Missouri got its first verbal commitment of the 2016 recruiting class Sunday morning.

Three-star offensive tackle Trystan Castillo of Webb City, Mo., got the Tigers on the board.

At 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, the senior-to-be Castillo held offers from Arkansas State, Ball State, Memphis and Northwestern, according to Rivals.com.

If Connor McGovern does start at left tackle this fall after recovering from a strained knee — it wouldn’t be shocking to see Mizzou shuttle him back to guard — the Tigers will need to replace the starter there for a fourth consecutive year since joining the SEC. Taylor Chappell, another current offensive tackle, also will graduate after this season.

Of course, that duty is unlikely to belong to Castillo in 2016, but he’ll give the team depth, potentially at right tackle. It’s good news for Mizzou exiting the spring game, and the initial silo on what will be an interesting recruiting cycle. The program traditionally doesn’t land Top 15 classes, but is taking some steps on and off the field that could position it for upward mobility in the recruiting rankings.

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It sounds strange to say this, with the 2016 National Signing Day currently more than nine months away, but Mizzou could be considered behind when it comes to recruiting, holding a single three-star in its current class. Miami, for instance, already holds 20 verbal commitments, and Kentucky leads the SEC with 15.

(As pointed out by the Columbia Tribune, safety Greg Taylor and running back Natereace Strong, both previous Mizzou commitments enrolled at Hinds Community College in Mississippi, are likely members of the 2016 class as well assuming they qualify academically and re-affirm Columbia, Mo., as their next destination.)

But there’s plenty of time for the Tigers to collect pledges. Besides, coach Gary Pinkel and company already have proven that developing talent can be even more important than hoarding it.