Tigers add Houston defensive tackle
The Missouri coaching staff picked up commitment No. 22 for the 2017 class over the final weekend of official visits. Houston (Texas) Alief Taylor defensive tackle Kobie Whiteside's verbal pledge gives Mizzou five prospects from Texas (as of now).
"He has committed and that's where he will be going to college," Taylor head coach Brian Randle said.
Whiteside and nine high school teammates will sign scholarships on Wednesday morning at 10:25.
Whiteside was a four-year letterman at Taylor. He played offensive line as a freshman and defensive line his last three seasons. He was the district's defensive MVP as a senior in 2016. Randle says he bench presses 405 pounds and squats 635.
"You're getting a blue collr kid that's going to come in and work every day and just grind," Randle said. "All he wants to do is lift weights and play football. If you have a weight room, he'll be in there three or four hours a day."
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Whiteside adds depth to a position of need for Missouri. With the graduation of Josh Augusta and Rickey Hatley only A.J. Logan, Terry Beckner and Markel Utsey return with any playing experience at defensive tackle. Additionally, Beckner and Utsey will both be coming back from injury so it is difficult to know how effective they will be.
He is a two-star prospect according to Rivals.com, but Randle says only one thing kept him from being much more heavily recruited.
"If he was taller Missouri would have offered him a lot sooner. So would every other school in America," the coach said. "Nowadays everybody wants to check all the boxes. Some people are going to get overlooked and get picked up later on. Which is good. He has something to prove and play with a chip on his shoulder. He can show everybody, 'you should have offered me.'"
The commitment of Whiteside gives Mizzou two defensive tackle commits and two defensive end commits. Whiteside joins Rashad Brandon at DT as well as Chris Turner and Nate Anderson on the DL.
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PowerMizzou.com is working to contact Whiteside to bring Tiger fans more on his commitment. Stay tuned.