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Each week, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond answers questions from Tiger fans in the mailbag. This format allows for a more expansive answer than a message board post. If you missed this week's mailbag, keep an eye out next week or send your question to Gabe at powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's entries.
seventhchildfifthson asks: Drove by Faurot Field Saturday after belly full of Booches burgers/chili/beer, and see they have begun the softball complex. Completion date?
GD: Supposed to be ready for them to play in next season, so by March of 2017 I'm assuming. Don't have an exact date.
mexicojoe asks: With a stellar D returning, and a solid if not excellent punting game, Which do you think is more advantageous for team success for this season A productive (top 5 in conference) running game or productive passing game? Both is obviously the best answer but if you had to pick.....
GD: I don't think one is better than the other. Moving the ball and scoring points is moving the ball and scoring points. Missouri's problem last year was it couldn't do either one. If you get 500 yards a game, it doesn't matter if you got 498 passing or 250 of each. You still got 500 yards. And Mizzou's defense proved last year, even being thrown out there in terrible field position with terrible time of possession, it was still pretty damn good.
Djohn2010 asks: What three starting WRs do you think we send out against West Virginia?
GD: What I've seen and heard out of fall camp indicates to me that the guys I picked at the beginning of camp will be the same ones that start at WVU. I'm going with J'Mon Moore (lock), Chris Black (near lock, health permitting) and Keyon Dilosa. I think Emanuel Hall and Dimetrios Mason are the next two up in the rotation.
drew98 asks: Have you been able to see enough of practice to give us an update on special teams?
GD: Not based on what I've actually seen. But my semi-informed opinion is that Corey Fatony punts, Tucker McCann does kickoffs and field goals, Alex Ross returns kickoffs, Aarion Penton returns punts. Mason and Johnathon Johnson and Ray Wingo could all factor into the return game as well at some point, but I expect Ross and Penton to be the guys in game one.
MizzouFan314 asks: In the future, I think it would be neat for you or someone to create an "All Missouri" team. Fill out a depth chart on offense, defense, and special teams of the best players in Missouri history. Down the road do you think this could happen?
GD: Yeah. That sounds like a good off-season project next year.
lotigerfan asks: With West Virginia's banged up secondary, odd's Mizzou QB's throw for 300yds?
GD: Anything's possible. I mean it's game one. All we have to go on is last year. But given what I saw last year, I sure wouldn't bet on it. I mean, Mizzou faced far worse secondaries a year ago that it couldn't sniff 200 yards on, much less 300. So could it happen? Sure. But I wouldn't count on it.
jmdgaza asks: If the four 16 team super conference scenario became a reality, in your opinion adding which two schools would be the "dream" for the SEC and what two schools would be most likely?
GD: The "dream" is North Carolina and Texas (I know Missouri fans don't want to hear that, but it's true). North Carolina is no chance because the ACC just executed a grant of rights through 2036. Texas maybe could happen, I don't know. But my guess (and I'd like this fine) would be that they'd get Oklahoma and take Oklahoma State as a tag along if we're talking realism. Split up four four-team pods like this:
POD 1: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, LSU
POD 2: Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vandy
POD 3: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Texas A&M
POD 4: Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
People will complain about competitive imbalance (1 and 2 are a lot better than 3 and 4 at first glance) but that's what makes sense geographically.
rduncan asks: Realizing that different offensive styles make QB's react differently, i can't seem to place another Mizzou QB that Drew reminds me of. Do you have one? Maybe a QB for another school?
GD: I think the best comp is Blaine Gabbert. Highly regarded kid, pro-style QB but an underrated athlete who can run well enough to help himself. Gabbert's a bit bigger and with a bit stronger arm, but I think Drew is a lot closer to him than he is to any other Mizzou QB I've watched. Maybe you could go back to Jeff Handy, I'm not sure if that's a good comp or not because I was in junior high when Handy was the QB and I'm not going to pretend I paid a lot of attention.
lwv asks: Do Agbasimere and G. Jones have a chance to see the field as DE where we are deep, special teams or position change?
GD: So far as I know, both are linebackers, not defensive ends. And I don't really expect either one of them to contribute defensively. They could be in on special teams, but I don't think either is in the linebacker rotation.
Gordon Butterstix asks: When does Pinkel get his statue? Where do you think they should put it? Maybe part of the SEZ expansion if that ever happens? Are any of the 2017 fb commits possible early enrollees?
GD: I can't see Pinkel getting a statue. Honestly, I wouldn't have built one even before last November. The guy did a lot of good things here. But shouldn't winning one conference title be a prerequisite to building a statue of a guy? He was a very good coach, one of the three best ever here. But statues are reserved for all time-greats. Outside of Columbia, Missouri, nobody is mentioning Gary Pinkel as one of the five or ten best ACTIVE coaches (when he was active), much less an all time great. And again, this doesn't even get to the events of last fall, which, like it or not, tarnished GP's legacy to some extent. You can argue how much, but I don't think you can argue that it wasn't impacted at all.
As far as the 2017 kids, don't remember off the top of my head, but we'll dig into that and find out.
mufootball1 asks: Would a WR recruiting class of Jeff Thomas, DaRon Davis, Jafar Armstrong and Roderick Ford be the highest rated WR class that Mizzou has ever had? And, if Mizzou signs those four, doesn't it indicate that some of the underclassmen WRs currently on the roster will be leaving?
GD: It would be right there with 2010 when Mizzou signed Marcus Lucas (4 star), Jimmie Hunt (4) and Bud Sasser (3). Now, I think it would have a ways to go to be the best WR class in history considering Jeremy Maclin and Danario Alexander were in the same class (and Jared Perry was a pretty solid third receiver).
As far as the second part of the question, I think it's relatively obvious that's a position there will be some attrition at here in the next few months. And that's regardless of who Mizzou signs.
MagicMarkus asks: Any word from the trip about Mizzou basketball? Are Hughes and Jackson truly up for prime time? How ready are Mitchell Smith and our other bigs? Was Geist any good over there? Any tidbits you'd care to pass on would be appreciated.
GD: I've got to say, I do appreciate/respect your continued passion for Missouri basketball at this point in time. You deserve credit for that. As far as answering your questions, I've got Kim Anderson on the podcast on Thursday.
muenger03 asks: If Mizzou has a good year, Ryan Walters is moving on, right?
GD: Sure, I think it's possible. Walters could be on the radar as a DC for somebody. Josh Heupel could be as a head coach. I don't think DeMontie Cross would be there quite yet after this year, but I could see him as a head coach down the road.
Tigertiger65251 asks: Anything on Drew Lock is he getting stronger is he picking up the system who are his fav targets and and how does heupel feel about his progress since the start of starting camp
GD: Pete will have a story on Lock here in the next few days as camp comes to a close. All reviews are positive. He's saying the right things and acting the right way and doesn't strike you as a guy whose confidence is lacking. But none of that matters until the games start. Let's see how he reacts the first time he gets pummeled at West Virginia or the first time he throws a pick that swings a game. I'm not trying to be negative, I just don't put much stock in preseason quotes. And that's true of any team. Everyone in America thinks they're better than they were last year right now.
Djohn2010 asks: What true freshman, besides Tucker McCann do you see making the biggest impact? Crockett or Mason? Maybe Tre Williams with the dismissals on the D-Line?
GD: Crockett is my guess. I think he'll be the number two back and will have a pretty big impact. I think Mason will play, same with Tre'Vour Simms and Trystan Castillo, but I'll go with Mason for biggest impact.
lwv asks: Do you know which coaches will work the booth? Still same system to signal in plays from sideline?
GD: Unsure right now. Assume Heupel will be in the booth. Will ask Cross and Odom about that today.
ZonaTiger asks: What are the updates/changes that Odom wants Mizzou to do to the Football facilities? Or what is the next project they are working on? If you don't know what should be the top few items on the list?
GD: They're working on what was formerly known as the South End Zone project. They need to do something. I assume locker rooms are included. But now what Jim Sterk things might be totally different from what Mack Rhoades thought, which was probably different from what Mike Alden and Gary Pinkel thought. I don't think they're starting completely over, but I do think they probably have to go back and talk about what this regime wants to do as opposed to what the past ones wanted to do.
