Position Reset: Defensive tackle
The second Missouri football season of the Eli Drinkwitz era has come and gone. The Tigers started the 2021 campaign slow, losing early swing games at Kentucky and Boston College and getting blown out by Tennessee, but then rallied late to win six games and attain bowl eligibility. After falling to Army on the final play of the Armed Forces Bowl, Mizzou finished the season 6-7.
Now, it's time to take stock of the roster. Missouri, like virtually every other team, has already seen several players enter the transfer portal since the season ended. More attrition is expected. In this series, we'll go position by position to break down which players are expected to return and where the team could stand to add a difference-maker. In this edition, we start our look at the defensive side of the ball by taking stock of a new-look defensive tackle position.
2021 Recap
Prior to the start of last season, first-year defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said he expected Missouri's defensive line to serve as the strength of the unit. For the first eight weeks of the season, that prediction didn't exactly pan out. Missouri's defensive line, and particularly its defensive tackles, got pushed around, leading to the defense getting gashed on the ground. Through eight games, the Tigers allowed 283.9 rushing yards per game, which ranked last in the country.
Eventually, however, the interior of the defensive line started to play better. Drinkwitz fired defensive line coach Jethro Franklin following the team's loss to Tennessee, and the unit performed better under Al Davis, who has since been named the full-time defensive tackles coach. Missouri didn't allow any of its final four opponents to average five yards per carry after seven of the first nine eclipsed that mark.
When everyone was healthy, Missouri had a solid four-man rotation of Akial Byers, Kobie Whiteside, Darius Robinson and Mekhi Wingo for its two defensive tackle spots. Wingo, a true freshman, led the group with 27 tackles, while Whiteside recorded three sacks. In the three weeks since the end of the season, however, three-quarters of that crew has left the team, Byers and Whiteside because they exhausted their eligibility and Wingo for the transfer portal.
2022 Outlook
Departing: Akial Byers, Kobe Whiteside, Mekhi Wingo
Missouri knew it would lose two experienced contributors on the defensive line following this season. Byers started 10 games in 2021 and started 20 during his five-year college career. Whiteside logged 21 career starts. Whiteside totaled 24 tackles last season and Byers had 22.
The departure of Wingo, on the other hand, came as a shock. Wingo played in all 13 games during his first season on Missouri's campus and played the most snaps of any defensive tackle. He logged 27 tackles, including two for loss, and also returned an interception for a touchdown. Wingo's decision to transfer leaves the coaching staff with a sizable hole to fill.
Returning: Darius Robinson, Realus George, Daniel Robledo, Ben Key
Robinson will now become the veteran of the group. Robinson has missed time in each of his three college seasons due to injury, but when he's been on the field, he's played well. Robinson started six games last season and finished the year by racking up eight tackles against Army. He will likely be asked to shoulder the largest workload of his career in 2022.
Joining Robinson are a trio of former junior college transfers, none of whom has played much at Missouri. George saw the most playing time of the bunch last season, logging 132 snaps across eight games. He totaled eight tackles on the year. He, too, will likely be asked to play a much larger role this season. Robledo hardly played at all during his first year at Missouri, appearing in just two games. Key hasn't recorded a tackle during two seasons in Columbia.
Incoming: Jayden Jernigan, Marquis Gracial, Jalen Marshall
The good news for the Tigers is that the staff landed a proven commodity via the transfer portal in Jernigan. The Oklahoma State transfer played in all 14 games for the Cowboys' defense in 2021, which ranked fourth nationally in total defense and fifth against the run. Jernigan graded out as the second-best player on the unit by Pro Football Focus. He should contend for a starting spot as soon as he steps foot on campus. Don't be surprised if the coaching staff looks to add another transfer, too, after the loss of Wingo.
Missouri also added a pair of defensive tackles from the high school ranks. After seeing Wingo play a prominent role as a true freshman and considering Missouri's lack of proven players at the position, it wouldn't come as a shock if one of them saw the field right away. The leading contender is probably Gracial. At 6-foot-5 and roughly 300 pounds, the four-star prospect already has SEC size.
Projected Starters: Robinson, Jernigan
Barring another transfer addition, the starters seem pretty easy to predict on the interior of the defensive line. If he can stay healthy, Robinson could be poised for a breakout year with a larger role. Jernigan told PowerMizzou that the reason he left Oklahoma State after a 12-win season was to play a more featured role, and Missouri should certainly be able to offer him that. As it stands right now, we'd guess George will rotate in for regular snaps, as well.
Spring Practice storyline to watch: Do any of the players brought in at defensive end make the move inside? If so, how do they handle the transition? We will discuss the likes of Ky Montgomery and Jonathan Jones during the upcoming defensive end position reset, but both players could have the size to play on the interior. Missouri has more bodies at defensive end than it does at tackle, so training at least one or two edge players on the inside would make sense. The one complicating factor with both Montgomery and Jones, however, is that both missed all of last season due to injury, so it's unclear how quickly they will be to contribute.
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