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Mizzou Football Notebook: Importance of a win, roster depth, draft grades

Mizzou (6-6) is just six days out from facing Wake Forest (7-5) in a first-ever matchup between the schools in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa. The Tigers have won four of their last six games and are looking to win their first bowl game since the 2014 Citrus Bowl and eclipse .500 for the first time since 2019.

"Winning this game means everything," Mizzou defensive tackle Darius Robinson said. "Tampa is a great city, but we've got to win. and it's no secret. I've heard that a lot and that's a crazy surprise to me to know the seniors that came before me and the other good Mizzou teams (didn't win). So, we've just got to find a way to win at any cost. We'll enjoy the trip, but we've just got to find a way to win because this is going to be a good end to our season."

With the transfer portal opening earlier this month and teams having NFL Draft prospects declare for it, bowl games have been seen as glorified exhibitions for teams not participating in New Year's Six bowl games to some. The Tigers aren't looking at it that way despite having three players declare for the draft and ten enter the transfer portal, including the team's leading wide receiver Dominic Lovett.

Sixth-year wide receiver Barrett Banister, who missed the regular-season finale due to injury, said he's nearing 100% and will play in this game. He said he doesn't knock players who decide to transfer or sit out, but his circumstances and how he looks are the game are different.

"I saw him (Lovett) and told him good luck," Banister said. "He did a lot of good stuff for us this year and I wish him well. He's got his own journey. I think the expectations of this team that we have is that in this game every single person is going to have to contribute and play to that standard we've played with the past couple of games. So, we're all we've got. That's what we are going to war with.

"Each person has stuff that they need to take care of personally. I'm never going to hate someone for making their own decision. For me, it's important (to play) because you never know when it's going to end for you. I could play 10 more years or never take another snap."

Lovett was named to the All-Southeastern Conference second team after recording 56 receptions for 846 yards and three touchdowns.

Someone who is familiar with the transfer portal process is Oklahoma State defensive tackle transfer Jayden Jernigan, who announced earlier in the week that he intends on returning to Missouri in 2023.

"Truly, with how the transfer portal is right now, I just wanted to let everybody know because everybody has speculation on every player on an NCAA roster," Jernigan said. "So, anybody can go if they want or stay if they want. So, I just said I'm going to get this nonsense out. I don't let that stuff stress me."

When asked about how bizarre the portal can get Jernigan alluded to its unpredictability.

"It's just all a mystery. You're going to find out who you have on your team probably a day before you play."

Kris Abrams-Draine & Darius Robinson get NFL Draft grades

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Missouri's three aforementioned opt outs who declared for the NFL Draft were defensive ends Isaiah McGuire and DJ Coleman and safety Martez Manuel. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine and Darius Robinson have both committed to playing in the bowl game with Abrams-Draine committing to return to the school in 2023.

"I decided it was the best thing for me to do," Abrams-Draine said. "I talked to my family and they were with me on that. One more year to get my technique better and get stronger. I received third-round draft grades and most people would've probably went, but that's not where I wanted to be at."

Abrams-Draine staying will be huge for this defense and his return means that the Tigers will likely retain one of the best cornerback tandems in the league with him and Ennis Rakestraw. Rakestraw indicated on Twitter Friday night he would have an announcement soon.

Abrams-Draine recorded an SEC-high 13 pass deflections to go with 40 tackles while Rakestraw was second in the league in pass deflections with 12 to go with 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Robinson also received his draft grade but was coy about the specifics and said that he will likely announce his decision after the bowl game.

"I haven't made any decisions about next season. I've just been hanging out, practicing, lifting weights and getting better each day just controlling what I can control," Robinson said. "I've got a lot of great feedback and I've also got some feedback where I'm just questioning things a little bit. I think I'll have my decision right after the bowl game, so I'm not in a rush. I'm just trying to have fun and find a way to win this game."

As of now, it's expected that linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper and safety Jaylon Carlies will play in the bowl game too. Both players have had their names floated around as other Tigers who could declare for the draft before the game, but have made no public declarations either way. They could still do so, but it looks possible the Tigers won't lose any more starters to the draft until at least after the game.

Johnny and Arden Walker are expected to have increased roles

When Robinson was asked who he is looking to step up it was a fairly quick answer.

"The Walkers (Johnny and Arden). It's finally their time to go play and show you guys what they can do. Those guys are more than ready to play. I'm so excited for their opportunity and you guys get to see them play. Johnny is from Tampa, so I'm telling y'all No. 15 is going to have a day."

When Jernigan was asked what he has seen from Arden Walker and Johnny Walker the last couple of weeks in practice, he said their acceleration from the defensive end position is unique.

"They're fast," Jernigan said. "It's a different kind of speed coming off of the edge and with that we have to play faster and match it. Sometimes I feel they get off the ball faster than us and we've played more games than them."

The Walkers will likely be the ones getting a bulk of the reps on the end spots even though it's likely they will still be ceding some snaps to veterans Trajan Jeffcoat and Tyrone Hopper.

Arden recorded four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in 11 games while Johnny recorded four tackles and two sacks in five games.

It's also notable that linebacker DJ Wesolak and defensive back Ja'Marion Wayne will be available for this game after getting waivers from the NCAA that will allow them to play and it not count against their redshirts. Both players have played exactly four games which is the limit a player can play if they want to maintain that status.

Jernigan said that the absences along the defensive line don't scare the players who will be playing. Instead, he alluded to the defensive line embracing having to step up in the absence of the team's top two leaders in sacks.

"We're a different type of trench mob," Jernigan said. "We take every competition. We don't really care what people say 一 we're in the SEC and we have a lot of defensive ends that are not the size. We still play and we do everything we need to do."

He also said the experience of the defensive line has given everyone the chance to pick each other's brains. So it's not just the younger guys learning it's everyone.

"Darius, Isaiah, Trajan they've helped me with stuff and we just keep shuffling through everybody's brain. Kristian Williams does a lot of stuff from Oregon that we've seen 一 like he taught me how to spin. I didn't know how to really do it. So, we just all just go ahead and dibble and dabble from everybody's mind."

"We know that everything starts up front regardless of who is on the field and we've got to be able to control the game if we want to win," Robinson said. "So, I think we've just got to continue to have a good week of practice, a good week of prep and get in the film room."

What to expect from Wake Forest

Wake Forest will enter this game with the nation's 10th-best passing offense behind All-Atlantic Coast Conference third-team quarterback Sam Hartman, who has completed 247 of 392 passes (63%) for 3,421 yards, 35 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

"The quarterback is a really good player," Robinson said. "From what I've seen on tape, he could be one of the best players we've played this season in my opinion."

Robinson and Jernigan both hit on the Demon Deacons' read-pass-option as something to watch for.

"The long mesh RPOs that they do are very unique because as defensive linemen you wonder at what point do I release," Robinson said. "At what point do I transition to rush?"

"They hold their mesh longer for the quarterback, so that's one thing," Jernigan said. "It's just a different style of offense. We're playing an ACC team, so they're going to try to throw the ball and get out faster and think they will be a tempo more."

Wake Forest isn't a prolific running team as it ranks 92nd in rushing with 132.5 yards per game. The Demon Deacons will also be without their rushing touchdown leader Christian Turner, who entered the transfer portal.

His departure may hamper the team's running game, but this team has five players with 500 or more receiving yards, including All-ACC first-team wide receiver A.T. Perry, who has 70 receptions for 980 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

"He's got good speed, he can catch the ball and he's big, so he can go up and high point the ball," Abrams-Draine said.

Mizzou's secondary will have to face another physical and tall wide receiver group like it did versus Arkansas. Three of those 500-plus yard receivers are 6-2 or taller, including Perry. Abrams-Draine knows him and his fellow defensive backs will have their hands full with the size of the receivers, but they'll rely on experience to combat that.

"We know we've got to play big receivers, so we've just got to be on our A-game and the Arkansas receivers helped us because we already played them. Wake Forest will probably try to take more shots."

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