The Missouri Tigers finished 6-7 overall and 3-5 in the SEC last season. Oddsmakers have given Missouri a wins total projection of 5.5. Eliah Drinkwitz returns for his third season as the Missouri head coach. Missouri was 5-0 when gaining 400 or more yards and 1-6 when gaining fewer than 400 yards. The starting quarterback job is still up in the air as Brady Cook and Tyler Macon are the top two fighting for the starting job.'
The top running back this season for Missouri will be Nathaniel Peat who transferred from Stanford but the Tigers don't have anyone to replace the talented Tyler Badie who is now in the NFL. The wide receivers corps will be the strength of the offense with Tauskie Dove returning after last season gaining 576 yards, However, the focus will be on freshman receiver Luther Burden. Missouri's coaching staff wants the ball in Burden's hands as much as possible.
Missouri's defense must improve over last season. The Tigers were the second-worst in the SEC overall. Missouri's defense against the rush was last in the SEC and the Tigers gave up 24 points or more in each of their conference games except for a 24-23 win over Florida. Trajan Jeffcoat is the top defensive end for Missouri and Isaiah McGluire will play opposite Jeffcoat at the other end. Transfer Jayden Jernigan will play in the interior line.
Ty'Ron Hopper joins Missouri from Florida where last season he was the leading tackler at middle linebacker. Chad Bailey will play alongside Hopper and the two will be the top two tacklers for the team. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, who is expected to play in the NFL one day, is the leader of a solid secondary. Ennis Rakestraw will start as the other cornerback. The safeties include Joseph Charleston, a transfer from Clemson along with Martez Manuel and Jaylon Charlies.
Free NCAAF Pick:
Under 5.5