Mizzou reworks O-line in practice. Here’s how the Tigers’ protection looks now

Missouri Tigers football coach Eli Drinkwitz wasn’t lying when he said there would be some adjustments to the offensive line.

During a no-huddle drill at Monday’s practice that paired the first teams against each other in a series of five snaps, the changes were quickly apparent. Connor Tollison remained at center and Keagen Trost remained at right tackle, but the rest of the first-team offensive line had changed.

Cayden Green, penciled in as the starting left guard for some time, lined up at left tackle — a position that Mizzou tried him at last spring. It didn’t stick in 2024, but it could be a possibility as the competition at left tackle continues. Previously, the competition had been primarily between Jayven Richardson and Johnny Williams IV, with Richardson more recently getting first-team reps.

On Monday, Richardson moved to the second team at left tackle, while Williams slid over to right tackle. If neither player is chosen to start at left tackle, Green could be the answer.

Dominick Giudice slotted in at Green’s usual spot on the first team, a change from his usual right guard position. To fill in, Curtis Peagler stepped up to the first team. Peagler has only three career appearances for the Tigers, so it’s unlikely he’ll start Week 1.

The rest of the second team consisted of Jaylen Early at left guard, Tristan Wilson at center and Logan Reichert at right guard. At the start of fall camp, Early was involved in the right guard competition.

Whether this depth chart at offensive line sticks is unclear. Drinkwitz appears to be surveying his options. Green might not end up at left tackle, but the experiment could send a message to the rest of the roster competing for the job.

At the start of fall camp, coaches didn’t mention the idea of Green moving from left guard, but they have emphasized the left tackle spot consistently.

“That is probably the bigger competition that we’ve got to get settled, because you’ve got five people operating on the same page,” Drinkwitz said July 27. “The good news is Connor (Tollison) is going to be playing next to Cayden (Green), so there’s come camaraderie there. ... The left tackle is not necessarily on an island.”

As “execution week” continues for Missouri, the offensive line could see more changes. That will raise more questions than answers for the time being.

Gracial gets reps on first team

Aside from Chris McClellan being a clear starter at defensive line, there aren’t a whole lot of locks. Sterling Webb had received reps on the first team until Monday.

Marquis Gracial played on the first team, while Webb and Bralen Henderson played on the second team. Drinkwitz has praised Gracial during fall camp, and this move reinforces his trust.

The snaps Webb and Gracial receive this season likely won’t differ much. Both clearly have spots on the defensive line. Henderson is the newest addition but has seemingly played his way to their level.

Otherwise, the defense didn’t see many changes Monday. Drey Norwood and Toriano Pride Jr. started at cornerback on the first team. Daylan Carnell, Jalen Catalon and Marvin Burks lined up at safety. Triston Newson and Josiah Trotter took the linebacker spots, while Zion Young and Damon Wilson II, as expected, slotted in as defensive ends.

Pribula goes first, Horn second

No further separation has appeared in Mizzou’s quarterback battle, but it’s worth noting that Beau Pribula took the first-team reps in the no-huddle drill. Sam Horn led the second team.

The expected top three receivers — Kevin Coleman Jr., Josh Manning and Marquis Johnson — worked with Pribula. Brett Norfleet was his tight end, while Ahmad Hardy took a couple of snaps at running back.

Horn’s receiver trio consisted of Donovan Olugbode, Daniel Blood and Xavier Loyd, while Jude James lined up at tight end. The strong fall camp from true freshman Marquise Davis continued, as he got second-team reps over the returning Jamal Roberts.

James probably isn’t the No. 2 tight end for the Tigers, but his days as a receiver could help him get involved this season as a pass-catching option.

Mizzou doesn’t crack AP Top 25

Just like with the USA Today Coaches Poll, Missouri missed the cut for the AP Top 25 preseason poll.

The Tigers rank No. 32 with 33 points. The first out of the “others receiving votes” category was BYU with 156 points, while the closest Southeastern Conference team to Mizzou was Auburn with 10.

A total of 10 SEC teams made the AP Top 25, with Texas at No. 1. The rest: Georgia (No. 5), Alabama (No. 8), LSU (No. 9), South Carolina (No. 13), Florida (No. 15), Oklahoma (No. 18), Texas A&M (No. 19), Ole Miss (No. 21) and Tennessee (No. 24).

At the start of the 2024 season, Missouri was ranked No. 11 by the AP. At the end, it was No. 22. The volume of roster turnover has, apparently, made voters hesitant to rank it as highly in preseason polls in 2025.

The lack of national rankings could put a chip on Mizzou’s shoulder heading into the season. When it last finished in the top 10, in 2023, it also wasn’t in the preseason Top 25.

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