Five story lines for Missouri Tigers football during spring practices
The Missouri Tigers and coach Eliah Drinkwitz open a new era on Saturday with the start of spring football.
There have been glimpses of who Drinkwitz will be as Mizzou’s top guy, but it’s mostly been through the lens of recruiting. He’s impressed in pieces thus far as he rounded out the Class of 2020.
But now it’s finally time for the Xs and Os and how the 2020 Missouri Tigers will look and play. That process starts with the 15 allotted spring practices where positional battles and other questions will be answered.
After a 6-6 season in 2019 — and a 1-5 finish — few starting positions should be set in stone, if any.
There’s talent on the Tigers’ roster. Guys like linebacker Nick Bolton, running backs Larry Rountree III and Tyler Badie and others are returners. Drinkwitz brought in a few intriguing newcomers who have a chance to make an immediate impact.
Here are five story lines to look out for as Mizzou kicks off spring ball Saturday.
Starting under center
The obvious question starts at quarterback: Who takes over for Kelly Bryant?
It should be a mix of TCU transfer Shawn Robinson, Taylor Powell and Connor Bazelak in contention. Brady Cook was Mizzou’s quarterback this class, but he’ll likely take a redshirt year to work on his craft.
Powell was Bryant’s backup last year and played six games, including one start. He showed some shaky play, though he was thrust into difficult positions in 2019.
In his brief time playing, Bazelak showed some major promise, which is likely why fans are high on him. It helps he was a four-star recruit out of high school. He tore his ACL in the season finale at Arkansas, which means he won’t be going through spring ball. But he should be ready and available for fall camp, which usually starts in early August.
Ahead of spring ball — and likely heading into fall camp — Robinson should be the projected starter. He’s a dual-threat guy and waited patiently sitting out the past season because of NCAA transfer rules. The 6-foot-2 quarterback showed flashes in 12 games over two seasons at TCU, but injuries slowed him.
Regardless, having a coach like Drinkwitz should be helpful. Bush Hamdan is also in charge of quarterbacks and wide receivers, and he brings Power Five coordinator experience to the table.
Immediate contributors
Looking at the players Drinkwitz brought in after he took over, there should be a few newcomers who see the field in 2020.
The obvious one is Virginia Tech grad transfer Damon Hazelton, an all-ACC wide receiver the past two seasons. Drinkwitz earlier spoke about getting “touchdown makers.” Hazelton fits that bill. After the wide receiving unit struggled in 2019 — especially in SEC games — Hazelton provides a major boost.
Elsewhere, look out for one of the many wide receivers Drinkwitz signed to the 2020 class. JJ Hester, Kris Abrams-Draine and Jay Maclin are in the mix for early snaps. Johnathon Johnson, Jonathan Nance and Kam Scott (transfer portal) are all gone from last year’s squad.
Ennis Rakestraw, Drinkwitz’s major win of the recruiting class, can potentially crack the cornerback rotation. Christian Holmes transferring to Oklahoma State thins a secondary that was already without DeMarkus Acy, who ran out of eligibility. Ben Key, a junior college prospect, should also have plenty of chances to join the defensive line rotation.
Luckily for the true freshmen, NCAA rules allow them to play four games before burning a redshirt. It should give them some time to see the field even if they’re not major contributors in their first season.
New-look offense
Drinkwitz is billed as an up-and-coming young coach with new offensive schemes. Even without talking specifics, the Tigers should look like a brand new team, at least on offense.
It’ll also be interesting to watch how Drinkwitz tailors his offense based on personnel. The first-year coach has spoken about how important his quarterback is to his offense. Obviously, there’s going to be a difference between an offense with Robinson, a dual-threat guy, than with Powell, who’s more pro-style.
The media won’t get full, unbridled access of every second of practice, but there should be some new wrinkles and details that come from spring ball.
Who’s emerging out of the trenches?
The offensive and defensive line have questions.
The offensive line was a weakness for much of last season. And it lost Trystan Colon-Castillo, Yasir Durant and Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms. Case Cook and Larry Borom are the most experienced returners, both playing 12 games last season, but it’s unsure how the coaching staff feels about the unit as a whole.
Things are a little clearer on the defensive line, but not by much. Kobie Whiteside turned in a great season with 6 1/2 sacks. Mizzou’s going to miss Jordan Elliott, who was superb on the interior. The major concerns come at the defensive end positions, as it has been that way the past few seasons.
It’s 100% a cliche, but the trenches are a huge part of football. The Tigers will need contributors on both sides of the line to have some consistency.
How will roster change after spring ball?
This is looking ahead, yes, but there are likely bound to be additions and departures from the roster after spring practices wrap up. Some guys might not like playing time or there are other factors.
But Drinkwitz and his staff will have a better feel of the roster and where they hope to upgrade through other means. Drinkwitz said there might be some options in terms of adding pieces going forward, so that’s an area worth keeping an eye on.
The Drinkwitz era and spring practices begin Saturday. The annual spring game is set for April 11.