We are in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer. SEC Media Days is right around the corner. Before we get into preseason mode, let’s get our minds right for the upcoming college football season by taking a 10,000-foot view of every SEC football team.
Eli Drinkwitz just rattled off consecutive double-digit win seasons. That’s only happened two other times in the history of Missouri football, most recently when the Tigers arrived in the SEC and won a couple of Eastern Division titles. Mizzou did not punch a CFP ticket, but a Cotton Bowl win, followed by a 10-win season is impressive nonetheless. Will they stay hot, or has that momentum slowed? Let’s dive in.
SEC Snapshot: Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama
Preseason Rankings
SP+: 21
Returning Production: 51
Win Total: 7.5
Who’s the Quarterback?
Brady Cook was a quality college quarterback. No one would describe him as a precision passer with a rocket arm, but he put the ball where it needed to be, used his legs to aggravate defenses, and won big games. He was 25-13 as a starter, and now the keys are being passed to a newcomer.
Drinkwitz has recruited the quarterback position well. True freshman Matt Zollers is a former Top 100 talent, and former four-star Sam Horn is technically in a competition this fall, but we all know Beau Pribula will be under center to start the season.
Pribula was a formidable fill-in at Penn State when Drew Allar went down with an injury, guiding the Nittany Lions to a victory over Wisconsin. He made headlines when he opted out of Penn State’s CFP run to enter the transfer portal. Last season he completed 26-35 passes for 275 yards. He has nine touchdowns and one interception in his career. Pribula’s running ability is a big part of his game, tallying 571 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last two years.
Biggest Question: Can Missouri Weather a Talent Vacuum?
Brady Cook wasn’t the only noteworthy departure this offseason for Missouri. All-SEC right tackle Armand Membou was the seventh overall pick in the NFL Draft. Starting left tackle Marcus Bryant was selected in the seventh round of the NFL Draft.
They didn’t just lose valuable players in the trenches. Missouri’s top two pass-catchers, Theo Wease and Luther Burden, are in the NFL. They also must replace their leading rusher, Nate Noel. Finding plug-and-play replacements is much easier said than done.
Main Storyline: A Running Attack Raises the Floor Against a Weak Schedule
Missouri entered the 2024 season as a CFP contender in part because of its 11-win campaign the year prior. The other big part of the equation was Mizzou’s schedule. Eli Drinkwitz got the best draw of any coach in the SEC. That schedule will once again be the easiest in the SEC. Their first six games are at home, culminating with their toughest opponent coming to CoMo, Alabama. The toughest road challenges are at Auburn and Oklahoma.
Missouri made a transfer portal splash when the Tigers secured a commitment from Ahmad Hardy, who tallied nearly 1,400 rushing yards a year ago at ULM. With Hardy and Pribula’s legs, they should have an exceptional rushing attack that raises the floor for an offense that must replace a ton of talent and could be good enough to survive the light SEC slate. It might not be good enough for a CFP berth, but nine wins are on the table.
Missouri Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 30 | Central Arkansas | Faurot Field |
| Sat, Sep 6 | Kansas | Faurot Field |
| Sat, Sep 13 | Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns | Faurot Field |
| Sat, Sep 20 | South Carolina Gamecocks | Faurot Field |
| Sat, Sep 27 | UMass | Faurot Field |
| Sat, Oct 11 | Alabama | Faurot Field |
| Sat, Oct 18 | Auburn | Jordan‑Hare Stadium |
| Sat, Oct 25 | Vanderbilt | FirstBank Stadium |
| Sat, Nov 8 | Texas A&M Aggies | Faurot Field |
| Sat, Nov 15 | Mississippi State | Faurot Field |
| Sat, Nov 22 | Oklahoma Sooners | Oklahoma Memorial Stadium |
| Sat, Nov 29 | Arkansas Razorbacks | Reynolds Razorback Stadium |
The post SEC Snapshot: Missouri Tigers appeared first on On3.