The car ride home was quiet.

Kevin and Kelly Lange dropped off their second child at school Thursday, and while coming home to their cats and dogs, there was still a sense of emptiness in their nest. The two sent their son, Jack Lange, on his way to Missouri, the school the Eureka (Mo.) High offensive tackle committed to over a year ago.

"It's a different type of quiet when you know that it's going to be that way all night and into the next day," Kevin said. "But the good news is knowing he's only a couple hours away. We can make a quick trip down there to see him over the weekend. ... That's the reward of the back end is that he's not six, even or eight hours away."

While only two hours away from Jack, Kevin still felt the mixed emotions of his son finally beginning his college football career. Jack, who had the option to enroll in January, opted to stay back and finish out his final months of high school.

"He's going from everything that he's known for the last 18 years to an environment to where, from day on, expectations of performance and how he has to handle himself in a different way," Kevin said.

"There's anxieties as a parent, because you've controlled his cocoon and environment for all these years, and now he's on his own."

Graduating from high school May 10, Jack, a four-star in the 2025 class, had a whirlwind final weeks at home, going to a chiropractor to get his body ready for football, buying everything for his apartment and spending his final days with his friends while also getting putting himself into the best mindset as workouts begin Monday.

"It felt very comforting as a parent when we got down there," Kevin said. "Just to see that everything fell right in the rhythm of where it was last year during the season and even through the recruiting process. It was very easy to see why it's such a comfortable place for him."

Read more on Jack Lange:

• How Mizzou signee Jack Lange built confidence through show choir

• Top in-state recruit Jack Lange brings leadership, loyalty to Mizzou

• Jack Lange relishes in culture change for Mizzou O-line under Brandon Jones

Kevin coached Jack through pee wee and grade school football. When it came to high school, he still never missed one of his son's games, and that will be the focus moving forward with him and his wife at Missouri.

"We told ourselves we're going to make the commitment that if he's going to see the field, we're going to be at that game, live and in person, home and away," Kevin said. "If he's on the sidelines cheering at home, we'll certainly be at those games for certain."

Kevin's final advice to Jack was to be himself, not someone else, reminding others through competition and work ethic why the Tigers wanted his signature in the 2025 class.

"You want to make sure that they set themselves up for success, but at the same time you got to give them a chance to fail," Kevin said. "And what I mean by that is fail forward. So they're going to make mistakes, they're going to do things, but that's part of the growing process.

"You can't control every little thing that they do, but at the same time, you hope that you've given them enough life skills and enough encouragement to be able to make the right decisions."

Dakotah Terrell returned home from a nine-day cruise, and his mother never wanted him to leave her side.

Leisha Terrell had just three more days with her eldest son before he departed for Missouri, the school he signed to play football with in early December. Leisha squeezed out every second she had left before her family drove Dakotah to school Wednesday.

"I'm a mama bear," said Leisha, a mother of five children. "I like to know where my kids are like underneath my roof. I like to know they're okay, safe. ... I feel like he's going to fit in real well there. When I left, I was good leaving him."

Leisha fixed Dakotah his favorite meals the final days he was home. She wanted to check off every family activity with her second child bound for college after moving in her daughter, Dachè Terrell, nearly five years ago.

"I did the same thing with her, but it was a little different," Leisha said. "He's my first-born son. I feel we're really close."

Joined by her daughter and second son, DaQuayne Terrell, Leisha knew Dakotah chose the right place for college. Dakotah, a Class of 2025 three-star athlete who Missouri recruited to play tight end, officially moved into his apartment Thursday with other enrollees.

"Coach (Derham) Cato was wonderful," Leisha said of the tight ends staffer. "I got to talk to (head) coach (Eli Drinkwitz). ... His roommates seemed like they're going to be great. I'm just really happy."

Dakotah, who played in the state basketball tournament for Pocola (Okla.) High earlier this year, finished his career Tuesday in a local all-star game, which he ended with an MVP award.

Even with the final success in the sport her son also pursued a future in, Leisha reminded Dakotah how life reset in his move to Missouri. Just as he did in Pocola, Dakotah will need to make a name for himself once again.

"You're going there for a job," Leisha said. "You're getting your education paid for. That's huge on my list, and you're going there to play football. You're doing something that a lot of kids want to do and don't take anything for granted, go up there be a gentleman and just be what you've been here."

Leisha's already excited to see Dakotah again, putting together a care package of things he forgot. She's also planning her trips for the upcoming season, even eyeing games not in Columbia.

"I don't miss anything," Leisha laughed about Dakotah's sporting events. "The ones that we can drive to, we're going to be there."

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