Position Reset: Defensive tackle
The first Missouri football season of the Eli Drinkwitz era showed both plenty of reasons for optimism as well as room for improvement. The Tigers finished a 10-game, all-SEC schedule with a record of 5-5, including an upset of defending national champion LSU and at one point cracking the College Football Playoff rankings at No. 25. However, the team also dropped its final two games of the season and saw an average margin of defeat of 24 points in its five losses.
In this series, we will go position by position to break down Missouri's performance in 2020 and look ahead to spring football practices, which should start later this month, and kick off preparation for the 2021 season. Last week, we examined the offensive line. Today, we transition to the defensive side of the ball and take a look at the defensive tackle group.
2020 Recap
Due to a combination of injuries and COVID-19 quarantines, Missouri saw its personnel on the interior of the defensive line rotate just about every game. That certainly contributed to the group's up-and-down performance. The Tigers got just five games out of preseason all-SEC pick Kobie Whiteside as Whiteside battled a couple different injuries. Markell Utsey and Darius Robinson missed time due to injury, as well. At one point, Missouri had to take the field with just two active scholarship defensive tackles — and the Tigers held LSU to 49 rushing yards in a 45-41 upset.
The victory over the defending national champions and Missouri's won over Kentucky the following week, when the Tiger defense held the Wildcats' potent ground attack to 95 yards, represented the highlights of the season for the defensive front. But there were some struggles, as well. Three opponents — Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia — rushed for more than 230 yards against Missouri. In the final three games of the season, the Tiger defense allowed an average of 6.17 yards per carry. Only one player listed as a defensive tackle, Robinson, recorded a sack on the season.
While Whiteside failed to live up to his preseason hype due to injuries, Utsey generally performed solidly in his absence. He finished the season with 19 tackles, including two for loss. Akial Byers added 15 tackles. Those two seniors, along with Whiteside, announced that they will return for the 2021 season, which should help stabilize a position group that at one point looked like it would have to be completely overhauled this offseason.
2021 Outlook
Departing: None
Returning: Kobie Whiteside, Markell Utsey, Akial Byers, Darius Robinson, Ben Key
This time a year ago, it seemed like Missouri was going to lose most of its production on the defensive line after the 2020 season. But with the NCAA allowing last season not to count against players' eligibility, Missouri's trio of senior defensive tackles — Whiteside, Utsey and Byers — all decided to return to school for one more year. Add in Robinson, who earned high praise during fall camp but wound up missing three games due to injury, and the Tigers should have plenty of depth and experience on the interior of the line.
Instead of replacing the players at defensive tackle, however, Missouri finds itself with a pair of new coaches. Steve Wilks took over for Ryan Walters at defensive coordinator and Drinkwitz hired Jethro Franklin to coach the defensive line after parting ways with former position coach Brick Haley. How Wilks and Franklin opt to format the defensive line remains to be seen. Wilks did say during his introductory press conference that he plans to employ a 4-2-5 base scheme, which would mean Missouri would generally use two defensive tackles instead of the three it employed in most situations last season.
Incoming: Realus George, Daniel Robledo, Mekhi Wingo
With the defensive tackle group so senior-heavy last season, the staff sought players who could contribute shortly after arriving on campus. That led to the signings of two junior college products in George and Robledo. George has had an interesting career: He initially attended Miami, where he played fullback in 2019, before transferring to Independence Community College and making the switch to the other side of the ball. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was unable to play games last fall, but Missouri still liked enough from the film of his practice sessions that the staff offered him a scholarship. He will have three years of eligibility remaining. Robledo is the second defensive lineman in as many years to sign with Missouri out of East Los Angeles College. Robledo recorded 35 tackles and four sacks as a freshman in 2019. It's possible he could line up on the outside for Missouri, as well as at tackle. Both George and Robledo are already on campus and will participate in spring practices.
The Tigers added a high school player at defensive tackle in the 2021 recruiting class, as well. Wingo became the first high school player to commit to Drinkwitz when he made his pledge back in January of 2020. Wingo recorded 42 tackles, including 16 for loss, in De Smet's seven games as a senior.
Projected Starters: Kobie Whiteside, Markell Utsey
While it remains to be seen exactly how many defensive tackles Missouri puts on the field in its base defense and where they line up, which could certainly impact the starting lineup, it seems a safe bet that at least four players will see regular time at the position, and maybe as many as six if everyone is healthy. Whiteside will look to return to his 2019 form, when he recorded 28 tackles and 7.5 sacks. If he can stay healthy and make that kind of an impact, Missouri's entire defense would greatly benefit. We think Utsey is the front-runner to start next to him after he started the majority of last season. Byers and Robinson will likely receive regular playing time, as well, and there should be an opportunity for at least one of George or Robledo to work his way into the regular rotation.
One other thing to monitor is whether a player listed at defensive end, such as Isaiah McGuire or Chris Turner, moves to the interior of the line. McGuire, in particular, had a breakout sophomore season, finishing last year with 18 tackles and three sacks. Turner, another senior who opted to return, has mainly played on the edge during his college career but lined up on the interior of the line when Missouri was short-handed at times last season.
Spring Practice storyline to watch: Quite simply, what will the defensive front look like from a formational standpoint under Wilks and Franklin, and how does that impact the personnel? If Missouri lines one player up at nose tackle, for instance, Whiteside and Utsey might split reps there instead of starting next to one another. If the Tigers wind up using an odd-numbered front, McGuire would likely play more of a tackle's role, lining up in a four-technique rather than on the edge.
Previous Position Breakdowns:
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