COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri’s third preseason football camp under coach Eli Drinkwitz kicks off Monday, one month away from the Thursday night season opener against Louisiana Tech.
First, though, the Tigers face four weeks of practices as a swirl of new faces look to seize bigger roles this fall. A program in perpetual motion the last two years now settles into camp with a clear ambition to shape the 2022 team.
“We're getting to the point where we can say, ‘This is how we do it around here,’†Drinkwitz said earlier this month at Southeastern Conference media days. “And that's good for us moving forward.â€
Here are 10 people — or in some cases groups of people — to watch closely over the next several weeks as camp unfolds.
1. The quarterbacks
There is no bigger story in camp. The quarterback who takes the season’s first snap on Sept. 1 might not be the same quarterback who’s taking snaps by midseason, but Drinkwitz clearly wants preseason camp to decide his best option to open the year. This much we know: Drinkwitz will start his third season with a third different starting quarterback. Shawn Robinson opened 2020 under center; he’s now a Kansas State safety. Connor Bazelak was the incumbent choice in 2021; he’s now competing for the same job at Indiana.
People are also reading…
That leaves returners Brady Cook and Tyler Macon, seventh-year transfer Jack Abraham and freshman Sam Horn. There are only so many first-team snaps available in August.
“It’s not always about stats,†Drinkwitz said. “It's about decision-making and getting your group into the end zone. There's a great book called ‘Extreme Ownership,’ and it talks about in Chapter Two that leadership matters (and) it doesn't matter who's running the boat crews. The boat crews that are the most successful, if you take that leader and put it on the lowest functioning boat crew, he's going to have an impact. We need these quarterbacks to lead, whether it's the third group, fourth group, first group, second group. If they're getting their group in the end zone they're demonstrating to us their ability to lead and get the most out of the rest of your teammates.â€
Abraham has been in college more years (six) than the other three contenders combined (three), adding unmatched game experience to the mix since his arrival in June. A former starter at Southern Mississippi who spent last year in Mississippi State’s program, the veteran has already made an impression through summer workouts.
“He understands the process of being in a quarterback battle. This is not new for him,†Drinkwitz said. “I don't think a whole lot of things are taking him by surprise. Those are the intangibles. Those are the things that when he decided to ultimately choose the University of Missouri, we knew those were known quantities coming in.â€
2. Luther Burden III, wide receiver
The first-team quarterback(s) figure to work plenty with No. 3 over the next four weeks. The nation’s top-rated receiver as a senior at East ºüÀêÊÓƵ High, the rookie looked the part of SEC playmaker during a productive spring. But the five-star wideout is hardly a finished product. This can be a pivotal month for Burden.
“There's going to be development processes, and there's going to be a different level of competition,†Drinkwitz said. “There's going to be frustrations. You got to ignore what the outside influences and people who aren’t focusing on our team … and we’ve got to do a good job as players, coaches just embracing him for who he is and not putting any undue expectation on.â€
3. Blake Baker, defensive coordinator
Third time’s a charm, right? Drinkwitz’s third defensive coordinator in three years has experience running a college defense, which gives him an immediate edge over last year’s coordinator, Steve Wilks, the longtime NFL coach who struggled to adjust to the college game. At some point, Drinkwitz has to put the right person in place to run the defense. After 2020, Ryan Walters left the post for Illinois — Drinkwitz didn’t fire him but didn’t urge him to stay — and Walters went on to oversee the Big Ten’s most improved defense in 2021. Baker, with prior coordinator experience at Louisiana Tech and Miami, can have a similar impact at Mizzou.
“He's definitely set an expectation for how he expects the defense to play,†Drinkwitz said. “Blake is a guy that brings incredible passion and energy to the workplace every single day. He's young. He's vibrant. He definitely knows what he's looking for in this defense."
4. Running back contenders
The Tigers have one more month to sort out the running back depth. Will Drinkwitz rely on one workhorse like the last two seasons (Larry Rountree II in 2020, Tyler Badie in 2021), or split the carries among the long list of contenders? Nate Peat, the Stanford transfer, has the most game experience at this level. Elijah Young and Michael Cox have played the longest in Drinkwitz’s offense. Truman State transfer Cody Schrader turned heads in the spring. Four-star freshman Tavorus Jones might have the most upside.
5. Ty’ron Hopper, linebacker
Perhaps the team’s best addition from the transfer portal, the former Florida Gator is the kind of playmaker the Tigers haven’t had since Nick Bolton roamed the middle of the field.
6. The men in the middle
Who replaces two-year mainstay Mike Maietti? The competition for the starting center position carries over from the spring. Buffalo transfer Bence Polgar has started 11 college games, but he’ll have to hold off other contenders, including redshirt freshman Connor Tollison.
7. Dominic Lovett, slot receiver
Lovett saw the field as a freshman but his role in the passing game fluctuated all year — and erratic play at QB didn’t help his production. But he’s since moved inside to the slot and could be poised for a breakout year in a crowded receiver room.
8. Tight ends
The team’s top three tight ends from 2021 are gone, opening the door to underclassmen and one portal newcomer, Tyler Stephens, another Buffalo transfer. Ryan Hoerstkamp, a redshirt freshman from Washington, Missouri, could be in line to start, too. Will the tight ends factor into the passing game or serve primarily as blockers? The next few weeks could answer that question.
9. Ennis Rakestraw Jr., cornerback
One of Drinkwitz’s most celebrated recruits, Rakestraw started every game as a freshman in 2020 then suffered a season-ending knee injury last fall after an uneven start to the year. Rakestraw missed spring practices but should be ready for the season. Does he reclaim a starting job? If so, he’ll play opposite Kris Abrams-Draine, who shifts from nickelback to outside corner in Baker’s 4-2-5 scheme.
10. Transfer D-tackles
Mizzou hit the portal hard for help in the trenches, especially at defensive tackle, adding four Power Five transfers at the position: Jayden Jernigan (Oklahoma State), Ian Mathews (Auburn), Josh Landry (Baylor) and Kristian Williams (Oregon). The line is set along the edges with Isaiah McGuire and Trajan Jeffcoat, both All-SEC candidates, but MU added experienced depth in Jacksonville State transfer D.J. Coleman.