Fall camp officially wrapped up last weekend. That means going forward the Tigers will be preparing for their season opener versus Louisiana Tech on Sept. 1. Here are some of the final takeaways from Missouri’s final press conference and fall camp in general.

*Four-star wide receiver turned defensive back Ja’Marion Wayne has received the number 25. The passing of the number 25 is in honor of Aaron O’Neal, a former Tiger linebacker who died during a voluntary workout in July 2005. Typically, the number is given to someone from the St. Louis area. Wayne went to Parkway West.

“It’s important for us with the graduation, that we pass along the number 25 and honor Aaron O’Neal. We had a group of alumni and Aaron’s father (Lonnie), come and speak to our team last week or in fall camp,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. And as a coaching staff and as players we decided Ja’Marion Wayne would be the young man from St. Louis that will get the chance and opportunity to represent Aaron and honor that legacy.”

2.) Eight captains were announced. On offense, quarterback Brady Cook, offensive tackle Javon Foster and wide receivers Tauskie Dove and Barrett Banister. On defense, defensive linemen Isaiah McGuire and Darius Robinson, linebacker Chad Bailey and safety Martez Manuel. This is Manuel’s second straight season being named a captain. One thing is almost a certainty – there will not be a shortage of depth in leadership.

“It was pretty clear cut like these were the top four on offense and these were the top four on defense than everybody else. And so instead of going into a runoff election, figured more is better,” Drinkwitz said.

“It’s a lot harder to lead when things are going bad than when things are going good,” Manuel said. “You know, everybody wants to be that rah-rah guy when things are going great when you’re winning games, but when you’re in that rut, and you need to lead and you need to keep guys who might have checked out you know. That’s when you know who the real leaders are. Guys that continue to apply themselves in that aspect.”

3.) There is no telling as to which true freshmen besides Luther Burden III will be playing a significant role on the team. Any athlete that has his face on a bag of chips ought to be playing. Now, this isn’t necessarily a huge, but it is something to monitor. When you think about players like four-star running back Tavorus Jones and four-star quarterback Sam Horn in particular, the thought of when and if they will play more than four games this season comes up. Horn already has the build of starting quarterback in the SEC. It also doesn’t do many favors for freshmen that there were a lot of upperclassmen transferring in along with graduate transfers who get to play another season due to the 2020 COVID-19 season not counting against anyone’s eligibility.

“Well, you know, with the four-game redshirt rule, I don’t think any of those determinations have to be made just yet," Drinkwitz said. "I think we’re trying to figure out who the 22 on each side of the ball and who is going to have the opportunity to play.

"T-man (Jones) was kind of limited in fall camp (soft tissue injury) so he’s probably not you know, we’re trying to get him back up to speed as quickly as possible which may not be full tilt ready to go.”

It's a foregone conclusion Burden will play, but Drinkwitz isn't tipping his hand on any other members of the highest-rated recruiting class in school history.

“The rest of those guys we’re going to, if they earn their way on the depth chart and are on there, we’re going to let it roll and not making decisions about redshirt or anything like that until they get closer to their fourth game.”

4.) It appears that the backup quarterback position may come down to situational needs more than someone just outright earning the spot. Now, that doesn’t mean there won’t be or that there isn’t already a player who is primed to be the primary backup. It just means that if a particular circumstance calls for a different quarterback whose skillset matches the need of the team at that time then that is who will play.

“Last year when you think back to the Vanderbilt game, you know, we didn't go Brady (Cook) we went Tyler Macon because we knew we needed to run the ball,” Drinkwitz said. “South Carolina game we went Brady because we knew we needed a different aspect to finish that four-minute drive. So, it kind of all depends on the situation where we’re comfortable.”

Drinkwitz said Macon, Horn and Jack Abraham will continue to compete for the spot.

5.) While Drinkwitz says that the two-deep has pretty much been decided. One position he’s still mulling over is the punter position battle between Sean Koetting and Jack Stonehouse. This position battle on the surface may not seem like that big of a deal but when you consider the team has a new quarterback and does not have Tyler Badie as a safety valve ㅡ if the offense struggles to get into scoring range it helps to have a punter who can flip the field. It would also help this new defense that has a lot of new faces playing key roles ㅡ at least early on in the season. If the defense has struggles similar to the first half of 2021, a punter who can pin the offense inside their own 20-yard line can give that defense some room to work with not only on the field but mentally.

“It’s been so nip tuck and then we went out there and told them whoever has the better day today, he’s going to be the guy and I’ll be darned if they weren’t just about 50-50,” Drinkwitz said. “Like they both had one really bad punt and both of them had like some really good ones and it's going to be a tough decision. I’ll probably just kick it down the road a little bit longer ㅡ no pun intended.”

Sources have indicated to PowerMizzou.com that Koetting is likely to win the spot.

6.) Missouri will be getting more out of their defensive talent with Manuel playing the STAR (a hybrid linebacker/safety) position in Blake Baker’s version of the 4-2-5 defense than Steve Wilks' version.

“I feel very comfortable," Manuel said of his new role. "I like it a lot. I can use my vision more, I can be more active, and I can make more plays. I’m very happy to play that (position) it’s awesome."

With transfers like Ty’Ron Hopper and Jayden Jernigan and returning players like Isaiah McGuire, Trajan Jeffcoat and Kris Abrams-Draine the defense should be expected to be much better than it was last year--if for no other reason than it can't be much worse.

Manuel being comfortable in his new role is important for a couple of reasons. First, he is probably experiencing the biggest change in his role on the defense. Second, he is a solid run defender and the best run defender among safeties on the team, so being able to use him closer to the line of scrimmage will help. Abrams-Draine is also experiencing a change since he will go from playing slot corner, which is what the STAR replaces in Baker’s scheme, to being a cornerback on the outside.

He wasn’t selected to the Preseason All-SEC third team for nothing, Abrams-Draine should be fine in that role. The first four weeks of the season will really tell if the switch to this more aggressive version of the 4-2-5 defense is a good idea, particularly with strong run games in Kansas State and Auburn.

7.) The running back position probably poses more questions than any other position group on the roster. At least with the punters, it could be one of two people and the quarterbacks at least have a starter which is what matters. With the running back group, there are about four players who will probably see a share fair of snaps this season and probably three that have a case to start Week 1. When Missouri held its final public practice Truman State transfer Cody Schrader was with the first string group, Nathaniel Peat was with the second string and Elijah Young didn’t practice. If Peat, who has dealt with a “soft tissue” injury during camp, is healthy will he start? Where does Young fit in this equation being the most experienced running back from last year’s team? Did Schrader do enough to obtain the starting job? This appears to be a “when you see it, you’ll know” type of situation.

As with most personnel questions, Drinkwitz isn't offering a clue: "We feel confident we'll put a running back out there."

8.) Health Update: Drinkwitz stated that Macon, Young, Luke Griffin and EJ Ndoma-Ogar are healthy and back with the team after being out of Saturday’s public practice.

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