2019 camp preview: Linebacker
With SEC Media Days in the books, it’s time to start counting down the days to the start of the 2019 football season. Missouri will begin its preseason camp on Aug. 2. Each day until then, PowerMizzou will evaluate the roster one position group at a time, breaking down the depth chart and the outlook for the season. Today, we look at the Missouri linebackers.
Previous positions:
The starters:
Cale Garrett will be back in the center of the Tiger defense for his senior season, and the middle linebacker should serve as not only a tackling machine but the unit’s vocal leader. Garrett tied for the most solo tackles in the SEC last season with 68 and earned second-team all-conference honors as a result. He could be in line to put up even bigger numbers this season with Terez Hall gone to the NFL.
Speaking of Hall, while the defense will certainly feel his loss at first, his successor already appears to be in place, and the coaching staff is very high on him. Sophomore Nick Bolton earned rave reviews during fall camp a year ago and wound up playing in all 13 games. Most of his action came on special teams, but he took over as the starting weakside linebacker when Hall was ejected for targeting against Alabama. Bolton still needs to perform in camp to lock up the starting spot, but given the number of first team reps he took during spring practices, it would be an upset to see anyone else starting alongside Garrett.
The backups:
Aubrey Miller Jr. has always turned heads with his physical attributes. Could this be the year he puts it all together and sees regular snaps? The junior was listed behind Bolton on the team’s most recent depth chart, and while the chances of beating out Bolton for a starting spot may be slim, there will likely be times when Missouri employs a third linebacker, and with a strong camp, Miller could be that player. Also looking for an expanded role will be junior Jamal Brooks and sophomore Cameron Wilkins, both of whom are listed as middle linebackers. Brooks has been a special teams staple in each of his first two seasons, and Wilkins carved out a role both on special teams and, occasionally, as a fullback last season. Don’t expect either to see many reps this season, however, unless Garrett gets injured. Finally, redshirt freshmen Chad Bailey and Gerald Nathan Jr. and newcomers Jamie Pettway and Devin Nicholson all appear to have talent, but there may simply be too much experience ahead of them on the depth chart to see many snaps at linebacker this year. Bailey, a former four-star recruit, missed most of camp last season with a broken thumb then missed all of spring workouts with a torn ACL. Pettway and Nicholson just arrived on campus in June.
Camp outlook:
Garrett has been as productive, if not more so, than any returning linebacker in the SEC. He should once again anchor a run defense that shows a lot of promise. Bolton hasn’t yet shown it in games, but given the amount of praise he’s received from the coaching staff in the past year, you have to think he can play at this level. The only concerns with the position group seem to be coverage ability and depth. Missouri’s linebackers struggled in coverage a season ago, and while having a third safety in the scheme should ease their coverage burden, expect opponents to try to isolate Garrett or Bolton whenever possible this year. And the coaching staff will pray that Garrett, who has been an iron man thus far in his career, can stay healthy, as there isn’t much experience behind him on the depth chart.
Projected Week One depth chart:
1. Cale Garrett, Sr./Nick Bolton, So.
2. Jamal Brooks, Jr./Aubrey Miller Jr., Jr.
3. Cameron Wilkins, So./Chad Bailey, So.
4. Jacob Trump, Sr./Gerald Nathan Jr., R-Fr.