For the third day in a row, a Missouri junior has opted to forego his final season of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft. The first two to do so, defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, didn't come as surprises. But no one seemed to anticipate center Trystan Colon-Castillo's announcement Tuesday morning that he will join his teammates in going pro.
Colon-Castillo made the announcement on his Twitter account. After redshirting in 2016, the Webb City, Missouri product has started 38 games in a row at center. However, like Missouri's offensive line as a whole, he appeared to regress a bit this season. The Tigers surrendered 14 more sacks and 21 more tackles for loss than last year despite playing one fewer game.
While his statement did not say as much, Colon-Castillo's decision was likely motivated at least in part by the firing of head coach Barry Odom on Saturday. Colon-Castillo was one of the most outspoken Odom supporters on the Missouri roster during the season, at one point saying fans who had an issue with Odom should "come talk to me."
Not many NFL Draft analysts have included Colon-Castillo among top prospects lists for 2020, but he's not totally off the radar, either. In October, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller listed Colon-Castillo as the 10th best center prospect In the draft. Drafttek.com currently has Colon-Castillo No. 12 among center and No. 236 overall (there are usually around 255 picks In the draft).
Due to Colon-Castillo's departure, Missouri will not have a single lineman with more than one season of starting experience next year, as fellow multi-year starters Yasir Durant and Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms have exhausted their eligibility. Among the candidates to replace Colon-Castillo at center are Case Cook, who started most of this season at left guard, and Thalen Robinson, who redshirted this season during his first year on campus.