Spring Football Position Preview: Safeties
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 safeties.
The starters: The safety group along with the defensive line are the only groups to lose a starter at their respective positions. Defensive ends DJ Coleman and Isaiah McGuire declared for the NFL Draft along with STAR safety and team captain Martez Manuel.
Manuel was one of many beneficiaries of defensive coordinator Blake Baker's slighlty altered 4-2-5 defense with a STAR safety instead of the slot corner the defense had under Steve Wilks.
Manuel recorded 49 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks (third on the team behind McGuire and Coleman), two pass deflections and a forced fumble.
However, even though the team will lose a veteran leader who produced really well in the secondary an argument can be made that there won't be much of a drop-off from an on-the-field standpoint with Daylan Carnell taking over.
Carnell got his first start in the Gasparilla Bowl versus Wake Forest, but before that he appeared in all 12 games and appeared in roughly about 45% of the team's regular season defensive snaps. He finished the year with 29 tackles, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), five pass deflections and a pair of fumble recoveries. His five takeaways led the team. So, not only did he have a couple of seasons under Manuel to learn, in his second season he was able to be a valuable piece on a top-30 defense.
Carnell will be joined by Jaylon Carlies and Joseph Charleston who will serve as the team's backline safeties.
Carlies was a player that could've declared for the draft, but he didn't. Some late-season struggles may have attributed to this, but he is still a good safety. He got better with tackling this season and still possesses some of the softest hands in the secondary. He recorded 81 tackles (team-high), four tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, four pass deflections and three interceptions.
Charleston transferred from Clemson last offseason and was one of many transfers who excelled last season. He recorded 53 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two pass deflections and an interception returned for a touchdown.
The backups: The Tigers nabbed former Florida Gator Tre'Vez Johnson and former Florida State Seminole Sidney Williams in the transfer portal.
Johnson had 26 tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, a pair of pass deflections and an interception last season in 12 games from the STAR position.
Williams, who is Mizzou starting cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine's cousin, recorded 12 tackles in 11 games.
Where these two players fit at in the rotation will be an interesting development. Johnson likely has an inside track to be the fourth safety due to his production at the STAR position. He also doesn't come to the Tigers if he figures he couldn't play a significant role on the defense. Baker is known for deploying four-safety sets often, so being the fourth safety wouldn't be that bad in this defense.
Jalani Williams, the team's fifth safety last season, transferred to Kent State leaving another opportunity available.
Tyler Hibbler, Tyler Jones, Isaac Thompson and Ja'Marion Wayne will all be vying with Johnson and Williams for spots in the rotation.
Hibbler featured in 12 games mostly as a special teamer and recorded one tackle last season.
Jones only played in three games, but he recorded a pass deflection.
Thompson redshirted his rookie season last year but made appearances against Florida and New Mexico State.
Wayne earned a redshirt last season even though he played five games in 2022 after the NCAA granted him permission to play in the Gasparilla Bowl without it going toward his redshirt status. He recorded one pass deflection.
The team's highest-rated recruit in the class of 2023 is Marvin Burks, a four-star signee out of Cardinal Ritter in St. Louis. Ranked No.198 in the Rivals 250, Burks is a playmaker, and being enrolled early allows him to show off his skills in spring football. However, he won't likely figure into the Tigers' plans this season with how deep the position is unless he just has a phenomenal spring and fall camp.
Storylines to watch for: Who is going to snag the fourth and fifth safety spots? Is Johnson a shoo-in to snag the fourth safety spot?
Thompson was a four-star signee in the class of 2022. Is he ready to contribute to this defense right now?
How good is Burks and what would he need to do to see the field in the eyes of the coaching staff?
PowerMizzou prediction: Carlies, Carnell and Charleston locked down the staring spots with there being a battle for the two backup safety spots. Johnson probably is slotted as the No. 4 safety, in particular, Carnell's backup at STAR. The battle for the fifth safety spot could be determined in spring or in fall camp, but with the depth of the position, it's not a spot the team needs to figure out immediately.
Other previews
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