Had the question of Missouri’s biggest concern heading into 2016 been posed a week ago, there probably would have been a very different answer. But with all that has transpired since then within the Missouri football program, the question of the Tigers’ biggest concern heading into the 2016 season takes on a whole new meaning.

Another suspension for quarterback Maty Mauk changes everything.

Again.

Prior to last week, Missouri’s biggest concern may have been in the offensive line, where seniors Connor McGovern and Evan Boehm must be replaced, or in the secondary where a couple of seniors will also leave holes to fill.

Finding another top running back the likes of senior Russell Hansbrough won’t be an easy task, either, nor will plugging in another player with anywhere near the talent of senior LB Kentrell Brothers. The first-team All-SEC player led the nation with 152 tackles in 2015.

But the biggest concern now facing the Tigers heading into the 2016 season is at quarterback, the most important position on a football field. It’s a position from which the team leader must command. And though he helped Missouri to back-to-back SEC East titles in 2013 and 2014, Maty Mauk won’t be that guy in 2016.

Suspended for much of the 2015 season as Missouri went from first to worst in the SEC East, Mauk was finally dismissed from the team for good last week following his third suspension since September, to which he issued a statement that included this sentence: “Please know that my intent was never to bring any harm to the University or football program.”

Those words ring hollow considering his selfish acts forced him to watch from afar as the Tigers sunk to the bottom of the SEC East standings, and then when given yet another chance from first-year head coach Barry Odom, he blew that as well.

Quarterback troubles is one thing when you’re an experienced coach like Gary Pinkel, who ran the show in Columbia for 15 years. Pinkel, who retired following the 2015 season to deal with personal health issues, took Missouri to 10 bowl games in 15 seasons there. He guided them to two top-5 finishes (2007, 2013) and won 10-plus games in five seasons at the school. Talk about big shoes to fill.

Odom begins his tenure without the services of Mauk, who was 17-5 as a starter at Missouri, including four games of the 2015 season where the Tigers went 3-1. Mauk threw for 654 yards and six touchdowns, and then threw away his final year of eligibility.

True freshman Drew Lock (6-foot-4, 205) was thrown into the fire last season. He’ll be better for it in the long run, but Missouri was just 2-6 in Lock’s eight starts.

He played in 12 games last season and, all things considered, wasn’t bad. He did throw eight interceptions to just four touchdown passes, but threw for 1,332 yards and completed 129 of 263 passes.

He displayed flashes of brilliance last season. Against BYU, Lock completed 19 of 28 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown. However, he threw interceptions in each of his last four games and the Tigers lost six of their final seven games of the season.

Lock has the physical tools to be a good one. How soon that would be remains to be seen. But his growth will likely parallel Missouri’s fortunes in the coming years.