Missouri Tigers football players, coaches excited for 2025 season. Especially on defense
The Missouri Tigers football team held its third spring practice Wednesday.
The weather outside may not have been indicative of the season — frigid temperatures and whistling wind enveloped Columbia, which had already gotten a flurry of snow overnight.
Heading into the new year, the Tigers will have to deal with the loss of several key players on both sides of the ball. Defensively, longtime Tigers departed at all three levels — personnel turnover, like winter weather, was going to hit Mizzou hard.
However, when coach Eli Drinkwitz & co. were looking for potential targets in the transfer portal, they seemed to target a specific type of player that would give them the best chance at sunny days in the fall.
“We were looking to bring in some veteran guys that have played a lot of snaps,” defensive coordinator Corey Batoon said. “So far, three days into it, (I’m) very happy with what they’re doing in regards to how they come to work every day.”
Many of those additions have played at least two seasons of college football, including defensive back Jalen Catalon, who’s set to begin his sixth season at his fourth different school.
Even with someone like Josiah Trotter, who only played one season at West Virginia, he played a lot, ending the season as one of the top linebackers in the Big 12 Conference.
Along the defensive line, Damon Wilson II (Georgia) and Nate Johnson (Appalachian State) provide length that Mizzou didn’t have as much of last season.
“(Drinkwitz is) more excited about the length that we’ve got. We’ve got a lot of big players in the room, 6-5, 6-6 guys,” defensive end Zion Young said. “We had about two or three last year. He wanted to multiply that times two.”
After a quiet freshman season with the Bulldogs, Wilson underwent a sophomore skyrocket, registering six tackles for loss and three sacks along with two forced fumbles. At a program that’s churned out a bevy of superstars along the defensive line, Wilson looked like one of them at numerous points in 2024. Now, he joins “D-Line ‘Zou,” which has become known for developing future pros as well.
“He’s a freakish athlete,” Young said about Wilson.
Elsewhere on the front seven, Mizzou will get back two players who got bit by the injury bug. One is defensive end Darris Smith, who tore his ACL in August after appearing primed for significant playing time following his transfer from Georgia. Linebacker Khalil Jacobs, who played under Batoon during his first two seasons at South Alabama, suffered a season-ending arm injury in the first quarter against UMass. His two sacks at the time were second on the team.
“Those injuries are really tough,” Batoon said. “Both of those guys have unique skillsets that we missed last year. (I’m) anxious to see what that looks like in this year’s DNA.”
Newson quickly established himself amongst a veteran group of linebackers, leading the team in solo tackles with 39 to go along with seven tackles for loss, which ranked second on the team. He also made one of the most critical plays of the season against Oklahoma, knocking the ball out of OU quarterback Jackson Arnold’s grasp late in the fourth quarter.
Young picked up the loose pigskin and scored what was eventually the game-winning touchdown.
“I just wanted to take a chance and invest in myself,” Newson said. “I feel like I created a great bond with my coaches and teammates. I also had another opportunity to further my education and get better in my game, perfect my craft.”
As for Young, he enters his second season at Mizzou after transferring from Michigan State prior to last season. He developed into Johnny Walker Jr.’s consistent running mate opposite of him on the defensive line, finishing with six tackles for loss and three passes defended.
“I think the game has slowed down for him,” Batoon said. “He’s more comfortable in the things that we’re asking him to do. I’m seeing him play faster.”
Young also evolved as a leader, something that Young said was earned out of the respect he garnered from his teammates. That new aspect of his personality, Batoon said, has helped him on the field.
“He’s a very confident guy,” Batoon said, “and that’s what we’re going to need with this defense.”
Going forward, Batoon emphasized “competitive depth,” which will be forged through position battles that are set to give a litany of players ample opportunities throughout the spring. After all, plenty of players have practiced without numbers thus far. The reason? Those numbers are earned, not given.
There’s a chance that winter isn’t done, both outside and inside of the Mizzou football buildings. However, the Tigers seem to have set themselves up for warmer days ahead.
“There’s so many new pieces,” Batoon said. “There’s a large chunk within the two or three-deep that are new bodies. We’ve got to assimilate those guys into the brotherhood. That’s been a big part of what we’ve done in the offseason.”
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