florida expects to quickly return to its winning ways under Billy Napier.
Aside from a late October matchup against Vanderbilt, Missouri won’t be favored in a single SEC game this fall. The Tigers’ normally soft non-conference schedule also includes a Week 2 road trip at Kansas State this year.
Perhaps the Tigers can scratch their way to bowl eligibility by winning toss-up games against KSU, Auburn and South Carolina, but it might take sweeping all three — all on the road to boot — just to make that happen.
Drinkwitz inherited a tough rebuild and even an improved roster still isn’t ready to compete in the SEC.