Mizzou camp preview: Running Backs
On Sept. 1, Missouri will kick off the third season in the Eli Drinkwitz era with a home matchup against Louisiana Tech. The entire month before then will be used to prepare for a campaign that feels like it could go a long way toward defining Drinkwitz's Missouri tenure.
Fall camp, the official start of full-time practices, will begin Aug. 1. Each day between now and then, we will get fans set for camp by breaking down the Tiger roster one position at a time. In today's preview, we tackle the second-biggest question Missouri's offense must answer this season: Who will replace All-American Tyler Badie at running back?
The Starter
By the end of last season, opposing teams knew what Missouri's offense was going to do: Give the ball to Badie, over and over and over again. In the final three games of the regular season, Badie racked up 111 touches. He ultimately set a school record for rushing yards in a single season with 1,604.
All of that is to say, replacing Badie will be a tall order, and probably impossible for just one player. But Drinkwitz remains optimistic that the Tigers have some playmakers at running back.
"That group is incredibly deep, they work extremely hard," Drinkwitz said Monday at SEC Media Days. "We have what we call an edger of the week, which is a guy who just works and trains on the edge and does things the right way, and the entire running back room was the edgers of the week two weeks ago, just because that room is so dedicated to their craft. I think for all of us the reminder is that this time last year you were asking me if Tyler Badie was any good or not, and how he was going to replace Larry Rountree. So, you know, that's the beauty of college football is the opportunity for somebody to step up and create value for themselves through the way they play, and I know that these guys have really put in the work to seize whatever opportunity that they're given. And I do know that there are plenty of guys capable.”
The top contender to lead the effort to replace Badie appears to be Stanford transfer Nate Peat. The Columbia native carried the ball 117 times for 665 yards and four touchdowns across three seasons at Stanford. Speed is his calling card, and he showed it by breaking a couple long touchdown runs last season.
But we don't expect Peat to be asked to carry a Badie-sized load. Other players who figure to have a shot at regular playing time are Elijah Young and BJ Harris. Young has played sporadically during his first two college seasons — last year, he carried the ball 19 times across the first three weeks, then essentially vanished from the offense, then led Missouri with 18 touches for 107 total yards in the Armed Forces Bowl. Harris saw some playing time as a true freshman in 2021, rushing 22 times for 73 yards on the season. Both players should have every opportunity to earn consistent carries with a strong fall camp.
The Backups
There are quite a few other contenders to compliment Peat in the Missouri backfield, as well. The coaching staff has talked excitedly about true freshman Tavorus Jones. The former four-star recruit will have to learn the offense during fall camp, but his high school production speaks to his dynamism. Jones rushed for 1,673 yards and 20 touchdowns in 11 games last season, averaging a ridiculous 11.8 yards per carry. He also caught 30 passes for another 597 yards and six scores.
Another newcomer to know is Truman State transfer Cody Schrader. While Schrader is not on scholarship, Drinkwitz has made a point to mention his name seemingly every time he's talked about the running backs this offseason, so we think he has a legitimate chance to factor into the backfield. Schrader led Division II in rushing last season with 2,074 yards and also scored 24 touchdowns. In his lone appearance in a Missouri uniform, he made a good impression, as he rushed for a team-high 68 yards and a score during the Black and Gold game.
Finally, if Missouri feels it needs a dedicated short-yardage back, Michael Cox and Taj Butts could vie for that role. Cox, another former walk-on, earned a scholarship last season, when he carried the ball 18 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Butts, a St. Louis native, didn't see the field as a true freshman. Cox is listed at 234 pounds and Butts at 221, so both should be capable of pushing a pile.
Camp Storyline to Watch
Is Drinkwitz actually willing to employ a running back by committee? He's talked about divvying up carries more each of the past two seasons, but has ultimately resorted to force-feeding the starter. However, his comments at SEC Media Days about the depth at running back combined with the lack of a proven starter lead us to believe there will be more of a two- or three-way split this season, especially early on.
PowerMizzou prediction
We feel fairly confident predicting Peat will lead Missouri in carries, at least early in the season. However, who sees regular playing time behind him is a total mystery. In a wild guess, we will say Young operates as the No. 2 back with either Harris or Jones seeing some playing time, as well. But don't forget about Schrader.
Previous Positions
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