The first week of spring ball has already come and gone for Missouri, and things are slowly but surely coming together at several positions.
After the Tigers' fourth practice on Saturday, it was revealed that there was a change on the offensive line, why wide receiver Mookie Cooper decided to return to Mizzou and what’s motivating the wide receiver room.
One of the bigger questions entering the offseason was how Mizzou would replace All-American left tackle Javon Foster and starting left guard Xavier Delgado.
The obvious answer to replace Foster is Oklahoma transfer guard and Lee's Summit North alum Cayden Green moving to left tackle.
Left guard seemed to be the position that would host an open competition for a new starter, but it might be right guard that is vacant and needs a new starter.
Starting right guard Cam'Ron Johnson has been at practice doing drills at left guard and center Connor Tollison confirmed that Johnson has been playing to the left of him to start camp.
"It's (camp) been good," Tollison said. "Cayden coming in and working hard. Cam moving over from right guard and brought some experience. He played left guard before he got here, but I think the two of them will mesh together pretty well."
This could all just be for camp to provide a different look or maybe it's because Johnson, who earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors at left guard at Houston in 2022, would feel more comfortable at the spot.
He struggled in the first half of the 2023 season at right guard, compiling an FBS-leading nine penalties in the first seven games before committing just two the rest of the season.
Tristan Wilson, Logan Reichert, Mitchell Walters, Drake Heismeyer,, and three-star signees Caleb Pyfrom, Talan Chandler and Ryan Jostes are the most likely candidates to vie for a starting guard spot.
Going back to Tollison, he had a much better season in 2023 than he did in 2022, but he did struggle with penalties and snapping the ball at times. He recognizes that and wants To use camp to rectify those issues.
"I'm just trying to get better every day individually," Tollison said. "And then, just working on operation. I don't want to have any pre-snap penalties or pre-snap errors. So, I'd say that's my biggest focus this spring."
Going to right tackle Armand Membou, defensive end Johnny Walker had lofty praise for him and the Tigers' newest left tackle.
"I think Armand is probably the best run blocker in the country,” Walker said. “So, I love going against him every day in practice. It's a challenge.
“He's (Green) a good run blocker as well. I love going against guys who give me a challenge."
Offensive continuity, WR room's lofty goal & Mookie's decision to return
The first year with Kirby Moore as the offensive coordinator was a major success for the Tigers, but in year two with eight starters returning, the offense knows it has to take a step forward.
"We feel super comfortable. We're just trying to hone in on the details more and add a little more spice to the offense,” Cooper said. "We kind of got the basics down but we're just trying to add a little more flavor to it and do some more different looks now."
The Tigers are looking to replace Cody Schrader and Nathaniel Peat at running back but they brought in transfer running backs Marcus Carroll and Nate Noel, who both come from outside zone schemes at Georgia State and Appalachian State respectively.
Cooper said what he's noticed about the running back room so far is that everyone is different, which diversifies the room.
"They all got different skill sets and they're all good at different stuff," Cooper said. "I feel like we've got a nice three-headed monster right now. So, I don't know who's sticking out for real but they all have got something that they can add to the offense."
Cooper didn't clarify if soon-to-be redshirt freshman Jamal Roberts or soon-to-be redshirt sophomore Tavorus Jones made up the final part of the three-headed monster but those are the other two scholarship running backs at camp.
Cooper said he and fellow starting receivers Theo Wease and Luther Burden III talk often about being the best-receiving group in the nation, and that's what's motivating this group alongside playing against a hungry cornerback room looking to replace Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw.
"We're (the wide receiver room) trying to prove ourselves too," Cooper said. "We're trying to be the best receiver room in the country. So, we're going at each other for sure but we kind of are more competing with ourselves and just trying to better ourselves.
"We talk about it all the time. A lot of time before practices start, we're kind of talking about it often, and in meetings (wide receivers) Coach (Jacob) Peeler has been on us hard about that. So, it's just something we strive for every day. Just grinding."
This upcoming season, Cooper returns to the team for his fourth and final season.
However, there were some thoughts outside of the locker room that the Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State could've been his last as a Tiger. Well, Cooper confirmed that those thoughts were in his head, too.
"Well, you have a thought (of transferring)," Cooper said. "You got to have the thought but I felt like I always leaned towards coming back here more than leaving. Just coming in and looking at everybody in the locker room kind of made my decision easier for me.
"I knew I was going to come back to college for sure but to come back to Missouri was just like a brotherhood for real. I didn't want to leave the guys I came in with, that I helped change the program with. I just want to finish up what I started."
The 5-foot-8 receiver had the best season of his career in 2023, racking up 36 receptions for 447 yards.
Johnny Walker & Daylan Carnell trying to assume more leadership
Mizzou lost five of its six team captains from a year ago, so there is plenty of opportunity for players to become team leaders. It appears a couple of defensive starters from a year ago, Walker and safety Daylan Carnell are players trying to fill the leadership void on that side of the ball.
"This is something new," Carnell said. "For the last two years, I've had older guys in front of me that I've taken stuff from this year. But this year, with guys like Philip (Roche) and Marvin (Burks), they've been looking to me more for (the same) things that I looked for from JC (Jaylon Carlies) and things like that. So, it's definitely something new for me and I'm learning."
One of the things Carlies is learning on the fly is how to display his leadership.
He doesn't categorize himself as just a vocal leader or one who leads by example, but whatever the player in front of him needs him to be.
"(I'm) a little bit of both," Carnell said. "It really depends on who it is."
Carnell has been a constant presence since his redshirt season in 2022 when he led the team in takeaways, while Walker was second in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (five) last season behind Darius Robinson in his first season as a starter.
Ironically, Robinson is the person Walker is trying to replace 一 he just wants to do it his way.
"I kind of want to be my own person and my own leader," Walker said. "I want to follow in his footsteps, but kind of lead in my own way, you know what I'm saying? But the same end goal."
Missouri has 11 practices left in spring ball with the Black and Gold game taking place on March 16.
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