Mizzou football: Projecting the Tigers' 2021 starting lineup
The Missouri Tigers were one of the biggest surprises in the SEC in 2020, going 5-5 in coach Eli Drinkwitz’s first year. When the schedule came out before the season, many thought the Tigers could be a 1- or 2-win team.
Instead, they showed signs of being a team on the rise, knocking off LSU, exorcising their Kentucky demons and picking up some other strong wins.
This offseason, they’re losing star LB Nick Bolton and RB Larry Rountree III, among others, to the NFL, but there’s plenty of talent returning to Columbia for the 2021 campaign.
So, how will the starting lineup look this coming fall? Here are our early projections:
Offense
- QB: Connor Bazelak
- RB: Tyler Badie
- WR1: Tauskie Dove
- WR2: Jalen Knox
- WR3: Keke Chism
- TE: Niko Hea
- LT: Zeke Powell
- LG: Xavier Delgado
- C: Michael Maietti
- RG: Case Cook
- RT: Hyrin White
The Tigers have the quarterback position set with Bazelak, and that’s a huge boost heading into the 2021 season. He’ll have plenty of weapons to throw to. The receiving corps is a strength of this team. Ohio State transfer Mookie Cooper will factor in heavily, too, but I’m going to give the 3 starting spots to the guys who were around in 2020.
Holdover Barrett Banister and 4-star freshman Dominic Lovett will also get plenty of time. Then, there’s starting RB Tyler Badie. Badie will get some help from Elijah Young in the backfield, but both guys will also factor into the passing game.
Badie is one of the more versatile backs in the SEC. We’ll see if he can continue to improve between the tackles, but he’s a guy who is just as comfortable lining up in the slot as he is alongside the quarterback.
Along the offensive line, the Tigers lose a key piece in Larry Borom, but former starter Hyrin White figures to return after missing 2020 with an injury. Meanwhile, Michael Maietti and Case Cook are back to form a strong right side. Zeke Powell and Xavier Delgado figure to have some competition this spring, but they both have starting experience.
Defense
- DE: Trajan Jeffcoat
- DT: Markell Utsey
- DT: Kobie Whiteside
- DE: Isaiah McGuire
- LB: Devin Nicholson
- LB: Blaze Alldredge
- LB: Jamal Brooks
- CB: Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
- S: Martez Manuel
- S: Jalani Williams
- CB: Ishmael Burdine
New DC Steve Wilks runs a 4-3 system, but there will be plenty of variance in that scheme. He spent 1 year under Freddie Kitchens with the Cleveland Browns as the defensive coordinator in 2019. In 2018, he was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. That season, he used his base defense less than any other team in the league.
Thus, look for lots of 4-2-5 looks and other changes. The 4-3 will be the base, but there will be plenty of looks shown to opposing offenses. I think he’ll try to get S Mason Pack in there in the 4-2-5, maybe with Brooks coming off the field. Meanwhile, LB Chad Bailey could be used in interesting ways, too.
Alldredge comes over from Rice and is a tackling machine. He and Nicholson can form a solid linebacking tandem and should both be up near the team lead in tackles. Alldredge isn’t going to wow you with his athleticism, but he’s a smart, instinctive player who puts himself in positions to succeed.
The key to the secondary’s success will be Jalani Williams. If he can live up to his 4-star pedigree, the secondary should be fine. Rakestraw is going to be a solid CB1. We’ve seen Manuel make some big plays. I’m intrigued by Burdine’s potential at the other corner spot. There’s not much depth at the corner spots, but there’s talent.
Finally, we come to the defensive line. The Tigers are loaded at defensive tackle, as Whiteside, Utsey and Akial Byers form a great trio. At defensive end, Trajan Jeffcoat was a first-team All-SEC selection after recording 6 sacks in 2020. Meanwhile, McGuire was a pleasant surprise, recording 3 sacks. The Tigers need to develop some depth behind them, but Wilks will have plenty of guys to rotate in.
Final thought
Entering the 2020 season, Mizzou had a new coach in Drinkwitz and a QB battle between Shawn Robinson and Bazelak. The COVID-19 pandemic threw a major wrench into the system, but Drinkwitz still managed to go an impressive 5-5 in his first year.
If this offseason goes more according to plan, Drinkwitz will actually get to coach Bazelak through the spring. Bazelak only threw for 7 touchdowns and had 6 interceptions last season, but he completed an encouraging 67.3% of his passes for 2,366 yards.
The Tigers will need Badie to step up and help replace some of the 14 touchdowns Rountree ran for, but he should be more than capable of having a big year. The receiving corps is loaded, too, so Bazelak will need to take a major step forward when it comes to putting the ball in the end zone via the pass.
Defensively, it all hinges on Wilks. I like the hire, but he’ll need a full offseason to get his NFL schemes put in place. If there are any COVID-related interruptions, it could really hurt the Tigers on that side of the ball.
Overall, though, there’s plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, and K Harrison Mevis and P Grant McKinniss return to keep continuity on special teams. It could be a big year for the Tigers if everything goes well this offseason!
“..but I’m going to give the 3 starting spots to the guys who were around in 2020”
This is the great thing about the internet, j-school boys who got their azz stuffed into lockers get to pretend they know something about sports.
Sorry you were stuffed into lockers so much. Thanks for sharing, now we know.
LOL, you’re quite the dumbazz aren’t you. You’ve shared that plenty as well.
Bouches is just calling it like he’s seeing it.
You two are match made in heaven, or more like, retarded heaven.
It’s funny about you tigurr, it’s always someone else and never you…..
I think the great thing is laughing at the macho men behind keyboards. Thanks Tigurr!
Looking like a solid Mizzou team! Interested in the new DC as it seems like a roll of the dice but it appears he inherits some talent. Keeping an eye on the Tigers!
Says one of the biggest macho keyboard warriors lol
I still don’t see Badie really replacing Rountree, he’s not that kind of a back. But I do see Drink getting creative and just running a different kind of rushing attack, utilizing the strengths he does have, speed from multiple players and multiple ways. Drinkwitz is still going to find a way to run the ball. I do hope Lovett transitions well because there is no true deep threat, that’s really the only thing missing in the passing game and they’ve got to get Bazelak more accurate on his deep throws this year. And Cooper is an exciting transfer, that kid looks like he could turn any 5 yrd pass into 50 yds in a blink.
Defensively not really expecting much different next season. Probably a solid defense again but still lacking pressure up front and from the edge. Glad the guys who decided to come back came back.
Agree on all points and I would like to add that Shawn Robinson is the real dark horse on defense. He’s like 6’2”, 220 runs like a deer and in his limited time on the field was super impressive.
It’s going to be interesting to see what they do with Robinson. Clearly his QB days are over, but he seems good enough and athletic enough to contribute in other ways (defensively or offensively). I’m all for it. He could’ve said screw it when he was benched but he didn’t so that says a lot about his strong character. If he can field punts there’s another obvious spot that needs help and could use his talent/athleticism.
I don’t have much more to add. That was my first thought as well. Booches94 hit on the strong character. I would only add that I could see him starting as one of the safeties with a whole spring to train. I hadn’t even thought about punt returning!
On a different subject, in his short time here, I have really come to trust and admire Drink. I lived through decades of bad Missouri football, was encouraged by Pinkel, had high hopes for Barry, but I have never seen the aura that seems to be there now.
Badie can run away from the strong side if the defense matches up. Or he can run toward the strong side if the defense zones for an attack against the numbers side. In both of these cases there has to be a lane to get him past the line of scrimmage. That lane can be a passing lane or a throwing lane. Missouri hasn’t had a lot of big durable backs in the SEC yet. But that day is coming.
Don’t be shocked if Robinson, or Macon take some snaps. I don’t expect more than about 2-3 series per game but at the right state of guess work by the defense this will be enough to keep the defense off guard of at least a quarter or two.
Don’t forget that Bazelak is a ace in two of the most important ways. He completes a high percentage of his passes and this will get better. Secondly he likes to spread the defense deep, while completing a % of longer balls that causes a defense to cheat too often.
Man… you must be great at parties eh
Lovely commenting system… this was meant for Tigurrr not you Adam… I’m sure you’re just fine at parties.
Wimpy computer jocks. lol
i thought Connor was not given enough credit in the QB rankins this sight does all year. this could be a guy that holds all Mizzou passing records at end of career. he played with a lot of poise during game against Bama
SDS is nothing but bloggers, there is no reporting done here. Start your own website and throw up your opinion, it’s as valid as anything you will see here.
Maybe that’s what you should do.
Whatever I do, you will still be the whiny idiot you are Tardytiger.
Tigger, if you hate the writers and the people who comment here so much why don’t you follow your own suggestion and start your own website. I’m sure most of the posters here would agree that’s a good idea.
exactly right. heres why. the edict Drinkwitz gave him was DO NOT THROW INTERCEPTIONS. That’s why so many passes look so far off. Defensive backs to not want you to get open and sometimes you don’t get open, so there’s going to be a sack or the ball is going to get thrown to a very difficult place for the receiver to be the only guy that touches it.
@tidejack, true and that is his modus operandi. Who would think a high school, option-quarterback, could come from Ohio to Missouri and stand so tall at his age/experience ?? In that game, nobody knew how tough Alabama was going to be in 2020. That game said a lot about Missouri but few people were listening. Now can Missouri pass Florida or Georgia, or even Alabama, and can Alabama follow that season with ????
Badie needs gaps and receivers can create those. The receivers need timing and Bazelak has the maturity now to know his receivers and deliver on time. This offensive line needs a big play book, Drinkwitz is at his best with a big play book. The defense need everything and this DC has seen a lot of everything.
Crisis? What crisis?
Adam predicts that the returning starters at end of season are all going to be starters (again), that’s some bold and ballsey stuff Cotton.
Some locker stuffings were jerk moves and others were to let a little snapper running his mouth that the reason he hadn’t been beaten to a pulp yet was that his leash hadn’t gone past the point where you get stuffed but that day had arrived. I put two guys in lockers due to leash violations.
Funny thing, I was never the jock stuffing kids in lockers, I was the one helping them out because I felt bad for them. I just find the j-schoolboys that worship girls kicking extra points but couldnt play disc golf without getting winded, to be “special”.
You should start your own website. You seem to know a lot about everything.
You should flip more burger at McD’s, it would keep you out of places where you don’t belong.
I was a jock and I defended enough. These were alpha mouths that weren’t really alphas. I only started two fights in my life, most came at me. Anyway, just my observation.
Mizzou is strong at right guard that’s for sure.
This may be the best Mizzou O line ever, partly because the bar really isn’t all that high.
@ Tigurr….In the 1930s the number of football contests per season were 9. These increased over the years four times, to 10, then 11, then 12, and now a possible 13. So statistics have to be adjusted per game to be valid. One way to do this is to go search 2020 Cumulative Statistics and you will get the Tiger Sport’s Information pages. You will find that in 2020 Missouri averaged 402 yards of total offense per game. Next go back to the top of the page and select a new year about 90 times. If anyone finds a way to see this quicker, let me know here on this thread please. Here’s a sneak preview of what you are going to be able clarify however. Missouri produced big offensive statistics in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and 2010s, but how solid the decade looks varies quite a bit. You can quickly find that quarterbacks generated some of the big years, running backs other years, even receivers changed the numbers substantially, by going to the Wikipedia, Missouri yards by passing, rushing, receiving, etc…… But even after this, you won’t know the exact best O-LINE years…. but you can get a good idea. And this is going to blow your mind a little because nobody lived thru, and few remember, or study the whole history. Clearly these un-named O-lines were very talented and successful many different years AND notice that only sometimes did those years followed the 3-4 year tenure of an outstanding individual quarterback or running back.
Tigurr, I think you’ll find that the “bar has been set high” lots of years. It’s just that as fans we have extremely short memories.
CB: Ishmael Burdine OR Perkins
Is Dominic Gicinto from Raytown still on the Roster?