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Mizzou safety says he’s preparing for Arkansas game with ultimate respect to Barry Odom
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Former Missouri coach Barry Odom left a huge impression on Tigers safety Martez Manuel.
On Tuesday, Manuel was asked about the prospect of facing his former coach on Saturday. Odom is now the defensive coordinator for Arkansas.
“I love him. He gave me a shot,” Manuel told reporters, per Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The best way to respect him is to prepare for the Razorbacks like I’m playing the Super Bowl.”
Manuel was an under-the-radar recruit coming out of Columbia, Missouri. He was the No. 58 safety and the No. 749 overall player in the class of 2019, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Odom believed in Manuel enough to play him as a true freshman. He played in all 12 games and earned on start, contributing mostly on special teams.
Now in 2020, Manuel is a starting safety for the Tigers and is putting up big numbers. So far this season, he has 40 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble.
Missouri and Arkansas will kick off at 11 a.m. central time.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
