Mizzou: National Signing Day central

Missouri’s first class in the Barry Odom era may not be remembered as the greatest recruiting class in program history, but there’s reason to believe it helps establish a foundation for his vision moving forward.

The Tigers addressed glaring needs at wide receiver, offensive tackle and kicker with the 2016 recruiting class, while also upgrading the roster at running back and tight end in preparation for the style Odom intends to play.

Missouri got bigger and more physical at those positions, while supplementing an already stout defense. Here’s what you need to know about the newest Tigers:

2016 Missouri football signings

Click on the player’s name to watch Hudl highlights

SIGNED WEDNESDAY

WR Dimetrios Mason, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) — 12:04 p.m.

Recruited by: Ryan Walters

Height/weight: 6-0/170

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 166 Georgia; No. 261 wide receiver)

ESPN (ranking): n/a

Rivals (ranking): Two stars (n/a)

Scout (ranking): n/a

Chose Mizzou over: Indiana, Alabama-Birmingham, Central Michigan, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Georgia State and others.

Analysis: Mason might be the surprise signing in Missouri’s 2016 class. He didn’t have a wealth of offers from Power Five teams, but he shows game-breaking speed and a knack for big plays, especially in the return game on film. He also was an instinctive cornerback with strong recovery speed, ball skills and surprising pop as a tackler in high school. Mason could fit on either side of the ball for the Tigers depending on the team’s need and his development.

RB Natereace Strong, Hinds CC (Raymond, Miss.)/East St. Louis (Ill.) — 11:26 a.m.

Recruited by: Cornell Ford

Height/weight: 6-1, 211

247 Sports (ranking): Four stars (No. 2 running back junior college; No. 2 Mississippi junior college; No. 15 overall junior college)

ESPN (ranking): Four stars (No. 2 running back junior college; No. 28 overall junior college)

Rivals (ranking): Four stars (No. 2 running back junior college; No. 15 overall junior college)

Scout (ranking): n/a

Chose Mizzou over: Florida State, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan State and Ohio State

Analysis: Strong was among the nation’s elite running backs coming out of high school. Last year, Rivals pegged him as the No. 4 prospect in Missouri, No. 26 at his position and No. 227 overall in the 2015 recruiting class after he rushed for 1,612 yards with 18 touchdowns as a high school senior.

Academics led Strong to Hinds (Miss.) Community College, where he was reunited with fellow East St. Louis graduate Greg Taylor. With his size and speed, Strong has the ideal pedigree for Odom’s ball-control preference.

WR Dominic Collins, Saddleback CC (Mission Viejo, Calif.)/El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.) — 10:32 a.m.

Recruited by: Andy Hill

Height/weight: 6-2, 175

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 22 wide receiver junior college; No. 31 California junior college; No. 125 national junior college)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 10 wide receiver junior college)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (n/a)

Scout (ranking): Two stars (n/a)

Chose Mizzou over: Middle Tennessee State

Analysis: Collins is a dynamic and competitive playmaker who can take the top off a defense, but he’s also a threat to score from anywhere on the field. He shows excellent hands and ball skills. Collins needs more polish on his routes, but he’s a scrappy player off the line and when the ball is in the air. His ability to track the deep ball should mesh well with quarterback Drew Lock’s deep-ball accuracy.

Brendan Scales, Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.) — 9:38 a.m.

Recruited by: Cornell Ford

Height/weight: 6-4, 220

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 2 Missouri; No. 17 tight end; No. 380 overall)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 2 Missouri; No. 11 tight end)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 6 Missouri; No. 24 tight end)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 23 tight end)

Chose Mizzou over: Alabama, Michigan State, Nebraska, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and others

Analysis: Scales committed to Alabama last spring, but Odom and company put on a full-court press in recent weeks. It was enough to convince the suburban St. Louis prospect that Missouri wanted him more and was the best landing spot in the end. Scales doesn’t have eye-popping speed, but he possesses great ball skills and soft (yet strong) hands. Already, he has a good feel for settling into space, especially against zone coverage, and can be an effective weapon on underneath routes.

Scales also brings the toughness of a high-motor defensive end, which should help him adjust to the blocking demands of an in-line tight end in the Southeastern Conference. He must develop more as a blocker, but the physical tools are there for Scales to develop into an effective and well-rounded player.

OL Tre’vour Simms, East St. Louis (Ill.) — 9:29 a.m.

Recruited by: Cornell Ford

Height/weight: 6-3/317

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 24 Illinois; No. 78 offensive tackle; No. 863 overall)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 20 Illinois; No. 59 offensive guard)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 30 Illinois)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 68 offensive guard)

Chose Mizzou over: Illinois and Syracuse

Analysis: Simms already has the size to play offensive line at the college level. He might even have adequate strength to push for playing immediately, especially as an interior lineman. He’s flexible and athletic enough to pull in the running game, but also holds up well in pass protection with a strong base. Simms displayed some nastiness at times in high school, a trait he’ll need to show even more at the SEC level. He could emerge as a very versatile and valuable player if he continues to develop.

DE Tre Williams, Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.) — 9:15 a.m.

Recruited by: Andy Hill

Height/weight: 6-5/220

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 5 Missouri; No. 32 weak-side defensive end; No. 530 overall)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 5 Missouri; No. 62 defensive end)

Rivals (ranking): Four stars (No. 4 Missouri; No. 15 weak-side defensive end)

Scout (ranking):

Chose Mizzou over: Arizona State, Arkansas, California, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, TCU and others

Analysis: Williams is a rangy athlete with an excellent frame. He’s got long levers and terrific speed, but should be able to add much-needed weight and still remain athletic enough to be an effective and disruptive pass-rusher. Williams shows a great motor, good instincts and a variety of moves, which should develop even more with coaching at the college level.

S DeMarkus Acy, Wilmer-Hutchins (Dallas) — 9:09 a.m.

Recruited by: Ryan Walters

Height/weight: 6-1/182

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 59 safety; No. 117 Texas; No. 906 overall)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 49 safety; No. 96 Texas)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (n/a)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 25 safety)

Chose Mizzou over: Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and others

Analysis: Acy is a disciplined defender on the back end, not easily fooled and equally strong against the run or pass. With a nice mix of size and speed, he shows good range and above-average cover skills. Acy, who is a tough and willing tackler, also is an adept wide receiver and terrific open-field runner with definite special-teams potential.

ATH Jerod Alton, Kirkwood (Mo.) — 8:18 a.m.

Recruited by: Cornell Ford

Height/weight: 5-10, 178

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 18 Missouri; No. 114 athlete)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 17 Missouri; No. 108 athlete)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 17 Missouri)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 126 cornerback)

Chose Mizzou over: Illinois, Iowa, Syracuse and others

Analysis: Alton was recruited as a cornerback under former coach Gary Pinkel, but he’s also got NCAA Division I-caliber talent at running back and wide receiver. He’s an electrifying playmaker with the ball in his hands, but his athletic talent could make him best suited to groom as a shutdown defender on the perimeter.

TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.) — 8:08 a.m.

Recruited by: Cornell Ford

Height/weight: 6-6, 228

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 15 Illinois; No. 30 tight end; No. 607 overall)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 16 Illinois; No. 18 tight end)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 12 Illinois; No. 19 tight end)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 19 tight end)

Chose Mizzou over: Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Syracuse, West Virginia and others

Analysis: Okwuegbunam has wide receiver speed — a 4.50-second 40-yard dash — in a defensive end’s frame with terrific hands. That makes him a dangerous weapon offensively over the middle, down the field and in the red zone.

Okwuegbunam runs great routes, but he primarily lined up wide or in the slot and might need time (both in terms of practice-field reps and in the weight room) to develop in-line blocking skills. Of course, that’s not unusual for an incoming freshman tight end.

RB Damarea Crockett, Little Rock (Ark.) Christian — 8:08 a.m.

Recruited by: Josh Heupel

Height/weight: 6-0, 212

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 5 Arkansas; No. 31 running back; No. 538 overall)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 7 Arkansas; No. 71 running back)

Rivals (ranking): Four stars (No. 3 Arkansas; No. 9 running back)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 103 running back)

Chose Mizzou over: Boise State, Arizona State, Memphis, Navy, Vanderbilt and others

Analysis: Crockett, who switched his commitment from Boise State along with quarterback Micah Wilson, is the kind of big, strong, powerful running back Missouri fans are unaccustomed to seeing in recent years. At least, not suiting up for the Tigers. He’s a tough runner between the tackles with excellent patience and vision, but he’s also got the speed to be a breakaway threat off tackle or in the open field. Crockett may not make a lot of defenders miss with flashy moves, but he projects as a tough workhorse-type back at the next level.

Cale Garrett, Kearney — 8:08 a.m.

Recruited by: Andy Hill

Height/weight: 6-3/220

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 24 Missouri; No. 82 inside linebacker)

ESPN (ranking): n/a

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 13 Missouri)

Scout (ranking): n/a

Chose Mizzou over: Navy, Bowling Green and others

Analysis: The Bulldogs’ all-time leading tackler, Garrett flipped his commitment from the U.S. Naval Academy last weekend when Missouri swooped in with a late offer. He’s a tackling machine, who racked up 160 stops last season in helping Kearney win the Missouri Class 4 state title. Garrett was a first-team All-Metro selection by The Star and won the Bobby Bell Award as the top small-class lineman or linebacker in Kansas City.

CB Christian Holmes, McNair (Atlanta) — 7:52 a.m.

Recruited by: Ryan Walters

Height/weight: 6-1, 182

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 151 Georgia; No. 163 cornerback)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 68 Georgia; No. 131 wide receiver)

Rivals (ranking): Two stars (n/a)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (n/a)

Chose Mizzou over: Cincinnati, Memphis, South Florida and others

Analysis: Holmes made a name for himself in high school as a big-play threat at wide receiver, roasting defenses with his speed. He’s also shown the ability to pick up chunks of yardage in the return game, but the Tigers will try him at cornerback first. He’s a gifted athlete, who may need to get stronger before he sees the field but projects as an impact player once he does.

S Greg Taylor, Hinds CC (Raymond, Miss.)/East St. Louis (Ill.) — 7:43 a.m.

Recruited by: Cornell Ford

Height/weight: 5-10, 205

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 4 safety junior college; No. 12 Mississippi junior college; No. 71 overall junior college)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 6 safety junior college)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 7 defensive back junior college; No. 48 overall junior college)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 64 junior college)

Chose Mizzou over: Kansas

Analysis: Offensive players in the SEC are going to become quite leery of Taylor in the coming years. He’s an explosive player on the defense’s back end, strong in run support and adept at timing his breaks in the passing game. Taylor is an aggressive, physical in-the-box safety, who can dominate the underneath coverage and limit yards after the catch.

QB Micah Wilson, Lincoln Christian (Tulsa, Okla.) — 7:31 a.m.

Recruited by: Josh Heupel and Andy Hill

Height/weight: 6-3, 205

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 13 Oklahoma; No. 26 dual-threat quarterback)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 22 Oklahoma; No. 47 dual-threat quarterback)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 10 Oklahoma)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 33 quarterback)

Chose Mizzou over: Boise State, Colorado State, Nevada, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming and others

Analysis: Wilson is a poised field general with rock-solid pocket presence, a quick release and an accurate arm. He shows fantastic mobility for his size, but occasionally sails his passes due to a sidearm delivery. Wilson adds much-needed depth to a position that lost two veteran quarterbacks this offseason with Eddie Printz’s impending transfer and Maty Mauk’s dismissal.

DT Markell Utsey, Parkview (Little Rock, Ark.) — 7:14 a.m.

Recruited by: DeMontie Cross

Height/weight: 6-4, 295

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 17 Arkansas; No. 102 defensive tackle)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 13 Arkansas; No. 87 defensive tackle)

Rivals (ranking): Two stars (n/a)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 81 defensive tackle)

Chose Mizzou over: Arizona

Analysis: Utsey was a late addition to Missouri’s 2016 recruiting class after switching his commitment from Arizona. He’s a thick prospect with room to pack on even more weight, though some of it may need to be redistributed. Utsey is hard to move at the point of attack, making him better against the run than as an up-field threat. He must improve his technique to shed blocks and become a bigger penetration threat.

OL Trystan Castillo, Webb City (Mo.) — 7:12 a.m.

Recruited by: Andy Hill

Height/weight: 6-4, 280

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 8 center; No. 9 Missouri; No. 968 overall)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 13 Missouri; No. 70 offensive guard)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 9 Missouri; No. 37 offensive guard)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 41 offensive guard)

Chose Mizzou over: Iowa State, Minnesota, Colorado, Illinois, Memphis and others

Analysis: Castillo is more adept as a run blocker coming from Webb City’s football factory and has plenty of technical work to do before he’s ready for the SEC. The physical tools are impressive. He’s got excellent height for an interior lineman with a frame able to add mass. Castillo is athletic enough to be effective as s pulling guard, but he needs to continue to improve his hand placement, pad level and overall strength.

ENROLLED AT SEMESTER

LB Trey Baldwin, Cypress Falls (Houston)

Recruited by: A.J. Ricker

Height/weight: 6-3, 223

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 68 outside linebacker; No. 126 Texas)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 39 outside linebacker; No. 116 Texas)

Rivals (ranking): Two stars (n/a)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 20 inside linebacker)

Chose Mizzou over: Illinois, Louisiana Tech and others

Analysis: Baldwin plays football with the ferocity of a human heat-seeking missile, zeroing in on ball carriers and sending them to the turf with ruthless disregard. If Odom continues the tradition of Missouri’s “Hammer Award” (and why wouldn’t he?), Baldwin would get great odds to win one or more in his career.

Baldwin shows good instincts and hustle on film, demonstrates solid coverage skills in his drops and excellent hands. But it’s his relentless pursuit and the way he finishes tackles that Missouri fans will come to adore. Baldwin might need to put on weight without losing any speed and be more disciplined with his angles entering the college game.

WR Chris Black, Alabama/First Coast (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Recruited by: n/a

Height/weight: 6-0, 192

247 Sports (2012 ranking): Four stars (No. 6 wide receiver; No. 9 Florida; No. 46 overall)

ESPN (2012 ranking): Four stars (No. 2 wide receiver; No. 5 Florida; No. 22 overall)

Rivals (2012 ranking): Four stars (No. 8 wide receiver; No. 11 Florida; No. 58 overall)

Scout (2012 ranking): n/a

Chose Mizzou over: Arizona State and Maryland

Analysis: Black was hampered by injuries at Alabama, including a shoulder injury that led to a redshirt season in 2012 and an ankle injury that required surgery and prematurely ended his season last November. Coming out of high school, Black had his pick of programs and chose the Crimson Tide, where he finished with 25 catches for 290 yards and two touchdowns in 25 games during the last three seasons.

He immediately provides depth and experience for a receiving corps that lacked both last season. If healthy, Black very well might go to the top of the Tigers’ depth chart. He ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash with a 36-inch vertical in high school, so athletically he has the skills to be a big-time playmaker and could emerge as one of quarterback Drew Lock’s favorite targets.

OT Tyler Howell, Butler (Kan.) CC/Bonner Springs (Kan.)

Recruited by: Andy Hill

Height/weight: 6-8, 300

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 5 offensive tackle junior college; No. 7 Kansas junior college; No. 27 national junior college)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 7 offensive tackle junior college)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (n/a)

Scout (ranking): n/a

Chose Mizzou over: Arizona State, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky and Penn State

Analysis: Howell originally signed with Missouri last February, but he wasn’t able to enroll at Missouri for the 2015 fall semester. Four months later, Howell finally made it campus in Columbia.

Howell was a slender player when he graduated from Bonner Springs, but he bulked up big time in junior college and is expected to emerge in the battle for the left tackle spot during the spring. With a basketball background, he shows solid footwork and enough athleticism for that position.

K Tucker McCann, O’Fallon (Ill.)

Recruited by: Cornell Ford

Height/weight: 6-1, 185

247 Sports (ranking): Three stars (No. 6 kicker; No. 35 Illinois)

ESPN (ranking): Three stars (No. 5 kicker; No. 14 Illinois)

Rivals (ranking): Three stars (No. 3 kicker; No. 40 Illinois)

Scout (ranking): Three stars (No. 8 kicker)

Chose Mizzou over: Alabama, Illinois and others

Analysis: McCann is a game-ready college kicker, who will compete for the starting job this spring as an early enrollee, and fills an immediate need with the graduation of Andrew Baggett. He’s a strong-legged and accurate kicker, who set an Illinois state record in 2014 with a 60-yard field goal. McCann is a superb athlete and could push incumbent kickoff specialist Corey Fatony for that duty as well.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Mizzou: National Signing Day central."