Here’s why you’re going to see a lot of Missouri’s linebackers on the field this season
While hosting Nick Bolton on an official recruiting visit in early February, Missouri’s Cale Garrett sought out fellow linebacker Brandon Lee for help.
National signing day was a few days away and Missouri badly needed Bolton to help provide linebacker depth for the Tigers.
Garrett asked Lee to join him and Terez Hall in watching Bolton’s high school highlights. While watching, all three Missouri linebackers came to the same conclusion: “We need this guy.”
Bolton committed shortly after the visit and now he and fellow backups Jamal Brooks and Aubrey Miller Jr. are expected to play a significant number of snaps, despite Lee, Garrett and Hall all returning as starters from last season.
Missouri coach Barry Odom has been concerned about the depth at linebacker, despite his starters all being program veterans. Hall has been sidelined for parts of preseason camp because of a hamstring injury, which has given the younger linebackers more opportunities to earn playing time.
“The older guys have done a great job of bringing those guys along,” defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said. “Nick Bolton, he’s out there making the same checks that Terez would make. Cale Garrett knows the defense as well as I do. Nick is a reflection of Cale.”
Bolton’s ability to grasp the playbook has amazed both his coaches and teammates, which led Odom to say Tuesday that the 6-foot freshman will play “real snaps” on defense this season.
Miller said that Bolton came into camp knowing the whole playbook, which has given him the ability to diagnose plays rather than read-and-react.
“It’s special to pick it up that fast,” Lee said. “He’s picking it up a lot faster than most freshman usually do. That’s a gift. That’s a ticket onto the field basically.”
Miller has emerged as Hall’s primary backup after switching to outside linebacker last season. After breaking his leg early into the 2017 season, Miller was supposed to miss four to six weeks, but returned after two, after team doctor Rex Sharp said he could play.
A huge recruiting pickup for Missouri after a breakout senior season, Miller said he’s approached this training camp differently in terms of mindset, which has helped him stand out.
“My attitude wasn’t the way it should have been last year,” he said. “I was cocky. I didn’t want to be told anything. I’m being coachable.”
Even with Brooks, Miller and Bolton all emerging as contributors, Missouri could still play fellow true freshmen Cam Wilkins, Gerald Nathan and Chad Bailey in some capacity this season, especially with the new redshirt rules. Bailey is currently sidelined because of a torn thumb ligament but should return.
Outside linebackers coach Brian Odom said last week that while it’s early, all four freshmen linebackers have backed up Missouri’s projections from the recruiting process.
“They haven’t ever stepped on the field in game situations,” he said. “But those four guys we’ve signed in this last class is going to be something that, years to come, we’re going to start hearing a lot of those names.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2018 at 5:08 PM.