20d ago football Edit

Predicting Mizzou's two-deep defense & special teams for the 2024 season

Jarod Hamilton • PowerMizzou

Staff Writer

No. 11 Mizzou will officially begin prepping for its Aug. 29 season-opener versus Murray State this weekend as the teams will be one of four games played next Thursday.

Six starters return on defense but the defense also lost five players to the NFL so there are holes that need to be filled.

We've already predicted the two-deep for the offense. So, let's predict who will be filling the holes in the two-deep for the defense and special teams.

Defensive line

Starters: DE Johnny Walker, DT Kristian Williams, DT Marquis Gracial, DE Zion Young

Backup: DE Eddie Kelly, DE Joe Moore, DT Chris McClellan, DT Sterling Webb

Johnny Walker and Kristian Williams returning as the starters at their respective positions is a given, especially considering they're team captains.

Walker had a productive season in 2023, his first as a consistent starter and player in the rotation. He racked up a team-high three forced fumbles and should be looked at as the team's premier pass rusher.

Williams has been a mainstay since he arrived in 2022, and is coming off a career season where he had 25 tackles, five tackles for loss, two pass deflections, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Marquis Gracial hasn't played much since he arrived in 2022. The former four-star product has logged 31 career defensive snaps and started fall camp just trying to break into the rotation. Then after a week, it became fending off Jalen Marshall for the DT4 spot. By the end of camp, he was taking first-team reps as the DT2. We think he slides in next to Williams in the starting lineup.

Zion Young comes over from Michigan State and established himself in spring ball as a likely contender to be the starting defensive end opposite of Walker. He was always leading the race for the DE2 spot and we think he's won the starting gig.

Eddie Kelly comes over from Georgia Tech and since Darris Smith is out for the season, Kelly seems poised for the DE3 spot. He lined up at both defensive end spots and may fit into the "Joker" role defensive coordinator Corey Batoon wants to re-introduce. A "Joker" is a defensive end capable of rushing the passer and going into coverage.

Joe Moore was the DE4 last year and he will likely reprise that role this year.

Chris McClellan has been the DT2 since he stepped on campus but the last week of fall camp, he was replaced by Gracial.

Sterling Webb had a decent fall camp in addition to how he looked in spring ball. Expect him to be DT4.

It's important to note that the top four defensive tackles play around the same amount of snaps. So, Williams and Gracial may start but that doesn't mean McClellan and Webb won't see plenty of playing time.

Linebacker

Starters: Chuck Hicks and Triston Newson

Backup: Corey Flagg and Khalil Jacobs

Similar to defensive tackle, this unit could see some sort of platoon swap at times. All four players are starting-level players but Chuck Hicks and Triston Newson worked with the first team for the entirety of camp. Their familiarity with the scheme and coaching staff is what helps give them an edge over Corey Flagg and Khalil Jacobs, both of whom transferred to Mizzou this offseason.

It doesn't hurt that Hicks was second on the team in tackles for loss with 11 last year or that Newson finished the 2023 season strong with an SEC Defensive Player of the Week Award for his performance in the regular season finale against Arkansas.

Flagg could be locked into the LB3 role for several reasons. First, he was in Columbia for spring ball. Second, he's capable of playing the MIKE or the WILL, and lastly, Jacobs didn't transfer in until after spring ball had concluded.

Jacobs has played under Batoon for the last couple of seasons at South Alabama. His playing experience and his experience under Batoon are what will keep Brayshawn Littlejohn from being LB4 at the moment.

Cornerback

Starters: Drey Norwood and Toriano Pride

Backup: Nic DeLoach and Marcus Clarke

Drey Norwood has been prepping to be the starter for the last two seasons, and Eli Drinkwitz once said he's an All-SEC caliber player. So, the CB1 spot has been his since Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw declared for the NFL Draft.

Toriano Pride was the team's first transfer addition way back in December and seemed like a sure lock for the CB2 role until recently. He split first-team reps with Nic DeLoach, who redshirted last year, for most of camp. In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker will probably go to Pride, who played big-time games at Clemson.

Regardless, the top three corners seem set. Marcus Clarke entered camp penciled into the CB3 role but now it appears DeLoach will be the CB3 at worst.

Safety

Starters: FS Marvin Burks, SS Joe Charleston, STAR Daylan Carnell

Backup: Tre'Vez Johnson, Sidney Williams, Phillip Roche and Caleb Flagg

Joe Charleston and Daylan Carnell round out the returning starters from last year's team. They're set.

The free safety spot was the one up for grabs in camp with Marvin Burks, Tre'Vez Johnson and walk-on Caleb Flagg competing for the spot.

Johnson had more than double the reps Burks had in 2023 with 445 to Burks' 130. So, even though he won't be starting he's the equivalent to a sixth man.

Burks was the team's highest-rated freshman last year and he performed well. His ceiling is very high and the fact that he's been running fall camp as the first team free safety and could beat out Johnson means he's trending in the right direction.

Flagg has been a consistent presence since he arrived in the winter and was taking second-team defensive reps in camp. Despite being a walk-on, he looks like he can at least field a special teams role. He may even be ahead of Phillip Roche on the depth chart.

Sidney Williams will likely be Carnell's primary backup at the STAR although every safety has to know all of the safety positions, that's where he's his best.

Kicker

Starters: Blake Craig

Backup: Nick Quadrini

This one wasn't too close. Craig was always going to get the start once the Tigers didn't bring another kicker in from the transfer portal. The big questions surrounding Craig are his accuracy and if he can make kicks under pressure.

Craig has a massive leg. Distance likely won't be a problem for him. His accuracy has improved significantly from last season and the redshirt freshman went 6-of-7 in the team's final scrimmage with his lone miss being from 51 yards away. He bounced back and made a 51-yarder and another kick to close out the scrimmage.

Drinkwitz isn't worried about him and said he was "proud" of how Craig handled himself and worked during camp.

As for making kicks under pressure, that can only be measured with game experience.

Kick returner

Starters: Marquis "Speedy" Johnson and Marvin Burks

Backup: Joshua Manning and Jamal Roberts

This one isn't a surprise either. Johnson led the team in kick returns last year with seven for an average of 20.9. Burks had the second-most of any returning player with four for an average of 18.5.

If the Tigers had to choose who they'd like to field most of the returns it would probably be Johnson because he's the fastest player on the team and one of the fastest in the country.

Punter

Starters: Luke Bauer

Backup: Orion Phillips

Bauer was the team's starting punter in Weeks 4-13 last year, averaging 42.1 yards per punt. In the first three games, Riley Williams started and then he regained the role for the Cotton Bowl. Williams isn't on the team anymore. He's been replaced by fellow Aussie punter Orion Phillips, who transferred from Mizzou's Week 1 opponent, Murray State.

If this position is anything like it has been the last two seasons then this position battle will last through the entire season. Bauer was the starting punter during the team's public practice at Faurot Field last Saturday. So, the walk-on wins this battle for now

Punt returner

Starters: Daniel Blood

Backup: Luther Burden, Theo Wease

One of Mizzou's themes for fall camp was to get as many playmakers on the field as possible. Daniel Blood should see an increased role on offense but there are still six quality receivers who will also see some snaps. What's a way to get him on the field? Fielding punts. This isn't something new to Blood, though. He was an all-state returner for Destrehan (La.) in high school and returned five punts for touchdowns as a senior.

The only situation where Theo Wease would be fielding punts is if Mizzou just wants someone who will gauge if they field the punt and signal for the fair catch or let it bounce for a touchback or something. This would be akin to what Abrams-Draine did the last two years. Wease will rarely actually do anything outside of fair catching the ball.

Luther Burden will serve as the team's X-factor if you will. If the team needs a big play or sees an opportunity for one of the country's most dynamic players to make a play, he will be fielding punts, but don't expect him to do it on a regular basis.