6. Missouri Tigers (4-8, 1-7)
Missouri easily has the talent to surpass our initial expectations for this team, but any time a head coach is on the hot seat – and Eliah Drinkwitz is – it’s not easy to predict how a team will react. Drinkwitz gave up playcalling and hired a dedicated offensive coordinator (Kirby Moore), but the offense struggled for consistency last year and has about the same talent level going into this year. Can the defense carry the Tigers once more?
Rankings (Ex, Vg, Av, Fr, Pr)
| Quarterbacks: Av Running Backs: Av Wide Receivers: Av Offensive Line: Av | Defensive Line: Av Linebackers: Vg Defensive Backs: Vg Special Teams: Vg |
Offense: What could go right
Missouri has a superstar in wide receiver Luther Burden, and Drinkwitz’s most significant offseason accomplishment was keeping Burden from taking NIL money to transfer elsewhere. There is good depth at running back even if there isn’t a lot of explosiveness. The strength of the offense could wind up being the offensive line, which is veteran-loaded and deep.
Offense: What could go wrong
The Tigers must find someone to go with Burden at receiver and keep him from being an automatic double-team. The tight end position needs an upgrade badly, not just in the passing game but also in regard to run blocking. The biggest issue, though, is the quarterback battle that has been going on throughout fall camp. Incumbent starter Brady Cook was hurt in the spring, giving Miami transfer Jake Garcia and redshirt freshman Sam Horn a chance to unseat him. Drinkwitz has declined to name a starter yet, saying that the competition will continue into the season.
Defense: What could go right
This is a veteran group without any significant weaknesses. The linebackers and defensive backs work well together and most of the time, Missouri does its job. Coming out of spring, all but one starter on this side of the ball was an upperclassman, and there are several players with potential star power. Special teams are also solid for the most part. The Tigers do a good job of forcing negative plays and they leverage their superior experience well against younger offenses.
Defense: What could go wrong
The pass rush needs to be more consistent, and the defensive line as a whole needs a bit more punch at its outside slots. Depth in general may wind up being a factor as the Tigers are relying on new players and transfers to bolster the depth chart. There’s also the issue of playing better when the chips are down: Missouri was subpar in both 3rd-down and 4th-down defense last year and was terrible in the red zone. With the offense probably getting a bit more conservative, the defense is likely going to get more opportunities to make stops, and it needs to cash them in.
One-sentence summary: Anything short of a winning record and change will likely occur.
Drinkwitz is entering his fourth year at Missouri, and critics who said he didn’t have enough of a resume when he was hired – just one year as the helm at Appalachian State – have, to this point, been justified in their criticisms. The offense doesn’t look bad on paper, but it doesn’t scare anyone, either. And the quarterback position is charitably ranked average.
Next: 7. Vanderbilt Commodores