25 Tigers to watch: 16 Tyler Luellen
The Missouri Tigers open camp on August 4th, which is now just 16 days away. Over the next 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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16. Tyler Luellen
The vitals: Tyler Luellen enters his senior season as a starter in 28 of the 26 games in which he has played for the Tigers. He not only plays perhaps the most important position on the line at left tackle, but he has also played in as many games as any Tiger.
Career so far: As said, Luellen is a three-year starter. He has been solid, though perhaps not as spectacular as some expected when he came out of high school as a four-star recruit from South Harrison High. But for all the criticism he has received, he has held on to his starting spot and denied all challengers.
Why he's on the list: As we said earlier, there is no more important spot on the line than left tackle. When you protect the quarterback's blindside, your team needs you. When your quarterback is as important to the team as Chase Daniel is to the Tigers, your team needs you even more. For all the crazy numbers put up last year, Missouri's offensive line seemed to draw some criticism from many observers. Luellen will have to lead this group. It is time for him to deliver on the stardom and NFL potential many have seen for five years now. If Luellen is challenging for any level of all-Big 12 honors at the end of the year, chances are that Tiger fans are going to be very, very happy with the way the season has gone.
The rest of the list so far: