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At linebacker, much like across most of his defense, new Missouri football defensive coordinator Corey Batoon is mostly interested in sticking to the spring camp process over way-too-early evaluations.
That’s why, on Saturday after Mizzou’s first scrimmage of the spring, he struck a positive tone about where Missouri’s linebacker room stands, even if — on paper — there’s a distinct lack of returning, experienced depth.
Missouri football lost linebackers Ty’Ron Hopper and Chad Bailey over the offseason. Chuck Hicks and Triston Newson played plenty while the depth-chart toppers sat with sporadic injuries last season, and they shape up to be the primary starters next season.
But behind them, the room thinned over the offseason. Mizzou lost backups DJ Wesolak, Carmycah Glass, Xavier Simmons and Dameon Wilson to the portal.
“You have the two veteran guys that have played a lot of snaps,” Batoon said, “and then, you know, trying to blend in some of the younger guys, some of the high school guys, some of the transfers.”
More: How Brian Early became Mizzou football’s defensive ends coach, and what he envisions for position
Hicks and Newson are the veterans who have played a lot of snaps. Hicks is in his seventh year of college football; Newson is a junior college transfer with three years of college football under his belt. Both of them started in the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State in December.
The players Batoon is trying to “blend in” are Corey Flagg, who transferred to Missouri from Miami; Brayshawn Littlejohn, who is for his second season after four appearances in 2023; true freshman Brian Huff, an early enrollee; and three-star prospect Nicholas Rodriguez, who will join the Tigers’ linebackers as a freshman in the summer.
Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Lincoln…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/missouri-football-returns-two-experienced-011044658.html
Author : Columbia Daily Tribune
Publish date : 2024-03-10 01:10:44
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