Missouri Football Season Preview: 2024 Predictions, Impact Transfers, More

we are South Eastern 16 and we are previewing all 16 SEC football teams ahead of the 20124 season and it is the Missouri Tigers turn as we'll take some time to preview uh the Tigers heading into 2024 is Gabe di Arman will join us from power.com as he covers the Tigers before we dive into Missouri got to remind you about bet online the world's most trusted betting platform and your number one source for everything online sports betting right now you can receive a 50% Free Bet of up to $250 on your first deposit to bet on anything from the Olympics to baseball Formula 1 racing bet online has every stat every match up and even live odds and spreads while the games are being played when the game's over head on to the online casino you can get in on a game of blackjack or poker unwind with one of the over 150 slots games head over to the website today to get in on the action use promo code believe bav for your 50% Free Bet credit on your first deposit of up to $250 that is promo code believe bav bet online the game starts here so Gabe uh we think back to last year and I I go back to the beginning of the Season we didn't quite know um The Outsiders I guess maybe you guys close to the program kind of knew what was coming but I mean I I saw the the uh the extension for Eli drink quits I said well well maybe this the Administration has a lot of faith in what he's doing and and there was some talk about could he be on the hot seat and everything going into last year and then we saw we saw uh so I'm I'm guessing uh that was not kind of expected what happened last year with Missouri I don't think people in the program necessarily expected it I I think they were hopeful but I mean a year ago I think it was largely hey this is this is the time to prove it right he's 17 and 19 through three years nobody would very few wanted to fire him or anything like that but it was hey this is a big year he goes six and six again there's going to be a tough conversation to have and week two they needed a fumble at Midfield to beat Middle Tennessee uh 2319 and coming out of that and I put myself in this group I said man I I don't know where this is going to go but we might be having that tough conversation in December and then the next week they beat K State on a 61 yard field goal and I drink what said last week that he thinks it's the biggest play of their season because he's not sure the rest of it happens without right without that win the way it happened all the momentum it generated and then they just kind of never look back even their two losses were and the reason they ended up ranked eighth in the country they had the best losses of anybody that had two losses in the country right they lost to a really good LSU team uh by seven points had the ball with the chance to lead in the last two minutes and they lost to a really good Georgia team by I think 10 points and had the ball in Midfield with four minutes left to to win that game so um yeah they've they've changed their fortunes certainly in the last 12 months and lot different conversation we're having today have you just seen the the fan base is it uh is it different than it was maybe two years ago or even going into last year is there just can you can you feel that kind of level excitement that's G up no question this my this will be my 22nd season in a row covering them and it's never quite been at this level oh 2008 was big because they finished fourth in the country in 2007 brought Chase Daniel and Jeremy mlin a whole bunch of guys back and there was a lot of excitement but the difference then was you still had to get in the top two right to to have a chance to win something big like if you lost a game it was over Missouri lost in in that season they lost 2823 to Oklahoma State in week seven and that was it everybody just said well we're done like yeah you can go have a nice year and you playing a good bowl game and all that but you can't win the whole thing now 12 teams are getting in and probably four of them at least are going to be from the SEC so even if you say go lose to Texas A&M in week five or you lose at Alabama you none of your goals are off the table and I think that I mean that's the best argument for this 12 team playoff right I've seen a few people argue against it and I just don't understand it you're going from eight fan bases that have hope to you're going to get to early to mid November and there are going to be 30 35 teams that still think they can win this thing yeah yeah it's it's going to be fun uh looking at Missouri and we'll start on offense and I want to start with a uh with a guy who I'm so impressed with Brady cook and and his play at quarterback he won the job going into last year uh had a great year uh is the guy again this year what is it about Brady cook that uh that stands out to you that that the folks around Missouri like about this guy well in the era of and I don't mean to say this as insultingly as it probably sounds but in an era where it's so easy to quit and to give up and to go find a different place Brady spent two years with everybody trying to replace him and that includes his head coach his head coach was on the transfer Trail just looking for anybody with an arm two years ago didn't get any and so Brady kind of became the starter by default and even after that year it was yeah we'll see but we got this hot shot you know fourstar recruit Sam Horn and he's really he's going to have to hold off Sam Horn to win the job and he does that and he just goes out and nobody ever thought this kid could could have the year he had last year except maybe him right um but but his toughness and he's done it through injuries I mean two years ago he played 10 and a half games with a separated shoulder um last year it was pretty clear he was not full fully healthy even though they told us every week he was fully healthy because you know in college football doesn't matter if people can gamble on it you just lie about injuries every week um so I I think it's the toughness more than anything else and and the thing about Brady he said one of the best quotes I've ever gotten um after that Kansas State game you know there had been some grumbles and whether there were actual booze or not is still a sore subject with Missouri fans but it was clear not everybody was on board with him and he played hell of a game against K State and after that game that you know we asked him something along the lines of did you prove something today and he said all I've ever wanted to do in my whole life is play quarterback here and I just wish everybody wanted me to play quarterback here and now they all do and it's it's it's really I mean I covered Cody sher's story so it's hard to top that right but outside of Cody shraer this is about as good as I've seen yeah and and you mentioned Cody ster in the year he had at running back last year incredible well we're in now a a a post Cody shraer world at Missouri what does the running back room look like how are they going to replace that production from shider well it's it's an interesting question because yeah he had a season that nobody's ever had here and that few in the SEC have ever had but there's still a lot of you you know what running back conversations are now how much was him and how much was they had a really good offensive line they had a passing game I mean if you look at the way people defended Missouri last year the first three four weeks of the Season were very much hey we're gonna we're going to make this passing game prove they can beat us and Brady cook and Luther Burton did it early on and so then it became oh no we can't let Luther Burton beat us 65 yards at a time and Missouri said cool we'll just hand it to Cody Sher and he'll beat you seven yards at a time and he did it so it I don't mean any disrespect to Cody the great story unbelievable season no question but can you just put another guy in there and it kind of works almost as well that that's what we're going to find out right it's the whole imit Smith Barry Sanders argument which one was better I mean one played behind nothing and and one played behind one of the best lines in history uh they're both really good so they've got Nate Noel who's a transfer from appalachin State they've got Marcus Carroll who's a transfer he actually finished seventh in the country in rushing yards last year for Georgia State got a red shirt they really like named Jamal Roberts out of uh out of St Louis and kind of the card in this whole thing is a a four-star freshman out of Texas named Kanan Lacy um literally an hour before he announced last year we didn't even have a story written because everybody thought he was going to Old Miss and then last minute it it flipped and he picked Missouri and he's a kid I expect to play this year probably not be in the top two but I think he'll get carry so I don't think they have one guy that's G to run for 1700 like Cody did last year but the aggregate I I think they've got a chance to manage it and as far as receivers Go I mean you mentioned Luther birton I think he's probably the best pass catcher of the SEC I I love watching him play uh if if not the one of um what's around him what what's the the rest of the receiving room uh look like with with Luther burden there uh and the rest of them for for Missouri yeah I think receivers probably their deepest position the number two guy is Theo whis who transferred in from Oklahoma he was a former five-star recruit that battled injuries and just never put it together in Norman really but he did last year had a really good year he's kind of that Luther's the Home Run threat Theo's the not possession guy but the guy doesn't matter if he's covered he led the country and contested catches last year and throw to him um mukie Cooper is the third starter but I think the third receiver is probably Maris Johnson who was a freshman last year at one point last year he was averaging 30 yards to catch he had a huge touchdown against Kentucky that turned that game around he had a huge catch against Ohio state that was Missouri's first really decent play in the entire game against Ohio State in that cotton ball that flipped things around um but they're deep enough in that room that like they've got a kid Josh Manning was a fourstar player out of Lee Summit two years ago that I mean Missouri fans were so excited to get him and now we're saying I don't know is he even gonna be on the field you know they've got some some freshman coming in that they really like and then I think kind of the key to the whole offense is is their tight end Brett norley who he really came on in the second half of last year he came to Missouri as a football and baseball player but he played football well enough last year that he decided he wasn't going to play baseball anymore and uh like I think he's not getting any preseason talk but I think there's a chance he's in all SEC tied end that that uh that'll be interesting to see offensive line you mentioned them a minute ago and uh you got some guys coming back they've they've gone to the portal they're replacing some as well what what's the line look like are we going to see a stronger line this year yeah Missouri thinks they've got a top 10 offensive line um they bring back three starters the center Conor toson Right Guard Cameron Johnson right tackle Arman mimo so they've got to replace their left side they brought in two transfers in Kaden Green from Oklahoma and Marcus Bryant who was an All-American uh American Conference kid at SMU and so those guys are going to play along with Arman mimo will play some combination the two tackle spots in guard we don't really know what that is Kaden green was recruited as a tackle but he played guard at Oklahoma last year Bryant's more of a tackle Arman mimbo is a guard in the NFL but he's played tackle here so he might just stay there they might slide Kaden green to the inside they've got a six guy uh named Javin Richardson at Junior College All-American they brought in uh again they feel really good about it um you know Javon Foster was drafted in the fourth round by the Jaguars last year Xavier Xavier Delgado was the left guard he's in somebody's Camp as an undrafted free agent I can't remember who but so there's some there are some questions there but they really feel good about their potential answers want to flip over to the defensive side of the ball now and then I think this is a side that's got a lot of questions uh new defensive coordinators Blake Baker departed took the job at LSU Cory baton coming in from uh South Alabama to run the defense uh first of all will we see any changes with the new coordinator do you expect to see any maybe schematic changes or any differences when Missouri fans look at the defense this fall not really um I mean everybody has their twist right but when Blake took the job he was taking over for Steve wils and Missouri's defense had been an absolute train wreck for a year and a half and uh Blake came in and he told us he said look it's a lot easier for one person to learn what they're already doing than it is for me to ask 50 guys to learn what I want them to do so he kind of came in and he changed some terms and stuff like that but basically said I'm gon to run what they're already running um and I'll learn that and put my tweaks on it and Missouri had a it was not an elite defense but it was a a very good defense last year so I expect baton to be more of the same his base is a 425 which is what they were already running so I don't think you're going to see a ton of big schematic changes I mean he might have one guy here that if Baker liked him as the slot corner he might like as an outside guy or whatever but I think the overall system isn't going to change a lot as far as the defensive line uh I know a couple of guys back that uh will be returning from last year but as far as the defensive line as a whole uh what What's that unit is there some depth along the line for Missouri there's a lot of potential this is what we get into when you follow one team closely you tend to go oh well we're fine losing that guy first round draft pick at defensive end in four of the top five defensive tackles because you know all the recruits and all the transfers and all that whereas if it's a team you don't follow closely you just look and go well they lost a first rounder at defensive end and four of of five defensive tackles their defense gonna be way worse because you have no idea what they're bringing in right um I mean luzen Darius Robinson is huge not just for what he did on the field but like that was his defense he was the guy that they all lined up and said you tell us where to go and we'll follow you um you know he he had a great story and was was really kind of an inspirational kid for that defense and first round pick of the Arizona Cardinals so replacing him is the biggest thing um they got a couple kids back that probably pre- nil they wouldn't have gotten back Christian Williams a defensive tackle uh Johnny Walker was a defensive MVP in the Cotton Bowl he's playing defensive end but they brought in some kids Zion Young from Michigan State darus Smith from Georgia Chris mclen from Florida like they're bringing in power five transfers so you look at that and think hey it should be good but you never know because they haven't done it here and then um may not happen this year but their future at defensive end is is ridiculously bright because they brought in three true freshman led by Williams Wier who was you know kind of a consensus top 15ish player in the country I think uh from Lee Sumit North I think he's a guy look you have to play him he's not red shirting right but he's probably probably a year away from from being a starter and being a major Force but then they've got two other kids Elias Williams from Florida and Jaylen Brown from Alabama the future of that position is really good the question is what it is this year and as far as the rest of Defense goes um any guys that uh that that fans can watch out for or any uh holes in the defense that you expect maybe it may take some time uh to to figure out this year yeah I I mean they're replacing three quarters they're starting secondary in R draw second round to the Lions Chris Abrams during fifth round to the Broncos and uh JC Carly fourth or fifth round to the Colts um so got to replace three quarters of the secondary which is not easy to do Tyron Hopper also was drafted in the third round by the the Green Bay Packers so there's a lot of new faces now the good part for Missouri here is they have a pretty established offense and they have a schedule that really allows the month of September to mostly be glorified scrimmages I mean I know that's dangerous to say right could Boston College or Vanderbilt come in here and win sh they could but if Missouri loses any of those four games then all the stuff we're talking about doesn't matter the the season is over you lose one of those four games so in other words I think they have a month to kind of learn what Cory baton is doing and hey maybe we'll have a couple games that it doesn't look perfect on defense but the offense shouldn't have a problem going out and putting up 30 if it needs to 40 if it needs to uh so I I I think really the key for the defense is you got to be good by October 5th in College Station you don't have to be good by August 29th against Murray State yeah and and talking special teams new kicker Blake Craig will be uh stepping in and I know um Harrison Mavis uh had a great career uh kicking the ball there at Missouri and so so what's the what's the special teams looking like this year yeah it's it's a question no doubt I mean mevas was weird his first two years he was as good as anything I've ever seen I think he missed one kick then his last two years he actually missed a lot more but boy when you needed one he usually made it especially you know like I said the 61 y against K State it it was almost like the further he got from the uprights the better a kicker he was which was a little weird um but then punter um they went back and forth between two guys last year brought in another trans for this year weren't real happy with the pting game last year so we'll see there um punt returns Luther Burton did it some but man he was an adventure there and I think made a lot of people really nervous um so I'm I'm not sure ideally that he's the guy they have back there I think they just let him focus on a receiver so there are some questions and special teams is the part of the game where nobody ever thinks about it until you're forced to think about it right oh wait we just lost a game because we can't make a field goal you know maybe should have seen that coming back in August and uh just just kind of looking at the team as a whole heading into the 24th season I mean missoury I feel like's in a different position than normal where uh you know instead of being the the team going out and trying to beat everybody else well that's them this year teams are going into play Missouri wanting to to ruin their chances at a playoff how do you think that team handles that are they ready for that you think that's what we're going to find out I mean they've said all the right things but every it's not hard to say all the right things especially when you spend a flight from Columbia to Dallas with the uh sports information director saying all right here's what they're going to ask you and here's what you need to say to it right um talk doesn't really matter at all like you said I mean last year Kansas State came to Columbia thinking hey we waxed these guys last year and yeah we know they're fired up but we think we're better and Missouri caught Kansas State off guard then I think they caught LSU a little off guard they caught Tennessee off guard you know they're not going to catch anybody off guard this year they go from being like you said the hunter to being the hunted and that is it's an adjustment no question um we talk all the time right these are 19 and 20 year old kids like what you did last week doesn't matter because they could come out next week and be completely different human beings you just don't know what's going gonna happen so what you did last year kind of doesn't matter I mean the schedule sets up for him um but I think there is a pocket of Missouri fans and it's not a big one but there is a pocket who I think like has this team as a lock to make the college football playoff and that's that's crazy in this league there's yeah there are two teams in this league who I think you can say The Season's a failure if they don't make it but I don't think Kirby Smart thinks George is a lock to get there this lead's too tough man I mean there are weird things that I nobody last year thought Missouri was going 11 and two right so if you just say well yeah of course we're gonna beat Auburn well I mean maybe you you'll be favored but that doesn't mean anything come you know week six yeah it should be fun and you can get all the Missouri information you need there power.com Gabe dearman helping us preview the Missouri Tigers Gabe really appreciate you hopping on talking some Missouri football we will have to do it again soon but thanks for your time today yeah hey I remember the good old days when it was just South Eastern 14 appreciate you guys having me absolutely we got you covered on all 16 SEC teams here on southeastern 16