2024 SEC Football Team Previews: Missouri Tigers

DALLAS — The Missouri football team entered this past season with the motto “Something To Prove.”

It turned out to be more than just talk.

The Tigers defeated Ohio State 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl to finish 11-2, which ranks them No. 8 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.

It was Missouri’s best record since an 11-3 finish in 2014, and it came after the Tigers had gone a combined 23-25 ​​over the previous four years: 6-6 in coach Barry Odom’s final season in 2019 and 17-19 in Eli Drinkwitz’s first three years.

“There were tough times, .500 records,” Missouri fifth-year quarterback Brady Cook said at SEC media days. “Not a lot of hope, not a lot of belief in the program.

“But we had some key guys that stayed, and being a part of those bad years made us a determined team. A team that’s had adversity and can take it and get back up. I think that played a big part in our success last year.”

The Tigers are looking to continue their success with 13 returning starters and a favorable schedule that sees them play two teams — Alabama and Oklahoma — that won more than eight games last season. Seven of their opponents had a losing record.

Missouri was tipped to finish sixth in the expanded 16-team SEC, according to media voting released Friday.

In pre-season national polls, the Tigers are ranked No. 8 by ESPN.com and The Athletic, No. 10 by Athlon Sports, No. 18 by Phil Steele and No. 20 by Lindy’s.

“Obviously, the expectations outside of our building are much higher than they’ve ever been, at least since I’ve been a part of Mizzou,” Cook said. “Inside the building, our standards have been raised as well.

“Everyone is holding each other to a higher standard now. We know what needs to be done, but ultimately we can’t let that pressure get to us.

“We have to prove it week after week and we have to win games. It’s as simple as that.”

Senior defensive tackle Kristian Williams said the Tigers are doing their best to avoid the hype going into the season.

“With social media, phones and technology, it’s obviously hard to block anything out,” Williams said. “But for the most part, we just try to stay in the present and focus on what we have to do. We still have something to prove.”

Drinkwitz’s name began appearing on hot seat lists in 2023.

“It is what it is, man,” said Drinkwitz, an Arkansas Tech graduate who grew up in Alma and had high school coaching stints at Alma and Springdale and a stint at Arkansas State University. “We all understand that there are expectations in this job, and if you don’t meet those expectations, then of course the noise is going to be a lot higher.”

Drinkwitz said last season’s turnaround was “more of a tribute to the players and the coaches who believed in what we were doing, believed in the vision we had.”

Drinkwitz also praised the leadership of the Missouri government and the state’s politicians for helping to position the Tigers as a leader in financial compensation for players through name, image and likeness (NIL) policies.

“The ever-changing world of NIL and the transfer portal, you have to be flexible and be in a position to take advantage of it,” Drinkwitz said. “Now you hear references to the Mizzou model of NIL.”

A robust NIL program allowed Missouri to retain wide receiver Luther Burden III, a junior from St. Louis and a first-team All-SEC pick in the preseason. He had 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

“It definitely helped me personally, because I didn’t grow up with a lot of money,” Burden said of Missouri’s NIL program. “I was grateful to have the opportunity to create and build my name, image and likeness.”

Cook said he believes Burden is the best receiver in the country.

“He can do it all,” Cook said. “Send him on the move, send him deep, put him in the backfield and run with him. It doesn’t matter. When the ball is in his hands, he’s a football player.

“I think I can throw a screen to him and let him go 70 yards, and he can catch a post route for 70. He’s a playmaker. He’s a quarterback’s dream and he’s a good guy, too.”

Last year, Cook threw for 3,317 yards and scored 21 touchdowns and ran for 319 yards and 8 touchdowns.

“I think Brady has consistently shown a competitive spirit and a standard of excellence,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s earned the respect of everyone in our locker room.

“He is very detailed and precise in his preparation. There is no doubt about how mentally strong he is and how prepared he is to block out the external noise.

“As long as he remains a commander on the battlefield and doesn’t have to worry about his role as a celebrity quarterback, he’ll be fine.”

Cody Schrader, who won the Burlsworth Trophy last season and was an All-SEC first-team running back with 1,627 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, has joined the NFL as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers.

Missouri added fifth-year running backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll through the transfer portal. Noel rushed for 3,074 yards at Appalachian State and Carroll rushed for 2,136 yards at Georgia State.

The Tigers also had a key portal addition on the offensive line when sophomore guard Cayden Green transferred from Oklahoma. He is expected to start at tackle for the Tigers.

Green is from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and was heavily recruited by Drinkwitz straight out of high school.

“Excited about what Cayden brings to our program,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s very consistent in his approach every day. It’s clear he has the strength, size, toughness and instincts to be an elite player.”

Kirby Moore is back for his second season as offensive coordinator and Corey Batoon is the new defensive coordinator after Blake Baker left for LSU.

Batoon was acquired from South Alabama, but he has SEC experience at Ole Miss from 2012-16. He was an assistant at Arkansas State from 2009-11, where he coached defensive backs and special teams.

“Coach Batoon has come in and installed the defense and the basic DNA of what it’s been, but he’s obviously going to have a few wrinkles of his own,” Drinkwitz said. “But for us, it’s still about stopping the run, confusing, harassing, getting to the quarterback and winning situational football, which is two minutes, third downs, red zone defense.

“He has done very well so far and our players are very happy with that.”

Williams is one of five returning starters on defense, including end Johnny Walker, the Cotton Bowl defensive MVP, and safety Dylan Carnell.

A key addition to the defense is junior end Darris Smith, a transfer from Georgia.

“He’s a situational master,” Williams said of Batoon. “That’s what I learned from him.”

During Drinkwitz’s opening statement at SEC Media Days, he thanked Cotton Bowl officials for their hospitality and emphasized that the Cotton Bowl victory is a thing of the past.

“Let me say this as clearly as I can: That was last year, and last year has nothing to do with this year,” Drinkwitz said. “We as a team, as a brotherhood, as a coaching staff, as a group of players, have to start carving out our own identity.

“We have to develop our own team chemistry. We have to figure out what it means to be a strong, physical football team. We have to understand what kind of composure it takes to play and perform under pressure.

“We have a tough, tough task ahead of us. To achieve our goals this season, our football team has a lot of growing to do.”

Missouri Tigers

Schedule 2024

August 29 — Murray State

September 7 — Buffalo

September 14—Boston College

September 21 — Vanderbilt*

Oct. 5 — at Texas A&M*

Oct 12 — in Massachusetts

Oct 19 — Auburn*

Oct 26 — at Alabama*

November 9 — Oklahoma*

November 16 — in South Carolina*

November 23 — at Mississippi State*

November 30 — Arkansas*

* denotes SEC game

Last season: 11-2, 6-2 (2nd SEC East)

Coach: Eli Drinkwitz (28-21 in 5th year at Missouri; 40-22 in 6th year overall)

Returning starters: Offense 8, Defense 5, Special Teams 1

Main cast: QB Brady Cook, WR Luther Burden III, WR Theo Wease, OT Armand Membou, DT Kristian Williams, DE Johnny Walker, FS Dylan Carnell

Offensive coordinator: Kirby Moore (2nd year)

Defensive coordinator: Corey Batoon (1st year)

SEC Title Scenario: Missouri hasn’t won a conference title in the Big Eight since 1969, but the Tigers could contend for the SEC crown thanks to a combination of returning starters, impact transfers and a favorable schedule. Missouri, which is ranked sixth in the SEC in a preseason media poll, faces two teams projected for the top eight in Alabama and Oklahoma. Every team picked 13th through 16th — South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt — is on the Tigers’ schedule.

This story was the fifth in a series looking ahead to SEC football teams.