Front Porch FootballMissouri 2021 Season Preview
by John Lamm
Eliah Drinkwitz’s first season with Missouri has to be viewed as a success. The team finished 5-5 and was the third-best team in the SEC East after being picked sixth in the division in the preseason. Missouri had one of the toughest schedules in the conference in 2020, facing Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Unfortunately, they were blown out in all three games, and their five losses were by 19 points or more. The other two losses were to teams below .500, Tennessee and Mississippi State. Missouri did have high moments, though, including a 45-41 win against LSU and a thrilling 50-48 win over Arkansas. In 2021, Drinkwitz will look to build on the positives of last season, while trying to clean up the weaknesses exposed in the blowout losses.
Missouri 2021 – Offense
Missouri had its ups and downs on offense last year in the coaching staff’s first season with the program. During the five wins, the Tigers averaged over 34 points a game, but in their losses they averaged a mere 18 points per game. Their success correlated directly with their run game, with the Tigers going 4-0 in games when they ran for more than 170 yards. In 2021, Missouri is not only going to have to run the ball well but attack defenses through the air, too.
Departed Starters
Larry Roundtree III – Graduation and NFL
Larry Borom – Graduation and NFL
Quarterback
Redshirt sophomore Connor Bazelak (6-3, 212) locked down the starting quarterback position early in 2020, beating out Shawn Robinson, who subsequently moved to defensive back. Bazelak’s stats from last year may not blow people away (he passed for only seven touchdowns), but he played well enough to share SEC Freshman of the Year honors with Auburn’s Tanks Bigsby. Bazelak’s best game came against LSU, where he threw for 406 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-41 win.
The young man is careful with the ball, with only six interceptions in 2020, and is accurate with his passes, with a 67% completion percentage. He averaged more than 32 passing attempts and over 230 yards per game as well. His touchdowns were limited for several reasons; the main two were Coach Drinkwitz’s offensive emphasis on short, underneath throws, combined with the Tigers’ lack of speed in their receiving corps. Bazelak is a talented quarterback whom I expect to continue to play well this season. His stats may not wow people, but I do think he has the potential to be one of the top seven quarterbacks in the conference if he plays at his very best.
Redshirt freshman Brady Cook (6-2, 207) will be the backup quarterback for the Tigers this year, after Taylor Powell transferred to Troy. Cook is a former 3-star QB with limited experience, but in his two appearances last year (against Georgia and Vanderbilt), he threw for 72 yards on 6-for-7 passing and a touchdown.
Running Back
Missouri loses its best offensive player from 2020. Larry Roundtree III rushed for 972 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. His running ability helped Bazelak and the passing attack tremendously in Missouri’s wins last season. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Roundtree III is now a Los Angeles Charger, which means it will be next man up.
That man will be Tyler Badie, a senior and three-year backup, who was often relegated to the passing game. Badie (5-8, 194) caught 28 passes for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2020. Although Roundtree III got most of the carries in 2020, Badie did rush for 242 yards and 5.0 yards per carry. He is a capable runner who has not had a lot of opportunities thus far in his career. The senior has big shoes to fill, but he has the ability to be a very good running back for this team. Look for him to make a smooth transition as a starter and be a dual threat out of the backfield.
Sophomore Elijah Young (5-9, 185) has had only ten carries in his young career, but he will have a chance this year to step up and get more touches. Also, look for grad student Dawson Downing (5-11, 221) to get a few carries too.
Wide Receiver
One of the biggest weaknesses for Missouri’s offense the past several seasons has been its inability to throw the ball downfield, largely due to the lack of deep threats in the wide receiving corps. Coach Drinkwitz has tried to fix this flaw by signing four high school prospects and bringing in three transfer players at receiver, in hopes that 2021 will see more explosive play at wide receiver.
Keke Chism (6-5, 214), a Division II transfer from Angelo State, and junior receiver Tauskie Dove (6-2, 195) are expected to be the number one and two receivers this season. Both Chism and Dove showed good play down the stretch last year. Chism finished his 2020 campaign with 35 catches for 458 yards, including receiving for over 300 yards in the final five games of the year. If Chism can continue his momentum from the end of last season, expect him to be the most reliable receiver on this team and a big playmaker. Dove also showed potential last year, with 30 catches and 300 yards as a junior, although he had five games where he essentially disappeared, catching two or fewer passes in each. In the other five games, though, he showed flashes of brilliance, frequently catching the ball in traffic down the field.
One newcomer to keep an eye on is freshman transfer Mookie Cooper. Cooper is a 5’8”, 174-pound speedster, who signed with Ohio State as a 4-star recruit but transferred to Missouri before ever playing a game in a Buckeye uniform. Cooper isn’t a lock to be a star, as he hasn’t played in a football game in almost three seasons. However, if he does well in camp and can stay healthy, Cooper could get decent playing time and be a much needed option to turn short, underneath throws into chunk yardage plays. Cooper will most likely split time at slot receiver with senior Barrett Banister (6-0, 192), who is not much of a deep threat but has shown reliable hands and could be a key target across the middler in his final season for Missouri.
Another player who could find his way into the starting offense is former 4-star and redshirt freshman JJ Hester. Hester (6-4, 190) could be a breakout player for this offense in his first season on the field. He is a tall and athletic receiver, who has the ability to be a phenomenal deep threat. Jay Maclin (5-11, 187), cousin of former Missouri star receiver Jeremy Maclin, will also be competing for playing time. He is a redshirt freshman and excellent route runner.
Tight End
Missouri, once upon a time, had some big names and dangerous weapons at tight end, including down-the-field targets like Martin Rucker, Chase Coffman, and Michael Egnew. Last season, though, the tight ends were seldom used in the passing game. Expect that trend to continue in 2021, with senior Daniel Parker Jr.(6-2, 235), a strong blocking tight end, and junior Niko Hea (6-4, 245) to get the majority of the snaps.
Parker Jr. has the potential to be a future NFL blocking tight end or fullback with his body frame, but he isn’t much of a threat in the passing game, with only eight catches last season. Hea had a handful of big catches last season and finished the year with 130 yards, so he will be a somewhat bigger threat as a receiver at the tight end position. Look to see the massive Messiah Swinson (6-8, 251) to get some playing time as well, particularly in goal-line situations.
Offensive Line
The Tigers lost All-Conference right tackle Larry Borom, now a member of the Chicago Bears, who was the team’s best offensive lineman. Although losing him will hurt, the Tigers return former Rutgers transfer and senior center, Michael Maietti (6-1, 290), and senior right guard Case Cook (6-4, 291). Both played in every game last season and are getting preseason love as potential All-Conference players. Senior Hyrin White (6-7, 320) missed all of last season with a shoulder injury but should be set to start at right tackle. Zeke Powell (6-5, 288) started much of last season and was productive at left tackle, after transferring in from JUCO.
At left guard, there is a little competition in camp: Xavier Delgado (6-4, 324) is the favorite to be the starter, but sophomore Luke Griffin (6-5, 328) looked good in relief during a few games last year when Delgado was injured. Another lineman to keep an eye on for playing time is Oklahoma transfer EJ Ndoma-Ogar (6-3, 333), who could be a sleeper for the starting left guard position.
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Missouri 2021 Defense
Missouri’s defense had difficulties last season against elite offenses, giving up 35 points or more in seven of their ten games. Going forward, this defense will have to be much better than that. Fortunately for the Tigers, Drinkwitz hired former Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Steve Wilks during the offseason as defensive coordinator. This was a fantastic hire, one that should pay dividends immediately. Wilks will run mostly a 4-2-5 defense in 2021.
Departed Starters
Markell Utsey – DL – Transfer to Arkansas
Nick Bolton – LB – NFL
Defensive Line
Missouri is losing defensive tackle Markell Utsey, who transferred to Arkansas, but otherwise, the Missouri front should be in good hands. Senior Kobie Whiteside (6-1, 298) was an All-Conference DT in 2019, with 7.5 sacks, but he missed significant playing time last season due to injury. If he stays healthy, I expect him to bounce back in 2021. Akiel Byers (6-3, 288) will be returning and most likely starting at the other tackle position. However, also expect Darius Robinson (6-5, 290) and former JUCO transfer junior Ben Key (6-3, 289) to get playing time as well.
Missouri’s potential best defender on this team is DE Trajan Jeffcoat (6-4, 276). He was an All-SEC player last season and is a great pass rusher with six sacks. Missouri coaches expect him to build upon his success of last season; do not be surprised if he surpasses ten sacks this season. Junior Isaiah Mcguire (6-4, 266) showed pass rushing skills last year, finishing with three sacks. He is expected to play opposite Jeffcoat on the line. Together, they are a solid one-two punch in the passing game.
Linebacker
Missouri lost its best linebacker and defensive player, Nick Bolton, to the NFL Draft (Bolton is now a Kansas City Chief). Luckily for the Tigers, linebacker Blaze Alldrege (6-2, 220) transferred from Rice for a grad year. In 2019, he was second in the nation in tackles for losses, with 21.5. Alldredge may be moving to a much more difficult conference, but do not be surprised if he makes a name for himself this season and is selected in the 2022 NFL draft.
Other than Alldredge, look for Devin Nicholson (6-2, 221) and Chad Bailey (6-0, 229) to get plenty of playing time. Nicholson, a junior, combined for 82 tackles last season and will be a starter in 2021. Bailey has seen limited action so far in his career, with only six tackles last season, but he should see more playing time this year. Cameron Wilkens (6-1, 234) is another linebacker who will see playing time, after missing most of last season with an injury. As a freshman, he recorded 33 total tackles in 2019.
Secondary
Although returning some veterans, the Tiger secondary was one of the weakest links in the defense. This was especially evident in Missouri’s losses. Although the secondary finished the 2020 season with 4 interceptions, there is expectation for improvement in 2021. Expect former 4-star recruit and sophomore safety Jalani Williams (6-1, 193) to have a strong impact at safety. Martez Manuel (6-0, 2-8), who had over 60 tackles last year, will be returning at strong safety. Look for senior Mason Pack (5-11, 194) to potentially start as well in the secondary. Although he has played sparingly in his career, he could be a key contributor this season.
Missouri did get two corner transfers from Tulsa over the offseason in Akayleb Evans (6-2, 198) and Allie Green IV (6-2, 202). Both are expected to start this season. Last season, Green IV had 24 tackles and an interception while Evans had 29 tackles. Look for Ennis Rakestraw (6-0, 172), who broke up 6 passes as a freshman, to be in the rotation as well.
Special Teams
The kickoff and punt return units were nothing special in 2020, but it is expected incoming transfer Mookie Cooper will add a spark to the return game in 2021. With his speed and agility, he will have the potential to be a very good return man and, at the very least, be an improvement over years past. Senior Grant Mckinniss (6-0, 201) will handle punting duties. He had a solid year last season, averaging a little over 43 yards per punt. Sophomore Harrison Mevis (5-11, 236) had a strong freshman campaign and should be one of the better field goal kickers in the conference. He finished the year 17-20 on field goals, including 3-4 from 50+ yards. Sean Koetting (6-4, 226) handled kickoff duties last season and was close to 85% on touchbacks. The kicking game should be strong across the board for Missouri.
Impact Players
- Connor Bazelak – QB – In Bazelak’s second year leading the offense, look to him to be the leader of the offense. He makes smart decisions and is incredibly accurate. If he has several playmakers step up, especially deep threats, I expect a very good season out of him.
- Tyler Badie – RB – Badie is going to need to step up this season. Bazelak had his best games last season when the running game was working well. Conversely, the rushing attack was anemic in Missouri’s blowout losses. If Badie has a strong senior season, that could single handedly affect Missouri’s win total.
- Keke Chism – WR – I expect Chism to have a strong final season with the Tigers. He played well for the Tigers over the last five games of last season, and I expect him to ride that momentum into 2021. If he is able to be a reliable threat at receiver, he will help the running game and Bazelak’s ability to throw the ball down field more.
- Trajan Jeffcoat Jr. – DE – Jeffcoat Jr. showed great ability as a sophomore in getting to the quarterback, with six sacks. He also had a total of 23 tackles on the season. Look for Jeffcoat Jr. to add to his production in 2021 and be a tough pass rusher for offensive lines to handle.
Missouri 2021 Schedule
9/4 – vs. Central Michigan
9/11 – at Kentucky
9/18 – vs. SE Missouri St
9/25 – at Boston College
10/2 – vs. Tennessee
10/9 – vs. North Texas
10/16 – vs. Texas A&M
10/30 – at Vanderbilt
11/6 – Georgia
11/13 – vs. South Carolina
11/20 – vs. Florida
11/26 – at Arkansas
Conclusion
I believe this Missouri Tiger team is going to have a winning record in 2021. Coach Drinkwitz hired an outstanding defensive coordinator, who should be able to improve the unit as a whole. I expect the offense to be as good as last year (if not better), with improved deep threats and Connor Bazelak getting a second season under his belt.
The biggest advantage Missouri has this year is that its schedule is one of the easiest in the conference. In addition, its out-of-conference schedule contains only one Power 5 conference team, Boston College. The Tigers could actually start the season 6-0. (I do not think it will happen, it is not out of the question.) I do not believe they will be able to hang with Texas A&M, Georgia, or Florida, but they will have a solid chance to win every other game they play.
