After producing its best season in nine years and a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, Missouri's beeline toward a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoffs begins sometime in the next week or so when spring practice starts, with the Black and Gold spring game taking place on March 16.
Until then, we will preview the 2024 roster by doing position-by-position previews. Next, we'll look at the tight ends.
The starter: Brett Norfleet was like a breath of fresh air for the Tigers in 2023. It was just two years ago that the tight end room as a whole put up 10 receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
In his freshman season, Norfleet eclipsed those marks by himself, recording 18 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games.
He showed he was committed to blocking in the run game and when his number was called in the passing game he usually came through, and it opened the offense up so much.
There's likely no way anyone not wearing No. 87 will be starting at tight end this season if Norfleet is healthy and available.
The backups: Tyler Stephens started the first six games of the season before he was replaced in the lineup by Norfleet. He was the starter in 2022 and led tight ends with five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown.
He stayed around that range last fall, with five receptions for 49 yards.
Stephens is a veteran going into his third season with the team and for now can be looked at as the TE2.
He will have to work all the way through the season to keep soon-to-be sophomore Jordon Harris from usurping him but for now, it's probably his spot to lose.
Harris was another freshman who came in and burned his redshirt. He played in eight games, and while he didn't have a catch this season, he got reps by being an inline blocker or fullback on run plays. He also was featured on special teams quite a bit.
He only had a year of football experience heading into the 2023 season. So, finding snaps in year one was impressive and he's sure to be in line for an increase in snaps if he keeps developing at a pace to Eli Drinkwitz's liking.
Ryan Hoerstkamp and three-star signee Whit Hafer round out the scholarship tight ends.
After recording a pair of receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown in 10 games in 2022, Hoesrtkamp didn't see the field in 2023.
He's a bit of a tweener. He's best classified as a receiving tight end, but he's a little too big to be a wide receiver and is undersized as a tight end.
Hafer won't get to campus until the summer, but he's another guy in the Norfleet mold as far as being a huge target at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, with soft hands, who has the physical tools to be an effective blocker in the run game.
Storyline to watch for: A year-long storyline is just watching the development of Norfleet. We know he's going to start if he's healthy but Mizzou has seen him produce. So, how much more of the offense will go through him? The Tigers brought back virtually their entire receiving core. So, there's only so many targets to go around but how many more go to Norfleet?
As for the spring, who gets the TE2 spot?
Stephens has the experience factor going for him but Harris played quite a bit and while it would be ideal to have Harris be more of a balanced tight end with the ability to be a factor in the receiving game, his value as a run-blocker alone may be able to help him earn the role if his progress is consistent.
PowerMizzou's prediction: Norfleet is the unquestioned TE1 and Stephens starts camp as the TE2, but he and Harris will both get some reps with the ones and twos leading this position battle for TE2 to go into the fall.
Other previews
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