Missouri Tigers’ o-line plans with opener looming include Green at left tackle

With less than two weeks remaining before opening the season against Central Arkansas, the Missouri Tigers’ offensive line is beginning to take form.

Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz shuffled his first-team lineup late last week, moving Cayden Green to left tackle and giving a couple of younger players the opportunity to push their way into the starting lineup ahead of Week 1.

The five-man group now features Green at left tackle, Dominick Giudice at left guard, Connor Tollison at center, Curtis Peagler at right guard and Keagen Trost at right tackle.

While the lineup isn’t finalized, Drinkwitz said after Saturday’s scrimmage at Lindenwood that he is encouraged by how the unit is playing.

“For us, it’s all about getting the best five,” he said. “The challenge is, you think you got guys slotted in positions, but man, guys grow and develop and play themselves into positions. Curtis [Peagler] really played well … and Tristan Wilson has been playing really well too. You’re always trying to figure out how to get your best five on the field.”

Cayden Green at left tackle

Green, a Lee’s Summit North product and Oklahoma transfer, earned Preseason All-SEC recognition at left guard this season but has always profiled as a natural tackle. Drinkwitz called him “an unbelievable team player” for making the move and said he looks natural on the edge.

That adjustment cleared the way for Giudice, a Michigan transfer, to play left guard. Drinkwitz praised Giudice’s versatility and leadership, noting that he has stepped up while Tollison has been limited at times.

“The way he has asserted himself as the leader of the offensive line, it’s been remarkable,” Drinkwitz said Saturday. “That guy puts the team first in everything he does. He can play center, he can play right guard, he can play left guard — he can play them all at a really high level.”

Emerging depth for Tigers

The biggest surprises of camp have been Peagler and Wilson, two players originally viewed as backups. Wilson has rotated at guard and center, while Peagler has seized the opening at right guard and impressed enough to stay with the first group.

“I didn’t know that we were going to have two young guys really develop into solid SEC offensive linemen with Tristan Wilson and Curtis Peagler,” Drinkwitz said. “I’m telling you right now, those guys can play at a high level in this league.”

Their rise has given offensive line coach Brandon Jones the flexibility to shuffle personnel late in camp.

Drinkwitz emphasized that positional versatility is central to how the staff evaluates the unit, noting, “that’s why you’ve got to be able to have your best five on the field.”

Mizzou’s veteran anchor

Tollison provides stability in the middle as one of Missouri’s most experienced linemen. He was also voted an offensive captain alongside Green and quarterbacks Sam Horn and Beau Pribula.

Drinkwitz praised Wilson’s development through camp and said the staff feels comfortable with either player at center. If Tollison needs time to work his way back from an ACL tear last season, Wilson would move to center while Giudice remained at guard.

“We’ve got no problems sliding that in,” Drinkwitz said.

The big picture

The late-camp adjustments reflect a growing sense of urgency as the Tigers prepare for game week.

Drinkwitz said Missouri can’t afford a repeat of 2024, when slow starts — especially on the road — undermined otherwise strong performances.

“Last year, three of our poor performances were on the road. We were really slow, and that can’t happen,” he said. “We have to start fast, and that’s something you can learn now and apply instead of having to learn it after.”

Missouri still has a handful of practices left before Central Arkansas, and Drinkwitz isn’t ready to name his starting five. But he did make clear that the Tigers have at least six reliable names in the mix, a luxury that gives them plenty of options.

“I like the way it looks right now,” Drinkwitz said. “We’ve got a little bit of camp left, so I don’t want anybody to think they’re out of the fight, but I feel confident in the direction we’re going.”

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