Mizzou Spring Football Storylines: Linebacker

The Missouri Tigers have made themselves proud of hard defensive units since head coach Eli Drinkwitz took over the team's reins. This hard mentality begins in the position of LineBacker, a position in which many elite players have been filtered through the program in recent years.

This is the case for the Tigers in the coming season, with Drinkwitz adding two highly adapted transfers to the inside-linacker position. Both come from Power 5 schools and were productive at their earlier stops, although both were apparently intended for big roles in the coming season.

Like most position groups, there are several returnees who should see the field in any way. Apart from that, they are not as experienced on a Power 5 level like the couple of transfers. One of them, most of whom are in the second year and newcomers to redshirt, has to make a massive jump to get a better place in the deep card.

There is not a single line backer outside of one on the squad that has proven to be in a jersey of Missouri Tigers. You may have experience in other schools, but it is different to prove yourself in Columbia.

Here are three storylines that you will follow on the LineBacker spot for the Missouri Tigers when spring practices begin.

There are two of all returnees on the LineBacker spot that seem to be prepared to make a jump. One of these boys is Rodriguez, a Miami student. He earned the season later in the year when injuries beat the tiger and made contributions where he could.

Now he still has no clear, defined role. Everyone knows what he can do as a pure tackler, but he has to make a jump in this category if he wants to take over more playing time.

Rodriguez took over this season last season after an arm injury to Khalil Jacobs. He struck directly and made some freshmen mistakes, but played well taking the circumstances into account.

“I just accepted the process and took on the role,” said Rodriguez in a press conference last season. “This is how it turned out and I'm grateful for that.”

Most players who have questions that whirl around them has some evidence of the pudding that points out that they can do what is questioned. There was only one solid player for Rodriguez. Missouri's team of coaches will hope to see more and to expect more from the talented True Sophomore, many of whom believe that they could have a lot of potential.

The two transfers that the Tigers added in the low season are Graduate transfer Mikai Gbayor from Nebraska and Redshirt in the second year Josiah Trotter from West Virginia. Both were very productive in their last teams and were leaders in the middle of the field for their respective defense. Both also appear like the top two options to take over the number 1 linacker role.

Apart from that, it is your job to take on the role of others. When it comes to suitable and projectable skills, Trotter looks like the pure medium line backer from the group. He was also the most productive of everyone in the room and recorded 93 duels for mountaineers last season. Simply because of his production and his well -known sportiness, he looks like he was the number one assumed. Trotter still has to prove that.

Gbayor is another Swiss army knife in the position that does not play a defined role. He plays a more powerful brand of football, but can also be reliable from the edge. He was also more susceptible to missed duels, so he proves that he can clean up this area in the autumn camp and give his strong impression if his goal should be.

With many questions and uncertainties that are littered throughout the roster, there seem to be many injury issues. The same applies to Khalil Jacobs, who at the beginning of the season suffered an arm injury in a Missouri victory against umass. It was a surprising and frustrating loss for the tigers who had found a consistent role for Jakobs.

Assuming that Jacobs will be restored at the beginning of the season, he should rely on the fact that he did the same last season. He acted as supply lines for the tigers and flashed the opportunity to use his speed and fall back into the cover and at the same time be an effective pass -rusher. Its versatility is useful and can certainly be problems for opposing teams.

When Jacobs achieves his inevitable return, his consistent attitude, work morality and production as a gadget supporter is a valuable tool for the arsenal of the defensive coordinator Corey Batoon.

“Really just consistency, that was a big deal for me,” said Jacobs in media availability just a few days before the season opener of the Tigers 2024. “You definitely want me to be consistent every day and be the best every day.”

This all depends on Jacobs will be willing to take part in spring practices. His arm injury was surprising after the Matchup against the minutemen, especially the end of the season. There will be a role for Jacobs when it is available. It's just about when.