Bowl game provides Missouri Tigers waiting in the wings their first big opportunity
One player’s decision to not participate in a bowl game is another player’s opportunity.
So it will be for a handful of Missouri Tigers, preparing to meet Wake Forest on Friday in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Fla.
Whether it’s opting out of the game to prepare for the NFL Draft or hitting the transfer portal, a handful of players signaled an intention to end their Mizzou careers with the regular-season victory over Arkansas last month.
Among them: All-SEC wide receiver Dominic Lovett. He’s in the transfer portal, which likely means a larger role for freshman Mekhi Miller, the former standout at Blue Valley North High.
“I’ve been getting a lot more snaps,” Miller said. “They’ve done a good job getting me prepared for the role I’m going to have going into the bowl game.”
Miller logged six receptions for 108 yards in 2022, with two catches against Florida and two more versus Arkansas. The wide receiver group should remain strong with players like Barrett Banister, Tauskie Dove, Luther Burden and Mookie Cooper slated to play. Also looking to see more action is Demaryion “Peanut” Houston, who appeared in three games this season.
The defensive end group and pass rush is another matter. Ends Isaiah McGuire and D.J. Coleman along with safety Martez Manuel will prepare for the draft. They’re the team’s top three sack leaders. McGuire was a second-team All-SEC pick.
At defensive end, a position of strength on a defense that was vastly improved this season, snaps will go to redshirt-freshman Arden Walker and sophomore Johnny Walker Jr., who is returning to his hometown of Tampa for the game.
Arden Walker played in 11 games and started against Arkansas.
“It’s about setting the tone for what’s to come next year and what we can do and showing our abilities to the coaches,” Arden Walker said. “It’s a coming-out game, to be honest. That’s how I’m taking it.”
At safety, Isaac Thompson and Tyler Hibbler will see more action. Thompson appeared in two games and Hibbler had one tackle this season.
The Missouri defense will need all the reinforcements it can get. Offensive-minded Wake Forest, led by quarterback Sam Hartman, averages 36.8 points, No. 15 (of 131) nationally. Wake Forest topped 40 points five times this season.
Missouri, like all bowl teams, will benefit from an NCAA ruling that impacts players who appeared in no more than four games this season. Those players were looking to preserve a year of eligibility. The NCAA will allow them to appear in a bowl game without losing that year.
Players who could see action who played a quarter of the season: safety Ja’Marion Wayne, linebacker D.J. Wesolak and running back Tavorus Jones.
The headline of roster news may be departures, but that’s not the complete picture. Since the season’s end, cornerbacks Ennis Rakestraw and Kris Abrams-Draine have said they’re returning, a nice boost for a Tigers defense that will face a big challenge against the Demon Deacons.
The details
Gasparilla Bowl: Missouri (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (7-5)
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
When: 5:30 p.m. Central
TV: ESPN
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
Line: Wake Forest by 1 1/2
This story was originally published December 20, 2022 at 1:40 PM.