Every 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. Keep your eye out each week to submit your question for the mailbag or send them to powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries.
DrTigerTooth asks: What’s the plans on replacing L. Washington since he left for Southern, and any names popping up?
GD: Washington, who was Mizzou's Director of Player Development, took a job coaching wide receivers at Southern this week. You should read Dave Matter's Q&A with one of the all-time Tiger fan favorites. This is the first step on his coaching journey, but almost certainly won't be the last and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him work his way back to CoMo at some point.
But as far as replacing him? I've got no idea. Because honestly, I don't really know what his job entailed. In the last ten to 15 years, so many jobs have popped up on college coaching staffs that didn't used to exist. A lot of them, like Washington's, serve as jobs that are kind of an on-ramp to being an on-field position coach. I'd think that any replacement for Washington would be a relatively recent college player who can relate to the current players because he was in their shoes not long ago and who would like to work in coaching. Who is that? I'm not going to pretend to have any idea. Names don't really "pop up" in the media for jobs like this.
Carnell75 asks: Been reading a bit on Mekhi Wingo... Does he break into the rotation on the DL. Without games and on paper it looks deep. I am speculating that there are some red shirts on the line with the current depth. What are your thoughts on Jedarrius(sp) to Florida if you have any.
GD: I would be surprised to see Wingo--or any other true freshman on the defensive line--play significant snaps. It's just so hard to make the leap physically from high school football to the SEC in that short amount of time. Especially for a guy who wasn't on campus for spring football and a full extra semester of training and in the weight room. Some of the guys may see some spot duty here and there in four games or fewer to maintain their redshirts, but you just don't count on true freshmen on the lines of scrimmage. That's in a normal year. In this year, when Mizzou brought back some guys on the defensive line that weren't expected back, it seems even less likely.
My main thought on Jadarrius Perkins to Florida was that it was funny. I mean, I'm sure Eli Drinkwitz wasn't particularly amused, but what can you do other than laugh? His recruitment was somewhat of a circus with a number of scheduled announcements that weren't announced and he was actually enrolled at Mizzou before anyone outside the program even knew he had committed. He was here for all of three months and then transferred to another team in the division. It's just bizarre. It doesn't mean he's a bad kid. He may be a great player or not. I have no idea. But the whole saga just kind of highlights the insanity of what roster building has turned into over the last year.
