Spring Football Position Preview: Defensive ends
Missouri will start its approach toward the 2023 campaign with the first day of spring practice in early March. Until then, we will preview the 2023 roster by doing position-by-position previews. Next, is the defensive ends.
The starters: Two of the better players on this top 30 defense, DJ Coleman and Isaiah McGuire, have left the team as they prepare for the NFL Draft. While the interior of the defensive line looks to be in good shape, the edge is full of unknowns.
Arden Walker and Johnny Walker are thought of as players who could step into those roles left by Coleman and McGuire. It would mean a change from bull rushers to speed rushers, but the coaching staff was high on the pair going into the Gasparilla Bowl versus Wake Forest. Johnny recorded seven tackles, a pair of tackles for loss and a pair of sacks in six games while Arden had six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in 11 games.
The team got Austin Firestone from Northwestern and Joe Moore from Arizona State in the transfer portal. Last season, Firestone redshirted but he did record three tackles in limited action while Moore, who was recruited by the Tigers when he played for Cardinal Ritter in St. Louis, racked up 24 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Of those four, Moore probably has the best chance to claim one of the starting spots because he's proven he can do that on a Power 5 team. His addition to the team is a good pickup. Considering Johnny had a more productive season in fewer games than Arden, he has a very small edge and will likely be the starter opposite of Moore. If Arden is the starter this spring it's not that big of a deal because the gap between these two isn't much.
The backups: Firestone figures to be in the rotation, but the Walkers being in Blake Baker's system last year gives them a leg up on him. Firestone could battle his way into competing for a starting spot down the line in fall camp, but for now, he figures to be a rotational piece in spring football.
Josh Landry is a defensive tackle, but most of his snaps last season came at defensive end. The defensive tackle group is loaded, so if the Tigers want to get him on the field, but can't get him in on the inside maybe he gets snaps on the outside again. He racked up 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
Another unknown is Ky Montgomery and where he stands. He suffered a torn ACL in 2021 and he didn't play any games last season as he dealt with another knee injury. The 6-3 and 287-pounder was a four-star prospect, the No.4 player in the state of Indiana and the 204th-best player in the class of 2021, according to Rivals.com. If he is healthy maybe he can push to be in this rotation or even be in line to start, but his status is to be determined.
One of the few high school signees, Jahkai Lang, will be a part of spring football since he decided to be an early enrollee. He will have an upper hand on Jordon Harris and Serigne Tounkara, who are also defensive end signees from the class of 2023. He's likely to redshirt, but with Montgomery's status in the air, Lang will get a chance to show what he's got since there will only be five scholarship defensive ends during spring football.
In his senior season, Lang recorded 66 tackles, six tackles for loss, and two sacks for Troy Buchanan (MO).
Ian Matthews redshirted in 2021 at Auburn and then didn't play for Missouri last season. He's one of the five scholarship defensive ends who will be at spring football. This would be as good a time as any for him to prove himself worthy of entering the rotation.
Storylines to watch for: The Walkers now have had a year in the scheme and now have an opportunity to show what they can do. One of them has to stand out, but which one comes out ahead going into fall camp is something to watch for?
Where does Montgomery figure into this equation?
How does being a part of spring football help Lang's development and can he find a spot in the rotation?
Where does Matthews fit in?
Will the Tigers go into the transfer portal to get another defensive end?
PowerMizzou prediction: Moore and Johnny go into spring practice as the starters with Moore being the one who has the least to worry about. This position battle will be more about the pecking order from the No. 2 spot on down. How quickly Firestone picks up the playbook and how well he performs will determine if the two-player race between the Walkers becomes a three-player race for who starts opposite of Moore.
Other previews
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