Eli Drinkwitz comments on Mizzou offensive line, Cayden Green at tackle
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Eli Drinkwitz spoke to the media on Saturday as Mizzou resumed preseason camp at Lindenwood University in St. Charles. The Tigers’ offensive line was a topic of discussion as it was when Drinkwitz went on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on Thursday.
But there seems to be a few moving parts to what the front five will look like.
“You think you got guys slotted in positions, but man, guys grow and develop and get better and play and play themselves into positions,” coach Eli Drinkwitz said.
Two names Drinkwitz brought up were Curtis Peagler and Tristan Wilson, who are fighting it out for the right guard position. That comes as Cayden Green, the starting left guard in 2024, has been moved to left tackle.
“Curtis Peagler’s really played well, and so it’s like, OK, well, is he playing better than the left tackle? Or is Tristan Wilson playing better than the center?” Drinkwitz said. “We’re having those constant discussions. I feel like we gave ourselves a chance to look at it. I like the way that looks right now.”
As for Green, he initially was at left tackle when arriving at Mizzou from Oklahoma, Drinkwitz said, but “he wasn’t as comfortable” there. While that led to an eventual move to left guard, Drinkwitz said that Green’s grown into the LT role since being moved back earlier in the summer.
“He’s more comfortable and confident as a player, so it gives us the freedom to slide him out and say, ‘Are you still comfortable and confident as the left tackle?’ Because it’s a little bit further from the ball, a little bit more in space, a little bit more isolation,” Drinkwitz said. “And guess what? He’s pretty confident. He’s pretty comfortable.”
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
