GD: I think the numbers will be better in the last five games than they were in the first seven. That's a low bar, obviously. I don't think Mizzou is suddenly going to be a really good defensive team. Steve Wilks said on Tuesday what I think most people already believed: The answer to the defensive woes is simply to play better. There aren't going to be massive personnel changes. The answers to the team's problems aren't on the roster and ready to contribute immediately. There also isn't going to be a massive scheme overhaul in the middle of the season. I'm not saying the scheme is perfect, but it's also not nearly as bad as it has looked (neither is the talent). The players Missouri has have to play better. They have to win one-on-one matchups. They have to stick to their responsibilities. Wilks said he didn't think it was an issue of players not understanding what to do, but more an issue of actually going out and doing it (I'm paraphrasing here, but that's the gist of his comments). He said they've simplified what they're doing a little bit, but when linebackers are filling the wrong gap or defensive linemen are getting blown off the ball, it's likely less about them not understanding what to do and more about just physically not doing it (whether they're incapable of doing it or just haven't done it enough is up for debate and not an answer I really have).

As far as the front seven next season (which is actually a front six), I think Isaiah McGuire has done plenty to retain a starting role. It's hard to say anyone on Missouri's defense has been good, but he's the player I've noticed the most often. Mekhi Wingo will start. You have to think at this point Trajan Jeffcoat is back. He won't be gifted a starting spot, but he's got the physical ability to be better than he's been this season. The fourth spot up front will either be Darius Robinson taking a leap he hasn't yet taken or a transfer, in my opinion. The depth chart on the line is filled out by Kyran Montgomery, Arden Walker, Johnny Walker, Travion Ford and possibly another transfer.

At linebacker, oh boy, I'm not going to pretend to have a clue. Chad Bailey probably has a good shot to start. I think the hope would be that Dameon Wilson and Zach Lovett have shown enough to be starting or at least a strong second-stringer. Devin Nicholson has another year, but he's going to have to be much better than he's been this season to continue starting. I think a transfer here is a possibility as well.

As my answer shows, the solutions mostly need to already be on the roster. Going out and finding the majority of your starters in the transfer portal or hoping for freshmen to fill those spots seems unrealistic. It's not impossible that Realus George or Daniel Robledo turns into a player in his second year on campus, but we really haven't seen anything to indicate we should predict it.

GD: I don't know if anybody really enjoys recruiting. I've told a number of coaches I've covered over the years that they don't make enough money to have their livelihoods dependent on the whims of high school kids. But that's the deal they signed up for and they're rewarded handsomely so I don't feel too bad about it. But I agree with you that Drinkwitz seems to embrace it more than most. Whether that's an act or his genuine feeling, I don't really know. If we're just talking about head coaches (and that's what we're doing because I don't want to go through dozens of assistants), Drinkwitz appears to be at the top of the list as far as the "enjoyment" of recruiting. If we expand this to basketball, I guess I'd probably put Quin Snyder second. Then throw every other head coach I've covered in any order and I wouldn't dispute it. Drinkwitz and Snyder are the two that you'd classify as dynamic personalities and I think that's a big part of appearing to embrace the recruiting aspect of the job.