COLUMBIA, Mo. — If the Olympics’ opening ceremony didn’t give you enough France-related music for your taste, here’s one more tune to get in your head: Les Misérables’ “One Day More.”
That is, of course, how long is left in the college football offseason. Missouri players report for preseason camp Sunday and will practice for the first time Monday — a day exactly one month before the 2024 season opener against Murray State.
With College Football Playoff hopes in play and plenty of momentum surrounding Mizzou, this preseason has its fair share of storylines to watch. Here are five questions to follow as the Tigers ramp up to the start of the regular season:
Does the offense add wrinkles?
Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore is entering his second year with MU after a debut performance that overhauled key parts of Missouri’s offense. He unlocked Brady Cook’s arm, enjoyed a record-setting season of rushing from Cody Schrader and plenty of tools to play with in a stacked receiving corps.
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The passing game is back in its entirety, which seems like the sort of thing that would be mouth-watering for an offensive playcaller and scheme designer. What wrinkles can Moore find for that group this time around?
Wide receiver Luther Burden III will undoubtedly be the focal point — not just for Cook’s reads but for opposing defenses too. Last year’s move to the slot seemed to improve Cook’s ability to access his star, but something more might be required to have Burden open on the regular.
Spring practices didn’t have much to do with scheme, since Mizzou keeps its focus on individual development for those practices. The next few weeks will be Moore’s chance to install new looks, even if they might not be deployed until later in the season.
How does Corey Batoon’s scheme installation go?
Speaking of scheme, new defensive coordinator Corey Batoon will do the bulk of his installation during preseason camp. He and coach Eli Drinkwitz have said it will remain generally similar to former D-coordinator Blake Baker’s 4-2-5 system that prioritized havoc players.
But will any differences emerge? The portions of practice that are open to media are unlikely to reveal these in any significant detail, but there’s plenty of potential for Batoon to put his own twists on what the Tigers know defensively. And with a handful of transfers likely to contribute on the defensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary, at least some of MU’s slate is clean.
Either helping or complicating the process — depending on players’ view and, perhaps, on how a given practice goes — will be the talent in Missouri’s offense. Trying to cover some of the Tigers’ wideouts will present more of a challenge than some opponents will during the season.
Do any freshmen stand out?
Five-star edge rusher Williams Nwaneri demands mention here, even if he won’t demand immediate playing time — or will his readiness indicate otherwise? He, along with a handful of other freshmen who weren’t early enrollees, didn’t participate in spring ball, so this will be some of their first work with the MU program.
How those newcomers stack up physically and against their more experienced peers in individual drills will be telling.
Among the other freshmen to watch is running back Kewan Lacy, who brings track-caliber speed to the backfield. It’s tough to forecast him getting touches over veterans Marcus Carroll and Nate Noel, but he could push Tavorus Jones and Jamal Roberts for spot No. 3.
How and when are competitions solved?
There won’t be a quarterback competition this preseason, but there’s plenty else up for grabs. Defensive tackle, linebacker and punter seem to be among the most open positions, but depth roles at cornerback, defensive end and the offensive line could see battles too.
When the opener rolls around, how many of those battles will be solved? How many need to be?
Last season’s first game, which was against FCS South Dakota, saw Cook and backup Sam Horn each play one half to settle the quarterback competition. Could something similar — albeit with lower stakes and less scrutiny — happen with, say, Mizzou’s punters?
Plenty of depth chart evolution can occur after the season starts, but what’s settled in August will determine which Tigers have the most prominent roles early in the campaign.
Will any big-picture college football topics come up?
Last year, it was a wave of conference realignment that drew Drinkwitz’s scorn during a preseason press conference. That doesn’t seem as likely this time around — but that doesn’t mean there aren’t big-picture things in play.
Teams can use tablets on the sideline now, which is new for this season. They will also be able to communicate directly with one player on the field through in-helmet speakers, like what the NFL uses. And the analysts on staff who were previously not allowed to coach can do so.
None of those changes are particularly surprising. Given how the tablet and helmet communication rules now mimic the NFL, they don’t seem groundbreaking either. But their implementation will be part of preseason camp nonetheless.