COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥 There could be some subtle changes coming to Missouri football regarding who takes how many snaps and where, or there might not be any tweaks at all. The Tigers aren鈥檛 looking to get into the details of midseason competitions.
Yet at three positions 鈥 left guard, wide receiver and cornerback 鈥 there are compelling cases and in-game evidence for why No. 19 Mizzou could deviate from the starting lineup it established in August at the beginning of the season. Finding those spots just requires reading between the lines of the depth chart.
Take a swap on the offensive line, for example.
Left tackle Marcus Bryant and left guard Cayden Green have been prone to allowing pressures so far this season, with their pass protection struggles reaching a tipping point against Texas A&M.
At the time, there seemed to be a fairly logical way to rearrange the offensive line that would have removed Bryant, shifted Green to tackle, moved right guard Cam鈥橰on Johnson to the left side and inserted one of a couple of viable options at right guard. Instead, against Massachusetts, MU did something more surprising: Mitchell Walters, who usually plays as Missouri鈥檚 swing tackle, split snaps with Green at left guard.
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Pro Football Focus鈥 final tally of snaps showed that Walters played 36 while Green played 35, though some of Walters鈥 reps came at other positions around the line.
Coach Eli Drinkwitz liked what he saw with that setup.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e going to see more of Mitchell Walters throughout,鈥 Drinkwitz said. 鈥淲e just feel like, from an offensive line standpoint, we鈥檝e got to create competition to get the best. I mean, Cayden rotated and ended up grading the highest and was named offensive lineman of the game 鈥 he responded well to the challenge.鈥
Whether that means Walters and Green will continue splitting reps, Walters could start or something else entirely is not as clear. When Mizzou deploys a six-lineman formation, Walters, a Mehlville product, is the additional blocker added 鈥 with experience at both guard positions and right tackle, his versatility is an advantage in that role.
鈥淗e provides a lot of position flexibility,鈥 Drinkwitz said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a big body who鈥檚 played a ton of football in this league. He gets great movement at the line of scrimmage.鈥
For now, it seems that the Walters-Green competition is the only active one along the offensive line. Asked whether there are any other linemen who could be stepping into competitions 鈥 maybe backup left tackle Jayven Richardson or young guard Logan Reichert 鈥 Drinkwitz answered with a curt 鈥渘ot at the moment.鈥
The fifth-year coach was similarly coy when it came to a question about the cornerback position, where Toriano Pride Jr. and Nicholas Deloach Jr. have split snaps. Pride was on the field slightly more often against the Minutemen, but Deloach got the edge when it came to grades.
鈥淚 mean, I liked it fine,鈥 Drinkwitz said when asked about their rotation. 鈥淵eah, I liked it fine.鈥
Maybe that means a holding pattern when it comes to that competition, but it seems the head coach isn鈥檛 looking to weigh in.
Another spot to watch for evolution is Mizzou鈥檚 deployment of its deep cast of wide receivers. Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. are the clear top two options, with 40 and 43 targets respectively and 31 catches apiece.
But behind them, it could get murky. Mookie Cooper, the third starter at wideout, has been targeted 23 times but hauled in just 10 of those passes. Marquis Johnson has more catches, 13, on fewer targets.
Then, against UMass, second-year receiver Joshua Manning made the highlight reel with a catch-and-run 63-yard score that was his first collegiate touchdown. He鈥檚 only been targeted 11 times this season but has turned those into 126 yards 鈥 not far off Cooper鈥檚 production and with more efficiency.
Manning didn鈥檛 play much against Texas A&M because of a hamstring issue that popped up just before the game, but he saw a bigger role against the Minutemen. Now, there鈥檚 a question of whether he merits even more targets.
And dealing with that notion had Drinkwitz a bit prickly.
鈥淲e rotate a lot at wide receiver,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 mean, we get criticized for playing too many wide receivers because Luther鈥檚 not on the field. Now, we鈥檙e wanting other guys to get more. I can鈥檛 make everybody happy on that.鈥
He was, however, positive about Manning鈥檚 strong offseason and camp that have positioned him to challenge more senior receivers for routes and snaps.
鈥淚 would say Josh has earned what he鈥檚 got, and he does a great job with this opportunity,鈥 Drinkwitz said. 鈥淭he only people concerned with that stuff are outside the building. Inside the building, our guys really were fired up for both (tight end) Brett (Norfleet) and Josh and their opportunities. They all know that they鈥檝e got plays with in the game plan that they鈥檙e designed for 鈥 take advantage when they get them.鈥