5 things that will define Mizzou’s defense in 2021
The Missouri defense was aggressively average in 2020. The Tigers finished 9th in the SEC in scoring defense (32.3 points per game), 7th in run defense (162.2 yards per game), 5th in pass defense (245.8 yards per game) and 8th in total defense (408 yards per game).
Now, they’re moving on without star LB Nick Bolton, who led the team with 95 tackles in 2020. Safeties Tyree Gillespie and Joshuah Bledsoe were also selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, so there are some holes to fill.
Oh, and there’s a new defensive coordinator in town. Ryan Walters went to Illinois to serve under Bret Bielema. In his place is former NFL head coach Steve Wilks.
There will be plenty of changes this fall. Will they work out? Can the Tigers improve on the 2020 numbers listed above? Here are 5 questions they’ll need to answer this season. The answers will go a long way toward defining how successful the Tigers will be on that side of the ball:
1. What will Steve Wilks’ defense look like?
Wilks brings a bevy of NFL knowledge to Columbia. He was the Carolina Panthers’ defensive coordinator in 2017, the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach in 2018 and the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator in 2019.
He runs a base 4-3 defense, but according to this article, the Cardinals used their base defense less than any NFL team in 2018. So, we can expect plenty of variance from the Tigers this season.
Mizzou doesn’t have a lot of proven depth, but there are some talented players sprinkled across the roster. How Wilks uses guys like Martez Manuel and Trajan Jeffcoat will be interesting to watch during the first couple of games this fall.
Those 2 guys are versatile and can be matchup nightmares for offenses. I’m sure Wilks is already drawing up ways to get those guys in space so they can make big plays.
2. Who will step up to replace Nick Bolton?
The early leader seems to be Devin Nicholson, who recorded 69 tackles (3 for a loss), 1.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 2020. He also had this game-clinching interception against South Carolina:
TURNOVER ROBE TIME: #Mizzou LB Devin Nicholson comes up with the game-clinching interception as the Tigers win their second straight Mayor's Cup. pic.twitter.com/iFApjg4FvL
— Andrew Kauffman (@AndrewABC17) November 22, 2020
He certainly has plenty of swag to become a defensive leader. He wore the Tigers’ turnover robe during the postgame handshakes against the Gamecocks:
Missouri’s Devin Nicholson wore the turnover robe to the handshake line ? pic.twitter.com/yf4eNTDfJl
— BroBible (@BroBible) November 22, 2020
He also has the size that Bolton lacked. At 6-3 and 230 pounds, he has the body type to become one of the better linebackers in the SEC.
Rice transfer Blaze Alldredge will also be in the mix for playing time, but Nicholson should end up as the alpha in the linebacker room this fall.
3. Can Ennis Rakestraw Jr. become a star?
Rakestraw burst onto the scene in a big way in Week 1 against Alabama. He showed his physicality against future Heisman winner DeVonta Smith on this play:
https://twitter.com/digge546/status/1382701668291244050
And on the first play of his college career, he broke up a pass intended for Jaylen Waddle, who also was a Round 1 pick in this year’s draft:
As a reminder, this was *the first snap* of @EnnisRakestraw's college career. The guy he's guarding was arguably the best receiver in college football before he went down. pic.twitter.com/RRGWQA18dT
— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) December 16, 2020
Of course, here’s where I mention that Waddle and Smith combined for 16 catches, 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. But Rakestraw showed promise. Matching up with those 2 receivers in his first game as a college cornerback was no easy assignment. He didn’t back down.
He showed more of his potential during the Tigers’ spring game this year, snagging this interception during 1-on-1 drills:
Watch: #Mizzou DB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (@EnnisRakestraw) was FIRED UP after this interception during 1-on-1's at the spring game. pic.twitter.com/IyndaCiTjc
— Andrew Kauffman (@AndrewABC17) March 21, 2021
Getting an interception in 1-on-1s is nearly impossible, so it’s understandable Rakestraw was fired up. He’ll be CB1 on Mizzou’s roster this fall, so we’ll see if he can snag a couple of picks in games.
4. Is Trajan Jeffcoat ready to keep the “D-Line U” moniker going?
Jeffcoat led the Tigers with 6 sacks in 2020. He was named a first-team All-SEC defender. It was a great turnaround story for Jeffcoat, who wasn’t even enrolled at the school in October of 2019.
He started the season with a sack against Bryce Young of Alabama:
Watch: #Mizzou DL Trajan Jeffcoat had three tackles, including a sack in his MU return. Last October – MU announced he was no longer on the team. Coach Drinkwitz says he got re-enrolled in the University over the summer, and now he's back. pic.twitter.com/DU9diKlTNv
— Andrew Kauffman (@AndrewABC17) September 28, 2020
He ended it with this incredible takedown of Georgia’s JT Daniels:
Trajan Jeffcoat just destroyed the Georgia QB lol pic.twitter.com/QS5Zvf904q
— Missouri Sports Podcast (@MizzouSportsPod) December 12, 2020
Jeffcoat is tied for 3rd among all returning SEC players in sacks, behind Will Anderson Jr. of Alabama and Adam Anderson of Georgia. We’ll see if he can lead the league this fall.
5. Can the Tigers generate more turnovers?
Last year, Mizzou only had 4 interceptions. That was 13th in the SEC, ahead of only Vanderbilt. The Tigers’ turnover margin was -5 on the season, tied for 10th in the league.
The offense took care of the ball well enough, turning it over only 14 times. That was the 7th-fewest in the SEC. But forcing only 9 turnovers isn’t going to cut it.
Wilks needs to put his players in positions to make plays. And when the 11 defenders are indeed in positions to force a fumble or snag an interception, they need to actually make those plays.
The offense looks poised to take a step forward in Eli Drinkwitz’s second year. If the defense can force turnovers and put the offense in advantageous positions, it’ll only help the Tigers rack up wins this fall.
MORE MIZZOU: 5 things that will define the Tigers’ offense in 2021