Something new is coming…
College football season is just around the corner. Missouri football officially kicks off in less than two months. If there was any reminder of where the sport stands, it was on Monday, when Texas and Oklahoma officially joined the Southeastern Conference, setting off a flurry of action literally from coast to coast.
As the SEC gets bigger and perhaps tougher, it becomes even more important to do a good job in the transfer portal, and the University of Missouri football department had a busy time in both transfer windows, securing 15 players for the new season.
Here are three transfer students who may not get much attention but could play pivotal roles in Missouri's success in 2024. Making it into the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff seems like an achievable goal for Eli Drinkwitz's Tigers.
more:What makes the Missouri football defense seem strong and what questions still need to be answered
Marcus Bryant, left tackle
The success of Missouri's offense will depend heavily on the performance of promising new left tackle Marcus Bryant.
This is good news for preseason at least, as it was one of the most promising transfers at the position.
Bryant is a stocky 6-foot-8, 318-pound player. He was a first-team All-AAC selection last season at SMU. While it's not a perfect statistic for offensive line efficiency, the Mustangs allowed just 16 sacks in 14 games last season, good for 13th in the FBS.
Now, Bryant is tasked with protecting quarterback Brady Cook's blind spot.
Outgoing Missouri left tackle Javon Foster was a first-team All-SEC selection his senior year and was selected in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was a big player in the run game and often served as a playside blocker for running back Cody Schrader during his record-breaking season.
Bryant has yet to complete his first camp with the Tigers, but is expected to play as the starting tackle when the Tigers open the season at home against Murray State on Thursday, Aug. 29. He could line up on the left side of the line next to promising left guard Cayden Green, a transfer from Oklahoma.
If Bryant secures the starting spot at left tackle, the team's success won't all rest on his shoulders, but his level of play will be a big indicator of how Missouri's offense is doing.
Zion Young, defensive end
New defensive coordinator Corey Batoon has a clear plan for how the team's edge rushers should work: On one side is Zion Young, whom he calls “The Joker,” a boundary end and the team's best pass rusher; on the other side is Zion Young, a big-bodied field end who is likely to be the center of attention.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Young was one of the players whose name was mentioned most frequently by coaches in the spring. The Michigan State transfer had 47 tackles and 2.5 sacks in two seasons in East Lansing and has been hailed as a prototype of what the Tigers are looking for on that side of the line. The Tigers appear to be primarily focused on setting an edge with what MU's new defensive ends coach Brian Early called a “bigger, anchor-type player.”
What kind of disruption Batten wants from his edge rushers will become clearer in the fall. Missouri's defense made a name for itself by being relentless in chasing the pass, especially in the Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. Johnny Walker Jr. was a threat for much of last season, and Georgia transfer Darris Smith will rotate with Walker and be a promising addition.
If Missouri can step up to the task of upsetting both teams, that would be a solid foundation for a CFP push.
“Zion is like a bull in a china shop,” Walker said during spring training. “He's an aggressive pass rusher, an aggressive edge setter. He's just an aggressive, great player.”
more:Introducing “huge” Chris McClellan, the University of Missouri football team's new defensive tackle.
Nate Noel, running back
The wide receiver corps looks to be the Tigers' golden child. Tight end Brett Norfleet adds another outlet to the Tigers' offense as a freshman. Running back Marcus Carroll, a transfer from Georgia State, gives MU a big, active downhill running back.
But don't underestimate what Noel brings to this offense out of the backfield.
The coaching staff was impressed with Noel's agility and evasiveness throughout the spring, and having a capable tailback who can change the pace at Missouri could change the dynamics of the run game.
more:The one question facing the University of Missouri football team's offense in 2024
Noel rushed for over 3,000 yards during his four-year career at Appalachian State University, and of his 18 touchdowns with the Mountaineers, five came in the final quarter and 10 came inside the red zone.
Missouri running backs coach Curtis Looper isn't opposed to running with two tailbacks and compared Carroll and Noel to former Missouri stars Larry Rountree III and Tyler Buddy.
One of the staff's primary offensive missions was to improve efficiency in the red zone, and tape from the 5-foot-10 running back shows big-play ability, elite speed (it's worth noting that Noel was part of the state championship-winning 4×100-meter relay team while in high school in Florida) and a natural ability to evade defenders. None of that would be a negative for Missouri.
