The Missouri Tigers open camp on August 4th, which is now just 25 days away. Over the next 25 days, PowerMizzou.com is counting down the 25 players on the roster who will be most influential in determining just how good the Tigers are this season. To be clear, this is not a list of the 25 best players on the roster. It is not a list of the players that will have the biggest seasons or put up the best numbers. In reverse order, we are counting down the 25 players who we think could have the most influence on the outcome of the 12 games on Missouri's 2007 schedule.

22. Tommy Chavis

Why he's on the list: Ask Tiger fans their biggest concern coming into the season and the answer you will most often get is defensive end. Missouri lost Jackson and Brian Smith off of last year's team. That duo left a huge hole not only in production, but in leadership as well. While Chavis is not going to be counted on to replace the on-field emotion of Smitty and the X-man, he does have to step up and replicate the production of at least one of them. Chavis is much more in the mold of Jackson; he is listed at 280 pounds. The play against K-State was an example of what Chavis is capable of against the run. Jackson made 64 tackles last season, including 13.5 behind the line of scrimmage and eight sacks. Those numbers may be a bit steep for Chavis, but he needs to get close for the Tiger defense to be good. Missouri seems to be pretty solid at defensive tackle, but one of the most pressing questions in fall camp will be whether the ends can step up and ease the loss of two long-time starters. With a good camp, Chavis could ease the minds of a lot of Tiger fans.



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