1) If you live under a rock, news came out yesterday that Dominic Lovett intends to transfer. I wrote some about that last night and won't rehash the whole thing. I think it's possible Missouri holds on to him, but I believe it is unlikely. Assuming the Lovett move happens (again, he can't actually enter the portal until next Monday and has not said himself that he is entering the portal), it is the first big transfer blow to Mizzou this offseason. It will almost certainly not be the last. This is the new normal. Every team in the SEC is going to lose some starters. Every team in the SEC is going to add some guys who have been starters somewhere else. The pace is going to be dizzying for the next few weeks.
2) There's no way to deny losing Lovett is/would be a big blow to the Missouri offense. He was sixth in the SEC in receptions and 3rd in receiving yards. He was the first Mizzou receiver to top 800 yards in a season since Emanuel Hall in 2018. And he did all that for a passing game that was below average most of the year. He essentially did it in ten games because he had a combined one catch for 10 yards in the Kentucky and New Mexico State games.
Lovett had 25.3% of the team's total receptions and 33.1% of its total receiving yards. Here are those numbers for the rest of the SEC's top 10 this year:
Jalin Hyatt, TEN: 24.7% of receptions, 31.8% of yards
Antwane Wells, SC: 25.2% of receptions, 29.0% of yards
Malik Heath, OM: 24.3% of receptions, 30.3% of yards
Jonathan Mingo, OM: 22.2% of receptions, 29.3% of yards
Matt Landers, ARK: 20.75% of receptions, 28.2% of yards
Jadon Haselwood, ARK: 27.8% of receptions, 25.4% of yards
Will Sheppard, VAN: 30% of receptions, 34.5% of yards
Malik Nabors, LSU: 22% of receptions, 25% of yards
Evan Stewart, TAM: 24.1% of receptions, 24.6% of yards
So Lovett ranked third in the league in terms of percentage of receptions and second in the league in percentage of yards. That's what Missouri has to replace next year. Is it possible? Sure. Is it easy? Absolutely not.
3) So, you are asking, if he's just the first portal surprise, who are the others?
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