Position Reset: Running back
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 take a look at running back, where the Tigers will have to replace bell-cow Tyler Badie.
2021 Recap
Entering the 2021 campaign, questions swirled about how Missouri would replace leading rusher Larry Rountree III, who averaged more than 22 touches per game the year prior. As it turned out, Badie, who spent his first three seasons in a change-of-pace role, shouldered an even heavier workload — and he still maintained his big play ability. Badie carried the ball 268 times — the most of any Power Five player — and gained 1,604 yards on the ground. That broke Devin West's 24-year-old mark for the most rushing yards in a single season by a Missouri player. Badie also led Missouri in receptions with 54. He scored 18 total touchdowns. In short, he was the Tiger offense.
Badie has declared for the NFL Draft, as expected, so Missouri once again finds itself having to replace its workhorse in the backfield. With Badie dominating the carries, it's unclear what Missouri has behind him on the depth chart. The four returning running backs on the Tiger roster combined to log just 77 total carries this year.
2022 Outlook
Departing: Tyler Badie, Dawson Downing
In addition to Badie, Missouri will be without Downing next season. The sixth-year senior served as a special teams stalwart throughout his college career and also found a role as a pass-blocking back this season. He started in place of Badie in the Armed Forces Bowl and logged 100 total yards on 17 touches.
Returning: Elijah Young, BJ Harris, Michael Cox, Taj Butts
The likelihood that Missouri has another Badie on its roster, who can seamlessly transition from a depth piece to the lead option, seems slim. But the Tigers will certainly need one or two of the returners to take on larger roles next season. Young is the veteran of the group, even though he's only handled 47 carries in his college career. Young seemed to fall out of the running back rotation for much of this season, but he then rushed for 75 yards and added 32 as a receiver in Missouri's bowl game. Like Badie, his strengths appear to be speed and pass-catching ability. Cox, a former walk-on, could be a complement to Young, as he's more of a bruiser. The 6-foot-1, 227-pound Cox turned 18 carries into 150 yards and two touchdowns this season. True freshman BJ Harris also flashed his ability at times, rushing 22 times for 73 yards.
Incoming: Tavorus Jones
Missouri already has one new addition to the running back room signed, and we expect the staff to find at least one more prior to next season. Jones, a four-star prospect out of El Paso, Texas, put up impressive numbers as a senior at Burgess high. Jones averaged 11.8 yards per carry, logged 2,270 yards from scrimmage and scored 26 touchdowns during 11 games. Running backs coach Curtis Luper said on signing day that he expects Jones to contend for playing time as a true freshman. Missouri has also expressed interest in both another high school prospect and at least one transfer running back. The Tigers hosted Andrew Paul, who earned a slew of late offers with a monster senior year, for an unofficial visit during November and will likely try to get him on campus again for an official visit prior to February's National Signing Day. Louisville transfer Hassan Hall mentioned the Tigers as one of the teams pursuing him shortly after he entered the transfer portal. Hall has not yet announced a destination.
Projected Starter: TBD
Much like at quarterback, we would expect a wide open competition for playing time at tailback following the departure of Badie. Expect just about everyone to get a crack at playing time, regardless of experience level. It seems likely that the staff will look to rotate three or four backs next season.
Spring Practice storyline to watch: Which of the returning backs can earn the staff's trust? Prior to last season, Drinkwitz raved about Young, but then he logged just one total carry across the final seven games of the regular season. Cox showed a few impressive flashes, but those generally came late in games that had already been decided. While Missouri won't ask any one player to take on Badie's role, the spring should provide our first glimpse at which running backs, if any, the staff trusts with a larger workload or in high-leverage situations.
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