Former Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin returning to Missouri State
Listen now and subscribe: |
COLUMBIA, Mo. — He’s back in the state and the business.
Former Mizzou men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin was hired Wednesday to the same post at Missouri State, one of his previous head coaching stops.
It’s Martin’s first coaching gig since MU parted ways with him in March 2022 following five years in Columbia.
His return to Springfield is an interesting one, given that he’d started his head coaching career with the Bears back in 2008. He’d won a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with Missouri State during the 2010-2011 season, his last there before stops at Tennessee and California.
Martin replaces Dana Ford, who went 106-82 in six seasons. He was fired earlier this month following a season marked by poor attendance and a swift conference tournament exit to top-seeded Indiana State.
Missouri State gave Martin a five-year deal with a base salary of $600,000, per a news release, and incentives for tournament appearances and conference championships.
Martin was 61–41 in his first stint with the Bears and holds a 264-198 career record across 14 seasons, with four NCAA Tournament appearances.
He led the Bears to their most recent Missouri Valley Conference title in 2011 and an NIT berth. Missouri State has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1999.
He joined accomplished company by taking Mizzou to the tournament in the 2017-2018 season, his first leading the Tigers. That season was defined in large part by the unavailability of top recruit Michael Porter Jr., who committed to MU shortly after Martin’s hire.
Martin finished one game above .500 with the Tigers. Then-athletics director Desiree Reed-Francois fired Martin after a 2022 campaign that saw decreased attendance and struggles to break through in the Southeastern Conference.
Raised in East ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, Martin played for Purdue during his college days. While out of the coaching realm, he recorded the “It All Counts†podcast, where he spoke with guests about leadership and personal development.
Missouri‘s basketball coach shares his thoughts on the passing of civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis.
Read the full transcript of Mizzou beat writer Eli Hoff's live chat
Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Eli Hoff in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Live transcript
Eli Hoff:ÌýMorning all! Happy baseball opening day to those of you partaking today... unless you're a Cardinals fan? But hey, today's the day to remain optimistic. Let's get to your questions.
²ú¾±²µ°ù´Ç²Ô:ÌýEli, anything new on the portal either coming or going?
±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThere haven't been any big developments on the transfer portal front this week. Jacob Crews has officially signed, so that deal is done. Mabor Majak and Curt Lewis are in the portal. I've seen reports that Jesus Carralero Martin was planning to enter, but the last I'd checked, he hadn't done that and it seemed like there was a chance he wouldn't. So I'd say there's still a TBD on the exit front. The coaching staff has been in contact with plenty of players, but there's a lot of tape to go through, a lot of calls to make and the season isn't even over yet for everyone. It seems like the churn of entries into the portal is yielding to a slower matching process this year. The coaching carousel was the more dominant bit of movement this week. That slowing down and the NCAA Tournament spitting out more teams should bring around more portal commitments soon.
³Ù³ó±ð²Ñ¾±³¦°ì:ÌýGood morning Eli, The Drink recently said Mizzou will be active in the spring portal, which opens soon. Perhaps there will be multiple subtractions followed by additions. I look at the current roster and foresee depth issues on the O-line and at linebacker. What do you think? Are there other positions that need a bolster for experience and/or depth?
±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýYes, Mizzou will be active in the portal, as Drinkwitz said. I think offensive line is the most interesting spot to consider for a possible add. After he told reporters that MU would be active, I asked him whether he felt the fifth O-line starter could be on the roster now. "I think we could — and I think we could have one come out of the portal, too," he told me. So that's certainly a spot to watch.
Depth in the trenches in general is always valuable. Given the injuries at linebacker last year, you're right to pinpoint that area as well. Maybe the staff wants to get a bit more competition at cornerback. Overall, though, it will probably be a "best available" portal window, where Drinkwitz et al are looking for a couple spots and open to anyone of a certain caliber who wants to come compete at Mizzou.
senior scramble:ÌýSo I sent an email to an administrator at Mizzou and asked them is coach P is still the coach. They said as of now. That is crazy either keep her 100% so she can hit the portal or go after a new coach. The program is stuck and can't move forward. How incompetent is this situation. If you're going to compete in the SEC you must have a solid direction and in this case, there is no direction. I feel so bad for those good young players. So far as I know none of them have entered the portal. I can safely say the mens program wouldn't been treated like this.
±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýIt's nearing the point where any move made on the coaching front is too late to be able to do anything of value in the transfer portal. It seems like the interim administration is not going to dismiss Pingeton. There's still the chance that the new AD makes a quick call and does that. But let's say the new AD starts on Monday (that won't happen)... how much of the portal would be salvageable even at that point? It seems like the path forward will have to be using the last year of Pingeton's contract, barring any striking action. Hayley Frank is done. Mama Dembele is opting to play her last year at South Florida. There haven't been any other exits yet, but it looks like the current trajectory will set a step back even from last season's last-place finish.
°±ð±¹¾±²Ô:ÌýDoes Dennis Gates have to have a bounce back season in order to keep his job? If things go south early, how hot does his seat get?
±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThat's a question I'll be asking of the new AD, since that's who will set the expectation. Really, any sort of season will be a bounce back from this one. Even just one win in SEC play would, in a purely literal sense, be an upgrade.
There are two other factors to weigh: First, how Gates can sell the new AD on his vision. He wants to build a program largely the old-fashioned way by recruiting and developing talent versus going boom or bust in the portal each spring. That means he probably needs another season to reach the point of being established than a portal-happy coach would. Desiree Reed-Francois was seemingly on board with that. Will the new AD feel the same? Second, in terms of things going south early, how will Gates craft a nonconference schedule? Tests against Illinois and Kansas are built in. But does he want a slow build up like his first season or more early pressure like this one? Is it better to enter SEC play next season with two losses or the chance at a tournament-ready resume? That's an under-the-radar storyline to think about this offseason.
Ìý
Ed from Idaho:ÌýAre there any specific big men in the BB portal that are of interest to Mizzou?
Ìý
±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThe big (no pun intended) name to watch is Tarris Reed Jr., who is in the portal after two seasons with Michigan. He's 6-10 and led the Wolverines in rebounds, with 7.2 per game. He scored double digits 13 times, grabbed double-digit boards six times and had three double-doubles.
Ìý
If his name sounds familiar, it's because he played at Chaminade, where he was a Post-Dispatch boys basketball player of the year and cracked our All-Metro team multiple times.
Ìý
²ú¾±²µ°ù´Ç²Ô:ÌýWhat are the chances that they get Reed it seems he would help?
Ìý
±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýReed has said that Mizzou is one of the program's in contact with him. The Tigers' competition includes Arkansas, K-State, UCLA and a whole bunch of others. This is where Dennis Gates tends to shine: recruiting and pitching his program. There are a whole lot of factors, but Gates secured Crews' services quickly. And this is an opportunity for him to play in his home state. In a vacuum, that suggests Mizzou's got a decent chance.
Ìý
CoMo Tiger:ÌýI joined late, and maybe this has been discussed. But last week, NACDA named DRF as the Division I AD of the Year for her work at Mizzou. Pretty ironic, don't you think?
Ìý
±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýYou can interpret an outgoing administrator winning awards for her work at the institution she just left however you like. It's more external confirmation of how her peers and the industry viewed her success at Mizzou.
Ìý
-
-
-
-
-
'My job is to not find excuses. It's to find a way,' Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz
The Illinois Fighting Illini thumped the Missouri Tigers 11-3 in the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March …
How Mizzou football prospects are pitching themselves to NFL teams
Listen now and subscribe: |
COLUMBIA, Mo. — There’s a narrow, winding stretch of asphalt situated between Missouri’s new indoor practice facility and the southwest corner of Memorial Stadium.
Before home games, Marching Mizzou and fans line its curbs, forming a brassy gauntlet for the players and coaches who shuffle their feet down the steep hill on their way inside the stadium. On other days, cars make a double-axled clang-clang as they pass over a drain cut into the surface.
During the Friday pro day workouts for former Tigers hoping to land with NFL teams, there was a steady stream of business cutting across this glorified driveway. Off the indoor practice field, through the throng of agents, reporters and family in the facility lobby, across the pavement, and into Faurot Field’s South End Zone headquarters they went: prospects and pro teams’ representatives, sometimes already engaged in conversation.
The NFL draft process is a multifaceted one for these budding professionals. Their game film has long been established. So are their stats. The workouts and drills emblematic of the skill combine are still happening, sometimes in public, sometimes in private.
But just as important — if not more important — are the interviews, the meetings, the conversations that take place between prospects and the 32 potential employers within the NFL. That’s where pitches and promises flow in a more personal fashion.
Some of Mizzou’s prospects have likened the broader ordeal to one really big, really important job interview. These meetings are certainly that.
Players and teams could duck away for those chats during pro day, with groups finding quiet areas of the program’s facility to talk. Leaving the stadium after some of these meetings, for example, cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine said he’d sat down with at least five teams just around that workout.
Teams could be looking for any number of things during those conversations. Abrams-Draine has concluded that “they know everything about you, but they just want to see if you tell the truth or not.†There could be explanation of injuries, in the case of cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
And for seemingly every player, there’s a chance to deliver the big pitch.
The Post-Dispatch asked some Missouri pro day participants that deceptively difficult question that’s apropos of any job interview: Why should an NFL team draft or sign you?
“I’m highly productive,†running back Cody Schrader said. “From high school to Truman, Division II, Division I, I’ve been nothing but productive. I help build cultures. I’m a great locker room, teammate guy, so I’m not just a football player. I can help build an organization and help be a part of something special.â€
The Lutheran South product who won the Burlsworth Trophy last season while setting a new MU single-season rushing record rattled that off easily — it was clearly not the first time he’d thought out his case for landing in the NFL.
And he’s a player who needs a good elevator pitch. Because he spent six years at the college level — four at Truman State, two with the Tigers — his age and mileage are knocks, even in a running back class seen as weak by NFL draft analysts.
The impacts of that are up to front offices to decide. But the production he cites is undeniable. Across all levels of college football, Schrader finished his career third among active running backs in all-purpose yards. He’d racked up more than 6,700 yards in high school, with 99 touchdowns. The volume and numbers are there.
In terms of a locker room presence, Schrader’s journey — underrecruited Division II player to walk on at the bottom of the depth chart to the Southeastern Conference’s leading back — is still held up as an example by Mizzou coaches as a testament of what hard work and buy-in can yield.
Rakestraw, who’s gotten some first-round buzz, is in a different situation. A groin injury that required offseason surgery has also limited what he’s shown in workouts and tests. His pitch, then, is a little more of a redirection.
“Film speaks for itself,†Rakestraw said. “I’ve been here four years; I got a lot of film to show them I’m fast, show them I’m quick, twitchy. They’re going off that. Obviously, they know my situation. A lot of them are just proud that I decided to come here and try to compete and more amazed that I’ve been dealing with this the whole season last year.â€
And he’s not the only one who’s pointing to game performances. Offensive lineman Xavier Delgado, who had a lengthy run as a starter, hasn’t received the combine invites or draft hype of others. With his experience, he’s marketing himself as “someone that’s consistent, reliable.â€
“I feel like my tape speaks for that,†he said. “This whole season, I was consistent in my play — never really wavered.â€
Abrams-Draine is a player with a unique pitch. He played mostly wide receiver in high school, where he switched positions to be a dual-threat-but-run-heavy quarterback during his senior year. He enrolled at MU as a wide receiver but switched sides of the ball to cornerback after his freshman season.
That centers his pitch around novelty.
“I feel like a team should be interested in me because — I don’t want to say I’m new to the position now, but I just started playing defense three years ago, and I feel like I was one of the cornerbacks in the nation this year,†Abrams-Draine said.
The NFL draft begins April 25. Players will continue meeting with teams before the event.
Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz addresses the media on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, after spring practice wrapped up. (Video by Mizzou Network, used with permission of Mizzou Athletics)
NFL draft success a big boost for Mizzou program, coach Eli Drinkwitz says
Hochman: How Mizzou's Kerrick Jackson, the 1st Black SEC baseball coach, can change the game
Listen now and subscribe: |
For generations, the Southeastern Conference has led the way in athletics excellence while showcasing an over-the-top steadfastness to defy competitors.
For generations, the Southeastern Conference has trailed in racial progress while showcasing an over-the-top steadfastness to defy change.
Consider that until this season, the SEC never had a Black head baseball coach.
“It’s the good and the bad of it, right?†asked Kerrick Jackson, a historic hire as head baseball coach for Mizzou, set to play Illinois on Tuesday at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget. “It’s the good that we’re breaking glass ceilings in that there are more opportunities for minority coaches at higher levels. It’s the bad that it’s 2024 and we’re talking about firsts.
“For me, what I do understand is it’s my responsibility to have success so that more opportunities come for other coaches that are minority coaches down the road.â€
Of course, Mizzou hired Jackson because he’s an elite coach. The 1992 Kirkwood High graduate has grown a resplendent resume over the decades. But because he’s also Black, the hiring is a statement to the SEC: The status quo is not acceptable, regardless of how much money these baseball programs rake in as their sluggers rake home runs.
Missouri baseball coach Kerrick Jackson talks to reporters during his introductory news conference on Monday, June 5, 2023, at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
Post-Dispatch photo
Mizzou alumni and fans should be proud that their school is the one that made the history.
And the hiring should have positive reverberations across the South.
In fact, it literally could change the game.
“I think there are now going to be more minority players playing in the league,†said Jackson, 50. “From a recruiting standpoint, teams in our league will recognize the idea of me being a minority coach — and that being something that more minority players may be attracted to — so now I think you’ll see more growth in some of our teams across the board because they don’t want me to have the advantage. ‘Don’t go there just because he’s a minority coach. We have minority players, too.’ So I think that’s a positive. I think you’re going to see more minority kids playing in our league at a high level, not just here but other places.
“And then, just to create more opportunities. Our staff is very diverse. ... We’re not getting them just because they’re minorities but because they’re the right folks for the position and happen to be minorities. So for me to see that growth across the league? I think we will see that take place.â€
The SEC can be a cruel ecosystem, even from a fans standpoint. There was the infamous time in 1987, at the SEC tournament, when a Mississippi State fan viciously taunted Black LSU star Albert Belle from a small hill behind the outfield fence. Belle lost his cool and actually went after the fan.
When Jackson got the gig with Mizzou, he told his wife to “stay off social media.†He knew there would be negativity spewed there by people who didn’t even know him — but did know his ethnicity.
“And I think about my sons,†the coach said. “They’re 12 and 11. I think about the impact (social media) could have on them — and in this society, where we are now, people can make comments in anonymity and not have to own their comments. They just say hateful things and try and degrade people.â€
I asked Jackson on Monday if he hoped to change the narrative in the SEC by coaching baseball with dignity and winning a bunch of ballgames. His candid answer stuck with me all day.
“The idea of creating a new narrative is there, (but) people that are racist and have negative views, you’re not going to change that,†Jackson said. “They are who they are; they believe what they believe. What I do recognize and have recognized in the past is: Regardless of how successful you are, if someone has something against you there, it’s going to be held against you. And so, for me, it’s more the idea of going out and having success and doing things at a high level of representing from a professional standpoint — (and doing so) for those who aspire to be in this position.
“Like, if I can be inspiring to any young minority kids that want to coach or young minority kids that are wanting to play this game — (it’s important) that they see there’s a passage, there’s a way that you can go about it, there’s a way that you handle yourself in those situations. My motivation is more for them than it is for the naysayers.â€
It’s way too early to know if Jackson will be a winner at Mizzou. So far in his first year, the club is 10-14. But Jackson yearned for the job, always wanted the Mizzou job specifically. This was his desired destination (he had been a Mizzou assistant from 2010 to 2015). Being the first Black coach in the SEC is special to him, but he wanted to be at Mizzou, regardless of Mizzou’s conference.
“This is a special place,†he said. “That’s why it’s always been my dream job to represent the state at the flagship institution — and do it at a very high level.â€
There are hurdles. Former coach Steve Bieser once told the Post-Dispatch that the 2022 operations budget ($700,600) was 46% of the SEC average. And there are just some juggernauts across the South.
But Jackson seems like the right man to change things at Mizzou. And in doing so, also in the SEC.
Mizzou sports beat writer Eli Hoff walks through the lingering questions left by Desiree Reed-Francois’ departure and what topics will drive the search for the school’s next athletics director.
Photos: Illinois thumps Missouri 11-3 in annual Braggin’ Rights baseball game
Missouri infielder Jackson Beaman (10) kisses the sky as he runs home after a hitting a solo home run off Illinois pitcher Jake Rons (37) in the first inning during the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
The Illinois Fighting Illini cheer as Illinois outfielder Cameron Chee-Aloy (25) enters the dugout after scoring in the sixth inning of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Illinois infielder Drake Westcott (34) celebrates his two-run home run in the sixth inning during the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri baseball players stand for the national anthem before the start of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri infielder Jackson Beaman (10) celebrates his solo home run with outfielder Isaiah Frost (14) in the first inning during the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri starting pitcher Josh McDevitt (54) throws a pitch in the second inning of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri catcher Mateo Serna (88) tags Illinois infielder Ryan Moerman (43) at home plate in the second inning during the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Illinois infielder Ryan Moerman (43) celebrates a three-run home run off Missouri pitcher Josh McDevitt (54) in the third inning of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri pitcher Jacob Peaden (13) starts warming up in the bullpen during the third inning of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri starting pitcher Josh McDevitt (54) waits to give the game ball to Head Coach Kerrick Jackson after giving up a throws a pitch in the second inning of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Head Coach Kerrick Jackson gives Missouri starting pitcher Josh McDevitt (54) a hug before taking the game ball from him in the third inning of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri infielders Matthew Garcia (4) and Trevor Austin (19) watch Illinois pitcher Jake Rons (37) warm up on the mound before their at bats in the fourth inning of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
The Illinois Fighting Illini dugout celebrates infielder Drake Westcott (34) two-run home run in the sixth inning during the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Illinois infielder Drake Westcott (34) celebrates his two-run home run in the sixth inning during the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri Head Coach Kerrick Jackson waits in the dugout before the start of the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Missouri infielder Matthew Garcia (4), center, revs up the starters before taking the field for the annual Missouri Illinois Braggin' Rights baseball game on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Mizzou 'will be active' in spring transfer portal. Could the offensive line see an addition?
Listen now and subscribe: |
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The transfer portal might just be a matter of philosophy for Missouri’s football coach.
The dogma at hand is about activity in the transfer portal, and that’s where Eli Drinkwitz’s edict comes in.
“Obviously, there is going to be another portal coming up, and we will be active in that portal time, looking to see if there’s something that makes sense for us to improve our football team,†he said.
The next window for college football players to enter the transfer portal begins April 16 and runs through the end of that month. That period is just for entry into the portal — players can commit to new schools thereafter, though the bulk of the movement happens in those couple of weeks.
Even with a fairly established roster heading into the 2024 season, Mizzou will still be seeking talent in April.
“I think that’s just being a good steward of the University of Missouri football program,†Drinkwitz said. “You want to utilize whatever the rules or system in place to maximize your advantage competitive — so we’ll utilize the portal as a competitive advantage for us.â€
The Tigers are entering a stretch of relative inactivity following the conclusion of spring camp. Those few weeks of practices were based on individual development and evaluation, allowing coaches to weigh which players could play roles this season and which roles they’ll want to create in the first place.
In a personnel sense, then, there are two things at which the MU coaching staff is looking.
“It’s also an understanding that once you’ve identified what your roster is coming out of spring, how do you reinforce your strengths and how do you figure out how to strengthen your weaknesses, right?†Drinkwitz asked.
Enter the set of 10-pound dumbbells that is the transfer portal, a readily available tool for that little bit of strengthening.
Missouri currently is below the threshold of 85 scholarship players, which means adding to the program is no problem.
The Tigers’ most obvious area of need, a backup quarterback to fill in after Sam Horn’s Tommy John surgery, has been filled by former Arizona State and Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne. He entered the portal during the winter window but took his time picking a new program.
Aside from that, Drinkwitz doesn’t seem to be looking too urgently at any one spot on his depth chart.
“I don’t see any glaring weaknesses on our roster,†he said. “But I always see opportunities for us to improve.â€
One such opportunity could be along the offensive line. Replacing two experienced blockers, Javon Foster and Xavier Delgado, requires a significant transition from the group that took a notable step forward in 2023.
During spring practices, the top option for arranging Mizzou’s line looked to be shifting Cam’Ron Johnson from right guard to his natural left guard position, inserting highly touted second-year player Logan Reichert on the right side and using transfer portal add Cayden Green at left tackle.
MU also tried keeping Johnson at right guard, folding Green inside at left guard and using junior college transfer Jayven Richardson at left tackle.
Green, Johnson, center Connor Tollison and right tackle Armand Membou all look geared for starting roles, meaning the Tigers’ challenge is finding the fifth starter to fit with that group, whether it’s at the more likely right guard spot or out on the left edge.
There are other players, such as Mitchell Walters, on the roster who are in the mix. But Drinkwitz’s portal-using pledge raises the question of whether Mizzou has its eventual fifth starting offensive lineman on the roster now.
“I think we could — and I think we could have one come out of the portal, too,†Drinkwitz said. “I’m not going to close off any avenues that can make our team better. I think we have very capable players on our offensive line right now.â€
The Tigers were lucky to largely dodge injuries along the offensive line last season, keeping their starting group intact. Adding some competitive depth as insurance could always be a route to go in the portal as well.
There’s still more stability on that side of the trenches than there’s been in some of Drinkwitz’s past seasons.
“At this time last year, I didn’t even have an offensive line coach. Y’all remember that?†he pointed out, referring to when Marcus Johnson left MU for Purdue in March 2023, prompting the hiring of current coach Brandon Jones after spring camp.
“Where we’re at now is not where we’re going to be at the start of the season,†Drinkwitz said. “Where we’re at now is just where we’re at right now. And where we’re going to be in five months is what I’m really, really excited about. So whether that’s one of the guys in the room or is there potential to add somebody? Yeah, there’s always that potential.â€
Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz addresses the media on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, after spring practice wrapped up. (Video by Mizzou Network, used with permission of Mizzou Athletics)
