Moving on from Membou: Missouri Tigers aim to build on strong offensive line play

The offensive line has been one of Missouri Tigers football coach Eli Drinkwitz’s strongest position groups since he started calling Columbia home.

Armand Membou makes a good case in point. The right tackle out of Lee’s Summit North High School was the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. His selection came on the heels of a thoroughly impressive 2024 season.

Membou is the highest-drafted Mizzou player since defensive end Aldon Smith from Raytown went pro in 2011, also at pick No. 7.

Left tackle Marcus Bryant followed Membou as the 220nd overall pick to the New England Patriots, giving the position group two of the three MU selections from the draft. In 2024, tackle Javon Foster was taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 114th pick.

There are further holes for the Tigers to fill, as well; Cam’Ron Johnson, Mitchell Walters and Drake Heismeyer have moved on. These departures put the spotlight on Drinkwitz’s ability to rebuild using the transfer portal and in-house development.

Back for a second year in Columbia, Cayden Green seems to be the centerpiece of Mizzou’s offensive line heading into 2025. The former Lee’s Summit North star and Oklahoma transfer was the only Tiger named preseason first-team All-Southeastern Conference by Phil Steele.

He finished last season with a pass-block grade of 76.7 and a run-block grade of 75.0, according to Pro Football Focus, while giving up 11 pressures, four penalties and a sack — the first of his career spanning 676 snaps.

Green is expected to slot back in at the starting left guard spot despite some talk of him spending time at left tackle. Amidst a group with several new faces, his leadership and experience will be valuable.

“Last year, it was kind of somebody else’s turn, because he was new. He’s not new anymore,” Drinkwitz said in March. “He’s a leader. He’s an excellent player, and especially with Connor (Tollison) being out right now, he’s really the old reliable in the room. Got to continue to see him be vocal, but he’s got it in him.”

Tollison’s iffy health make him a question mark heading into fall camp. The rising senior center missed the final four games of last season after sustaining a knee injury in Mizzou’s 30-23 win over Oklahoma on Nov. 9, which could jeopardize his status for August.

Tollison participated in no-contact drills during the spring, perhaps a good sign for a full recovery. He’s been a focal point of the Tigers’ offensive line since he arrived in Columbia.

The transfer class consists of center/guard Dominick Giudice (Michigan), right tackle Keagan Trost (Wake Forest), left tackle Johnny Williams lV (West Virginia) and right guard/tackle Jaylen Early (Florida State).

Trost has seemingly earned the right to succeed Membou at right tackle. His 6-foot-4, 305-pound frame is right in line with what Mizzou is used to at that position. He brings athleticism and lateral quickness, and with six years of college experience, he is already respected in the locker room.

Williams has a good chance to start at left tackle. He played 284 snaps and gave up only four pressures, two penalties and a sack last season with the Mountaineers. Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Williams could be a piece of MU’s offensive line for the next three years.

Rising redshirt junior Jayven Richardson is another player who could get reps at left tackle. He has only 69 career snaps, but the door has opened up for him to take on a bigger role and compete with Williams.

There are a few potential options to start at right guard. Giudice has four years of experience at Michigan and impressed during spring ball, even filling in at center with Tollison out.

If Giudice needs to spend time at center, Early, rising redshirt sophomore Logan Reichert and rising redshirt junior Tristan Wilson are candidates at guard. Early is the most experienced of the three, entering his redshirt senior campaign after six starts at right guard and right tackle with Florida State last season.

Reichert and Wilson lack experience but were in the mix throughout the spring.

Lacking experience is a trend across the board for Mizzou’s 2025 offensive line group, but Drinkwitz remains as confident as ever in his roster.

“I’m as confident in each position on our roster right now as I’ve ever been,” Drinkwitz said in April. “There’s not any position that I lay my head on my pillow and get nervous about within the framework of control. ... I think the abundance of depth, the abundance of scheme adjustment that we have now, it’s just about continually defining what they do best and pushing that direction.”

Fall camp will put questions to rest, the coaches hope, finalizing the starters at left tackle and right guard. As the Tigers prepare to name their new starting quarterback — either Penn State transfer Beau Pribula or returner Sam Horn — it will be critical for the offensive line to be sound and ready.

There’s less continuity and star power this coming season, perhaps, but under Drinkwitz and offensive line coach Brandon Jones, the unit up front has become a position of strength. The Tigers will look to keep moving in that direction.

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