Who will rally the Tigers?
There are many different ways to be a leader. And teams are able to be successful with wildly varying make-ups. So how do coaches and players identify the leaders their team needs to be the best it can be?
It's a question all teams encounter at some point. On winning teams it gets answered quickly. On teams that struggle it gets answered much too late or it never gets answered at all.
The Missouri players voted on captains during pre-season camp. Eric Beisel, Jordan Harold, Paul Adams and Drew Lock were selected by their teammates to be the leaders of this Mizzou team. More leaders have to emerge however.
Defensive end Marcell Frazier threw his hat in the ring on Saturday evening. As a senior and a starter he was already somewhat of a leader just based on his position within the team. And after originally saying he would not talk to reporters this season, Frazier stood tall and answered all the questions of him after the Tigers loss to South Carolina.
It was a surprising development to say the least. Frazier had been requested for interviews each time there was an opportunity to request him during pre-season camp. The Oregon native never showed.
Why the change after Missouri's first loss of the season?
Frazier told the Missouri SID that he wanted to show ownership. By all accounts a commendable step. But will it have any impact outside of giving reporters one more guy to get quotes from? It's a tough question to answer. It almost certainly can't hurt however.
Frazier changing course and making himself accountable in public and not just to his teammates is a strong statement from him. He has seemingly moved himself into the leadership group with the captains now.
Will anyone else join Frazier in building up the leadership ranks? J'Mon Moore likes to talk. Do his words carry any weight with teammates? Terry Beckner is fairly quiet, but he is always ready to be accountable with the media. How much does that even mean in terms of his leadership capabilities? Tyler Howell is another senior starter and will likely be playing in the NFL soon. Can he shed the laid back joker persona and rally the Tigers?
There are lots of question marks around the leadership on this Mizzou team. Barry Odom needs some answers to emerge and soon.