Graduation hurt Missouri at defensive end. Who’s up next for ‘D-Line Zou’?

To be considered an elder statesman on Missouri’s defensive line, one usually offers a blend of upperclassman standing and NFL and all-conference potential.

Tre Williams and Chris Turner don’t fit that bill, at least not yet for “D-Line Zou.”

With the graduation of Marcell Frazier and Jordan Harold, the Tigers now turn to their sophomore duo to lead one of the program’s most heralded positions.

Williams and Turner entered camp at the top of the depth chart at defensive end and need to help get freshmen Trajan Jeffcoat, Jatorian Hansford and Blue Springs’ Daniel Parker onto the field immediately.

“It’s a lot of stress for those young guys, but it’s a hell of a lot more stressful for me because I have to put them out there,” defensive line coach Brick Haley said after Sunday’s practice.

Haley said he’s having guys like Akial Byers, who can play at end and tackle, prepare to play both positions until the freshmen are up to speed with the college game, and to help build depth at the position.

He has also challenged Williams and Turner to take them under their wing to expedite the process.

So far, they’ve bought in.

“They want to know what it takes to be an SEC defensive lineman,” Williams said of the freshmen. “There’s no secrets on the defensive line. I want them to be just as good if not better than me Because when I’m tired, someone has to come in.”

Williams enters his sophomore year a more mature player after showing flashes during his redshirt-freshman season of being a dominant pass-rusher.

Most notably, against Kentucky, he substituted himself into the game, which infuriated Haley.

“That was probably not a good reaction,” Haley said. “There was probably some pretty harsh words.”

Williams finished the season with three sacks and four tackles-for-loss, good enough for a spot on the Southeastern Conference all-freshman team.

Turner showed his own signs of potential and doesn’t think the situation puts a lot of pressure on himself and Williams, since they also have senior Nate Anderson to help them. Anderson played mainly as a reserve in 2017 after signing out of junior college but still brings experience to a youthful defensive line.

Parker was recruited to play either offensive or defensive line for the Tigers after a standout career at Blue Springs, but he elected to chase the quarterback in college rather than protect him.

“He’s doing great,” Haley said of Parker. “I think he’s got a lot of football savvy — really smart, cerebral kind of dude. He’s done well. I’ve been really pleased with how he’s attacked the playbook. I look for him to do some really good things for us. Right now, he’s swimming a little bit. We’ve got a lot of things in now. It’s the third day. But for the first two days, he was really, really solid. I expect him to grow.”

After Frazier, now with the Cleveland Browns, and Harold graduated, Williams admitted he was a little nervous about being the position’s new leader. But he also welcomed the challenge.

“I’m not glad they’re gone, but I’m glad they’re gone,” he said. “It’s not like, ‘Yeah, I’m the man,’ but I know everything they did to lead this unit, I know what they did to make those plays, I guess I can do this.”

Williams had offseason surgery on his labrum but said he healed in roughly two months. He said he’s ready to put his full attention into helping at the position.

With the NCAA’s new redshirt rules that allow a freshman to play in four or fewer games and still maintain his eligibility for the year, Williams wants to make sure Parker, Jeffcoat and Hansford are in a position to let Haley trust them.

“I want to make sure that they do play,” he said.

Also ...

Freshman wide receiver Khamari Thompson was in a red, non-contact jersey on Sunday because of a hip pointer, MU coach Barry Odom said. Thompson landed awkwardly on his hip after making a tough catch on Saturday and was held out of contact drills as a precaution. He did participate in individual drills.

Senior defensive tackle Rashad Brandon was in a walking boot after a slight ankle sprain. He will be eased back into action in the coming days.

This story was originally published August 5, 2018 at 3:30 PM.