Voice of the Fantlebury: Mizzou's Combine Conundrum
Missouri went 14-11 over the last two years of Barry Odom’s tenure — a record that was a big reason for Odom’s departure following the 2019 season. There’s no question that Missouri underachieved in 2018 and this past year, and the second-half collapse hinted that something else had to happen with the team that was 5-1 and ranked in the Top 25 yet went 1-5 down the stretch.
Another hint that Missouri underachieved these past two seasons?
NFL Draft Combine invitations.
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Following the 2013 season, Missouri had seven players invited to the 2014 Combine. That’s been the high water mark for Missouri in the last 15 years. Missouri went 12-2 and finished in the Top 5 in 2013; the amount of invites makes sense.
Missouri has had twelve players invited to the 2019 and 2020 NFL Combines, six in each year. This year — for the combine that begins Thursday — Missouri will be represented by QB Kelly Bryant, TE Albert Okwuegbunam, OL Yasir Durant and Trystan Colon-Castillo, DL Jordan Elliott and LB Cale Garrett.
In 2019, Missouri was represented by QB Drew Lock, TE Kendall Blanton, OL Paul Adams, DL Terry Beckner, Jr., WR Emanuel Hall and LB Terez Hall.
That means that the 2018 Missouri Tigers football team had 11 key players that were invited to the NFL Combine, as Bryant transferred to Missouri before the 2019 season. Now, to be fair, the combine has gotten more inclusive in the last few years, handing out more invitations than ever beflore. And four of the six Tigers invited last year didn't end up being drafted.
But still, ere’s the list of schools with at least six players invited to this year’s Combine:
Alabama (11-2)
Auburn (9-4)
Baylor (11-3)
Clemson (14-1)
Florida (11-2)
Georgia (12-2)
LSU (15-0)
Miami (6-7)
Michigan (9-4)
Michigan State (7-6)
Mississippi State (6-7)
Missouri (6-6)
Notre Dame (11-2)
Ohio State (13-1)
Oregon (12-2)
TCU (5-7)
Utah (11-3)
Washington (8-5)
(You know what schools aren’t on that list? Oklahoma and Texas.)
Odom got enough talent to Columbia to go on runs his final two years. But that talent either did not develop enough by its final season, or the staff didn’t put that talent in the right position to consistently succeed on the field. The Combine invite numbers are a clear reminder of exactly why there’s a new coach in Columbia and exactly what Eliah Drinkwitz needs to do to ensure his tenure is more successful than that of his predecessor.
Player development should be a huge topic for Missouri’s football program going forward, because there were too many examples over the last two seasons of players hitting plateaus. Players aren’t invited to the Combine just based on gaudy college numbers or success; they’re invited based on long-term potential. Often, that potential goes unrealized in college.
For Missouri the last two years, that potential didn’t turn into consistent on-field success. The good news is this, though: Coaches can get the right amount of talent to Columbia; now, it’s about finding a coach who can consistently develop that talent to get Missouri back on an upward trajectory.