Ten likely contributors in 2023 who could use the practice and bowl game
So far, Mizzou has lost its leading wide receiver Dominic Lovett and eight other scholarship players to the transfer portal as well as safety Martez Manuel and defensive end Isaiah McGuire who’ve declared for the NFL Draft.
Since Missouri will be without the three aforementioned starters and a number of depth pieces for the Dec. 23 matchup against Wake Forest in the Gasparilla Bowl, here’s a look at 10 players who will likely see bigger roles in 2023 that will benefit from the extra practice and the bowl game.
1.) Connor Tollison
Connor Tollison has started every game at center this season for the Tigers, but his inclusion on this list is warranted because he was a significant part of the team’s offensive line struggles and Bence Polgar will be eligible to play next season.
Tollison recorded eight penalties this season which was just two behind Connor Wood. When Polgar transferred from Buffalo it was expected that he would be starting, but when the NCAA ruled him ineligible that’s when Tollison’s number was called.
Tollison should use this time to continue to improve and show that he should retain his starting role for next season.
2.) Daylan Carnell
Carnell was playing behind Manuel in the STAR safety role but played a healthy amount of snaps for the Tigers as their first player off of the bench in 2022.
In 12 games, Carnell showed he had a nose for the football leading the team with three interceptions (one being returned for a touchdown) and two fumble recoveries. He added 26 tackles, two tackles for loss, four pass deflections to accompany his takeaways.
The extra practice and the likely bowl game start can give Carnell a taste of the starting lineup and the expectations that will be set upon him as a starter in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s 4-2-5 defense next season.
3.) Armand Membou
Right tackle Hyrin White has been out all season with an achilles injury and his replacement Zeke Powell went down with a season-ending injury in week four. An injury to right guard EJ Ndoma-Ogar in week 10 pushed Wood back inside to right guard from right tackle and paved the way for Armand Membou to start at right tackle for the last three games.
White will file a medical waiver to get another year of eligibility and possibly could regain the starting gig that he held for 11 games in 2021.
However, Membou has played well and the extra practice and bowl game may be able to help give him a leg up in the position battle against White and others come the spring.
4.) Mekhi Miller
Wide receiver Barrett Banister is still working his way up from an undisclosed injury and while Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz believes he will be healthy enough to play he didn’t sound too confident in his Dec. 5. press conference that Banister would be 100% for the game. Mekhi Miller has started three games this season with two of those games being the direct replacements for Banister.
Banister first missed the week six matchup at Florida and Miller came up big on third and long on consecutive possessions for the Tigers in the fourth quarter. In the regular season finale versus Arkansas, Miller converted a third and four with a 22-yard reception to effectively seal the win and bowl eligibility for Missouri.
Even if Banister plays on Dec. 23 he won’t be fully healthy and with Lovett’s in the portal, Miller can continue to prove why he should be more involved in the offense.
Miller has recorded six catches for 108 yards with no drops across 10 appearances.
5.) Ryan Hoerstkamp
Tight end Ryan Hoerstkamp has played eight games this season and got to start the last two. Despite that, he was the Tigers' second leading receiver at the position with two receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown 一 not too far behind Tyler Stephens, who recorded five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Hoesrtkamp arguably is the best tight end on the roster right now and while it’s possible the Tigers could go to the transfer portal to get a tight end, Hoerstkamp is playing well enough that he should be in the rotation next year, to replace the departing Kibet Chepyator, and should be considered for the starting job full time.
6.) Dreyden Norwood
Starting cornerbacks Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw are still slated to play in the bowl game, but with safety Jalani Williams going into the transfer portal, safety Joseph Charleston still working his way back from injury, Manuel declaring for the draft and the uncertainty that safety Jaylon Carlies could possibly decide to forego the game to possibly declare and prepare for the NFL Draft means Dreyden Norwood could see a lot of playing time 一 even if some of the snaps are on the third level of the defense.
Norwood started at Florida for Abrams-Draine and appeared in all 12 games and became a solid depth piece for the Tigers from that game onward. He recorded 13 tackles, one tackle for loss, three pass deflections, an interception and a fumble recovery.
It wouldn’t be a complete surprise if Abrams-Draine decided to declare for the draft after he recorded 40 tackles and an SEC-leading 13 pass deflections in 11 games. If that’s the case Norwood would likely replace him in the lineup again.
7.) Dameon Wilson
Like the starting cornerbacks, linebackers Chad Bailey and Ty’Ron Hopper were at the Tigers' first bowl game practice on Dec. 4. and are in line to play, but it’s possible Hopper could be in a situation similar to Carlies and Abrams-Draine and possibly forego the game to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Hopper had the best season of his career and earned All-SEC honors after recording 68 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four pass deflections, an interception and a forced fumble this season. If he was to bolt for the NFL Draft it’d hardly come as a surprise to Mizzou’s coaching staff.
Dameon Wilson has already proved that he can step in and start in pinch. He did the games versus Georgia and Florida, recording a combined seven tackles and one fumble recovery. Bailey has already said he is returning next season, so Wilson won’t get a chance to be the MIKE and call the defense, but he could occupy Hopper’s position if he does leave. Wilson finished the season with 16 tackles and a fumble.
8.) Arden Walker
Walker had 11 appearances and started versus Arkansas recording four tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss this season.
The hole left by McGuire will likely require more than one person to fill it. The All-SEC first-team selection recorded 40 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and a pair of fumbles this season and had a gutsy performance in week 13 that saw him record five tackles, two tackles for loss and a pair of sacks with a separated shoulder.
If defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat declares for the draft that is another former starter who would need to be replaced in the lineup. It’s possible that Tyrone Hopper and Josh Landry are likely ahead of Arden Walker on the depth chart, but Hopper is still overcoming a shoulder injury he sustained in week 12.
Walker could use this time to show why he should be a rotation player at the least next season with at least one player not returning.
9.) Mitchell Walters
Right guard Mitchell Walters, much like Tollison, has had a turbulent 2022 season. He's appeared in all 12 games and he started four games in the middle of the season replacing Wood before getting replaced himself by Ndoma-Ogar in week nine. Part of the reason he got benched were his four penalties (one of them being on Georgia's one-yard line and another removing negating a red zone opportunity versus New Mexico State).
Five of the Tigers' six offensive line changes have been due to inconsistency and injuries on the right side of the line. Walters will likely be entrenched in a battle for the starting right guard spot heading into next season with Ndoma-Ogar and others. Since Ndoma-Ogar is out for the season, this could be Walters' opportunity to end the season on a much better note than he started it on.
10.) Tyler Hibbler
Safety Tyler Hibbler played 36 snaps in 11 games and recorded just one tackle. Similarly to Norwood, Hibbler will likely see a lot more of the field if the defensive back group is depleted. The extra practice and the bowl game might be able to help Hibbler show the coaching staff that he deserves more playing time in 2023.
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