25 Tigers to watch: 10 Danario Alexander
The Missouri Tigers open camp on August 4th, which is now just 10 days away. Over these 25 days, PowerMizzou.com is counting down the 25 players on the roster who will be most influential in determining just how good the Tigers are this season. To be clear, this is not a list of the 25 best players on the roster. It is not a list of the players that will have the biggest seasons or put up the best numbers. In reverse order, we are counting down the 25 players who we think could have the most influence on the outcome of the 12 games on Missouri's 2007 schedule.
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10. Danario Alexander
The vitals: Danario Alexander came on with a big spring to enter fall camp as a starter at wide receiver. He came out of nowhere to earn playing time as a true freshman and is poised to have a breakout sophomore season.
Career so far: Alexander was a name that absolutely no one outside of the Tiger team expected to play as a freshman. Not only did he play, he made a major contribution. He caught 15 passes for 251 yards, but more impressive than that was his strong finish. Eleven of Alexander's 15 receptions came in the final four games for the Tigers. That included a 74-yard touchdown in the Sun Bowl.
Why he's on the list: Alexander will not be the leading receiver for the Tigers. In fact, it will be a shock if he is in the top three. So why is he the highest rated receiver on this list? As we've said, you know what Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker and Will Franklin are going to bring to the table. All three have all-Big 12 potential. But how good could the Tiger offense be if there is a consistent deep threat on the other side of Franklin? It is simple math that there is no way to cover four receivers well on every single snap. Though others are more accomplished, there may not be a player with more potential on the Tiger offense than Alexander. A school record 46.5 inch vertical jump is out of this world. Add a 6-foot-4 frame and great speed (just re-watch Jared Perry's touchdown against Kansas where Alexander made up 15 yards on him) and you have all the makings of an NFL wide receiver. If Alexander can hit the 40-catch, 500-yard mark, the Tiger offense could put up some ridiculous numbers.
The rest of the list so far: