Five thoughts on Missouri’s football depth chart, released ahead of SEC Media Days

Missouri’s first football depth chart for the 2018 season was released Sunday, ahead of the Tigers’ Wednesday appearance at SEC Media Days in the College Football Hall of Fame.

While the depth chart is likely to change before the Tigers kick off the season against Tennessee-Martin on Sept. 1, here are five takeaways from how it currently stands.

Good for Dominic Gicinto: The former Raytown wide receiver is the only true freshman listed, as a backup to senior Nate Brown. The 5-foot-9 Gicinto showed off his speed in the Tigers’ spring game, scoring a 65-yard touchdown. Special teams coordinator Andy Hill said throughout the spring that Gicinto could make an immediate impact on special teams as a return man. Missouri brings in more true freshmen receivers for fall camp and it will be interesting to see if Gicinto can hold his spot.

Who is the real backup quarterback?: As the saying goes, having two quarterbacks is the same as having none. That appears to be Missouri’s current backup situation. Junior college transfer Lindsey Scott Jr. and junior Jack Lowary are listed as the Tigers’ co-backups. Scott struggled in the spring game after coming to Columbia fresh off a junior college national championship. First-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Derek Dooley said in the spring that none of the backups had done enough to separate themselves. Will that change in fall camp?

Kaleb Prewett appears to be officially off the roster: Prewett, who was suspended indefinitely in January for a violation of team rules, isn’t on the depth chart despite being a starter last season. His jersey No. 20 has been reassigned to Oregon graduate transfer Khalil Oliver, a fellow defensive back. Odom said during the spring that there was no update on Prewett. A Mizzou spokesperson did not immediately return a text message seeking comment.

The starting safeties are… Cam Hilton and Josh Bledsoe for now. Oliver didn’t get to campus until the start of July because he was finishing classes at Oregon, but he is a strong candidate to overtake either player. Jordan Ulmer, who started the season opener against Missouri State and then barely played the rest of the year, is listed as a backup to Hilton. Tyree Gillespie, who mainly played special teams last season, is Bledsoe’s backup. The secondary is one of Missouri’s biggest question marks. There could be a lot of movement there throughout fall camp.

Jordan Elliott is a backup: The much-heralded Texas transfer sat out the past season and starts this season behind senior nose tackle Walter Palmore. Elliott was the MVP of the Tigers scout team in his year on the sidelines and Terry Beckner Jr. praised him throughout the spring and said that he could be a gamechanger for the entire defense.