Review and Preview: Defensive end
The 2018 football season is officially in the books. In this series, PowerMizzou will go position-by-position to look back at the Tigers' 8-5 2018 campaign while also previewing the depth chart for the 2019 season. Today, we continue to focus on the defensive line by looking at the defensive ends.
2018 review
Missouri’s pass rush, or lack thereof, served as one of the defense’s primary areas of concern all season. Shortly before the Liberty Bowl, it got more concerning. Redshirt sophomore defensive end Tre Williams was suspended indefinitely after being arrested and charged with domestic assault. Currently, Williams is still suspended.
Even with Williams on the field, the Tigers struggled to generate a pass rush off the edge. Just 6.5 of the team’s 27 sacks this season were recorded by a defensive end. Two-and-a-half came from Williams. Chris Turner, who started all 13 games, had two, but he was also prone to disappearing for long stretches of action. Nate Anderson and Trajan Jeffcoat had just a single sack each. Akial Byers, who started the latter half of the season opposite Turner, didn’t record a sack, but he did emerge as the most consistent run-stopper of the group. The lack of an edge rush put the secondary in a tough position throughout the season and forced the Tigers to send extra blitzers if it needed pressure throughout the year.
2019 preview
Returning: Chris Turner, Akial Byers, Trajan Jeffcoat, Jatorian Hansford, Franklin Agbasimere
As stated above, Byers had a solid sophomore season in the run game, and Missouri will likely look for him to continue that success as a starter next season. Byers totalled 20 tackles this season, 18 of which came in the final six games of the regular season. But Byers likely doesn’t have the quickness of an elite edge-rusher. He’s probably best suited to playing on first and second down and then leaving the field for obvious passing situations. Turner, too, has been reliable in the run game but has not shown the explosiveness necessary to consistently beat a tackle and get to the quarterback. That is why the Missouri coaching staff will hope Jeffcoat and Hansford, both of whom burned their redshirts as true freshmen this season, take a big step forward during the offseason. Both players have the tools to win one-on-one matchups and pressure opposing quarterbacks, and if Missouri can create pressure with its front four next season, the entire defense will benefit.
Departing: Nate Anderson
Anderson rotated into games regularly but should not be too difficult to replace.
Unknown: Tre Williams
Williams was charged with second-degree domestic assault, which is a felony in Missouri. According to the university’s student-athlete handbook, any student-athlete found guilty of a felony will be removed from his or her team. We won’t speculate on Williams’ likelihood of returning if he is not found guilty.
Incoming: Darius Robinson, Isaiah McGuire
Look for Missouri to add at least one, if not two more defensive ends by the February signing period. The two most likely candidates for those spots appear to be Arvell Ferguson and Shemar Pearl, both of whom are currently committed to Missouri but didn’t sign during the early signing period. The Tigers could also look to the transfer or junior college market in search of someone who can make an impact right away. One potential name to keep an eye on is Chester Graves, the top-ranked junior college player in the country. Missouri brought the Kansas City native to campus for an official visit in the fall and could have a shot to land him, but Graves must first attain academic eligibility, which is a concern.
Projected 2019 starters: Akial Byers, Trajan Jeffcoat
There’s a slim chance Byers could move to defensive tackle during the offseason, but if we had to guess, he’ll play a role similar to this season, when he lined up at defensive end on first and second down and stayed on the field, at times sliding to the interior, for short-yardage third downs. If Hansford is able to develop during the offseason, he could slide into Byers’ edge spot in obvious passing situations. On the other side, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Turner start, but Jeffcoat pretty clearly has a higher upside, so it seems the best-case scenario for Missouri if that Jeffcoat takes another step forward and plays the majority of snaps, especially on third downs, while Turner rotates in to give him some plays off.
Offseason storylines to watch:
In an ideal world, Missouri would like at least one of its newcomers at defensive end to contribute right away, even if it’s just in a pure pass-rushing role on third down. The likelihood of that happening will be in part dictated by who the Tigers land between now and Feb. 6. If Graves manages to qualify and picks Missouri, he should be in line to see heavy playing time. If not, Daniels might be the top candidate to see the field as a true freshman. But any pass-rushing contribution the Tigers can get should help next year’s defense.
Previous position groups: