Mizzou Spring Ball Notebook: Re-tooling the EDGE room
Missouri's got some re-tooling to do all over the defense after losing five starters and several important depth pieces. However, no level of the defense got hit harder than the defensive line. Three rotation tackles graduated and on the edge, Darius Robinson ran out of eligibility and left for the NFL, Nyles Gaddy ran out of eligibility and EDGE coach Kevin Peoples joined Blake Baker on LSU's staff.
The Tigers have found Baker's replacement in Corey Batoon and Peoples' replacement in Brian Early, but now they have to figure out Robinson's replacement and who will fill out the rest of the two-deep.
Early isn't starting completely from scratch with this EDGE group. He still has Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP Johnny Walker, Joe Moore and Austin Firestone returning to the fold from last season.
Walker was second on the team in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (five) and is someone the coaching staff is counting on for more than just his production this year.
"I knew that Johnny had a really good season and was Cotton Bowl MVP and has played a lot of football around here," Early said. "We talk about in here that great players make everyone around them better. So, that's really the challenge for someone like Johnny is not only try to improve as an individual but also, instead of calling guys out call guys up."
Early is a little more familiar with Moore because he tried to recruit him to transfer from Arizona State to Houston last offseason.
Moore had 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery in 12 games last year, but Early is expecting the St. Louis native to take a similar step forward like Walker in terms of leadership and production this year.
"Joe's another guy that is a quiet worker. And right now he's trying to establish some credibility and become a dude for us," Early said. "And while he's in the process of doing that, he's just head down, getting some work done, and he's starting to become consistent. It's flashing on tape and is doing some really good things as well. So, once he gets that type of credibility, then he's also going to put himself in a position to lead."
Firestone rounds out the group of returners and made his way up from the practice squad in fall camp to seeing some reps across nine games, recording two tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss in the process.
Joining the defensive end room are Michigan State transfer Zion Young and Georgia transfer Darris Smith.
The former recorded 26 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last season while the latter recorded three tackles and a pass deflection in five games.
Both players fit the measurables that the Tigers want to have at EDGE, but what's impressed Early about the pair more than their measurements is their attitudes.
"Shout out to Coach Peoples. He left us in a pretty good situation there with Zion Young and Darris Smith coming in," Early said. "(I've) been really impressed with 一 a lot of times you can get transfers from other Power Five institutions and there's a certain sense of entitlement that they have when they get to your program. I have seen zero of that from either one of those guys. (They're) really humble, willing to learn, they allow me to coach them and they work hard.
"I know you guys aren't in practice very much and haven't seen any of the competitive team stuff that we do. But there are flashes of, 'Oh, wow,' here and there from those guys. And if we can get them to be that person consistently, which I think we can do before we start playing games around here, I think that both of those guys are going to be good players for us in the fall."
Early said that Walker, Smith and Young all fit into the "Joker" role the team wants to use more of this season. In essence, the ”Joker” is an outside linebacker who can rush the passer well but also handle themselves in space.
"For us, that's the premier pass rusher in this defense. You're looking for longer, leaner 一 you look like a basketball player is the prototype that you're looking for at that position over there into the boundary," Early said. "You're (also) looking for a bigger anchor type into the field. So, Johnny, Joe and Darris Smith are playing that Joker position for us into the boundary and I think there's some good healthy competition there."
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It doesn't just stop with the five EDGEs at spring ball, though.
In the summer, Mizzou adds five-star signee Williams Nwaneri, four-star signee Elias Williams and three-star signee Jaylen Brown.
Early is excited about this trio and thinks that at least one of them could feature in his rotation in the fall.
"Just watching the three signees, (I've) been really impressed with the quality that we were able to sign here at that defensive end position," Early said. "All three of those guys are prototypical measurable body types. All three of them have really impressive high school tape. (I'm) excited to get our hands on them. (I) would not be shocked if one or two of them weren't able to help us this fall. Just from what I've already seen on the high school tape and where their floor is, if that makes sense."
There’s plenty of time for Early and Batoon to figure out the two-deep at defensive end. Fortunately for them, they won’t need to go to the portal and hope to find those players. They have those. They just have to be patient and let the position battle play itself out.
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