calum mcandrew, columbia daily tribune
·5 min read
One side of the ball is going to have a bit of a different look about it this year in Columbia, Missouri.
Some of the biggest questions facing Missouri football in the 2024 season, when all signs point toward a serious challenge for a College Football Playoff berth, is what the defense will look like after a period of not-insignificant turnover.
Ten Mizzou players from the defense’s core of starters and main depth pieces in 2023 have either moved on to the NFL or exhausted their eligibility. That includes three of the Tigers’ primary four-man rotation at defensive tackle, both of their starting cornerbacks and a first-round draft pick at defensive end.
Oh, and there’s a new defensive coordinator — Corey Batoon is in from South Alabama, Blake Baker is away to LSU —calling plays in Columbia, too.
The Tigers hit the transfer portal hard to replenish after the exodus. Nine of the 15 players Missouri signed over the offseason are on the defensive side of the ball.
With approximately one month remaining until Missouri players report for training camp, and a little more than two months until the Tigers open their season Thursday, Aug. 29, at home against Murray State, here are positions that shape up to be areas of strength for Mizzou — and positions where there are important questions to answer:
Positions of strength for Missouri football defense in 2024
▶ Defensive end: Darius Robinson is now an Arizona Cardinal, but the Tigers look like they’ve done the necessary work to replace the first-round draft pick’s production.
Darris Smith was a big-time addition from Georgia. The staff has been high on Michigan State transfer Zion Young as a field end. Johnny Walker Jr. will slot back in as a boundary end, where he’ll seemingly split time with Smith as the team’s intended main pass-rushing threat, with Joe Moore III also competing for reps.
If Missouri draws it up right, the ceiling is incredibly high for the edge rushers in a havoc-based scheme. And if you need more reason to be optimistic —five-star Williams Nwaneri and four-star prospects Elias Williams and Jaylen Brown are about to undergo their first camps with the team this fall.
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▶ Safety: Marvin Burks Jr.’s encore to his standout freshman year likely will see him take the starting role at strong safety from JC Carlies, who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in April as a linebacker. He’ll pair up with the experienced Joseph Charleston as a starter in the secondary, with Daylan Carnell lining up in front of them in the hybrid safety/linebacker role that he has thrived in for the past two seasons.
The Tigers have extremely accomplished depth in Sidney Williams Sr., Tre’Vez Johnson and Phillip Roche. The position should be a strength for MU this season, especially under Batoon, who will coach safeties. The returning experience is among the most on the defense.
Question areas to answer
▶ Defensive tackle: Kristian Williams is the lone returner from the 2023 group of defensive tackles. Chris McClellan appears to be an instant-plug replacement for the lost production. Behind those two, the two-deep is mostly unsettled.
Georgia Tech transfer Eddie Kelly, new Mexico State transfer Sterling Webb and returners Jalen Marshall and Marquis Gracial will compete in fall camp for openings. Batoon had two straight top-25 rush defenses while at South Alabama, so there is cause for optimism here … but the turnover does prompt question marks.
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▶ Linebacker: This will be one of the main storylines to watch in fall camp, as the staff was mostly tight-lipped on starters and front-runners for the starting gigs. Chuck Hicks and Triston Newson started in the Cotton Bowl and almost certainly will be vital parts of the equation. Miami transfer Corey Flagg Jr. logged 43 games at the U, which is ideal high-level experience, and South Alabama transfer Khalil Jacobs brings familiarity with Batoon’s work.
Beyond needing a player to fill the void left by third-rounder Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri probably needs to find more reserve reps from somewhere. The wear-and-tear of the season means Mizzou, at some point, will need to turn to a linebacker without a collegiate down under their belt, whether that be Michigan transfer Jeremiah Beasley or one of the freshmen, Nicholas Rodriguez and Brian Huff.
▶ Cornerback: Dreyden Norwood and Clemson transfer Toriano Pride Jr. look the most likely to take over for Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw Jr., but will they operate at the same level as the star, league-bound duo? Norwood filled in admirably when Rakestraw was injured last season, and Pride has high billing dating back to his East St. Louis High days.
If one of them goes down, Missouri will have to turn to reserve Marcus Clarke or in-house talent that is light on collegiate reps. Mizzou needs to both prove that it has replaced the lost production and that it’s deep enough to go a full season here.
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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Here's where Missouri football defense looks strong, has questions to answer
