Mizzou camp preview: Tight ends
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 break down the position group that has seen the most turnover of any in the past year, the tight ends.
The Starters
The Missouri tight end room will look drastically different in 2022 than it did a year ago. Not only did the Tigers lose tight ends coach Casey Woods to SMU, but two of the team's top three producers at the position from a season ago transferred: Daniel Parker Jr. to Oklahoma and Messiah Swinson to Arizona State. The other, Niko Hea, medically retired.
Thus, the position now coached by Erik Link does not contain a single player who has caught a pass in a Missouri uniform. As a result, it's hard to know what to expect from the position. But the most likely candidate to start against Louisiana Tech would seem to be Tyler Stephens. The Buffalo transfer didn't put up huge numbers during his one season playing for the Bulls, catching 15 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. But the Missouri staff has expressed excitement about Stephens and his 6-foot-6 frame since he arrived on campus last spring.
Competition for the spot next to Stephens should be wide open, but we think the frontrunner to claim it will be Ryan Hoerstkamp. The in-state product appeared in four games last season, serving mostly as a blocker.
The Backups
Whisner was one of two tight ends signed by Missouri in the 2021 class. The other, Gavin McKay, didn't see the field at all last season. But after a full offseason in the strength and conditioning program, the 6-foot-3 McKay could be poised to take on a consistent role. McKay was known for his receiving ability in high school, so he could help make up for the 35 receptions by departed Missouri tight ends last season.
This year, the Tigers signed Max Whisner at tight end. Given the fact that the Lee's Summit prospect enrolled in time for spring practices and, at 6-foot-4, 239 pounds, already has impressive size, don't be surprised if he gets a chance to compete for immediate playing time.
Lastly, don't forget about Kibet Chepyator. The high school basketball player walked on at Missouri two years ago, but he saw some playing time last season. He played 22 snaps and was targeted a couple times during Missouri's Armed Forces Bowl loss to Army. The graduate student is the team's oldest player left at tight end, and given the turnover at the position, he could wind up playing a significant role.
Camp Storyline to Watch
Does Missouri have enough at the position? The group has combined to catch 15 college passes, all by Stephens, two of which came against Power Five competition. While Missouri's wide receivers should be able to shoulder a larger load in the passing game, the offense is going to need someone in the tight end room to take a step forward and handle a larger role than he has prior to this point.
PowerMizzou prediction
Stephens seems like the safe bet to play the most snaps of the group at the start of the season, but we think Hoerstkamp will have a regular role, as well. Think of him like the Parker Jr. to Stephens' Hea. The Tigers will probably need at least one other tight end to play a weekly role, and we would tab Chepyator as the favorite for now, although nothing would shock us.
Previous Positions
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