COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri offensive line is getting a little funky. Or at least might be.
In the first fall camp practice since teasing offensive line “adjustments,†Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz took those changes to a surprising degree.
When the Tigers’ first-team offense briefly took the field during a “team tempo†drill that pitted the offense against the defense, gone was the offensive line as it had been constructed through the start of camp.
Preseason All-American left guard Cayden Green lined up at left tackle, for starters. Michigan transfer Dominick Giudice, who’d be penciled in as the starting right guard, lined up at left guard. Returning starter Connor Tollison stayed put at center. Redshirt junior Curtis Peagler, who’s played just 36 career snaps, stepped in at right guard. Wake Forest transfer Keagen Trost, as expected, lined up at right tackle.
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Missouri defensive lineman Johnny Walker Jr., left, tussles with offensive lineman Cayden Green, center, during the team’s Black and Gold spring game on March 16, 2024, at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
The possibility of Green moving out to left tackle was the immediate top-line takeaway from that drill, and that shift seemed to trigger a domino effect in the other two tweaks.
It would be surprising but not unheard of for MU to deploy its best lineman out on the left edge. Green played one game at left tackle when he was a freshman at Oklahoma — his first collegiate appearance — but has otherwise amassed snaps solely at left guard.
That Mizzou is considering a shift for Green is perhaps an indication of how the competition at left tackle has played out. Returner Jayven Richardson has appeared to be ahead of West Virginia transfer Johnny Williams IV, yet both those linemen were relegated to the second-team during Monday’s drill.
The second team offensive line consisted of Richardson at left tackle, Florida State transfer Jaylen Early at left guard, Tristan Wilson at center, Logan Reichert at right guard and Williams at right tackle, where he’s also played in previous games.
Following Saturday’s scrimmage, Drinkwitz suggested these changes would be coming.
“We’re gonna make some adjustments (this) week,†he said. “…We’ll want to see if we’ve got a different starting five to see what it looks like.â€
This certainly qualifies as “different.â€
At least publicly, Mizzou has never given much consideration to bumping Green out to left tackle. And slotting Peagler, who has made just three career appearances, in at right guard would be a surprise. (It’s more likely Wilson would line up there, but the Tigers have prioritized getting their backup centers snapping reps as Tollison returns from a torn ACL.)
The question moving forward: Would Drinkwitz actually try this during a game? He trotted this O-line combination onto the field in full view of reporters and cameras, and he’s far from oblivious about which periods of practice are open to media. It could be intended to send a public message to his players — or even a red herring, like he’s offered up with his quarterback contenders.
This week, dubbed “execution week†by coaches, is a particularly important stretch of fall camp practices. An O-line shake-up could just be another subplot for the week.
Possible depth chart?
Like last year, the Post-Dispatch will publish a thoroughly explained projected two-deep version of Mizzou’s depth chart at the conclusion of fall camp, once the hierarchy appears to be a little more fine-tuned.
But in the meantime, here are the lineups Missouri deployed during Monday’s “team tempo drillâ€:
Mizzou's Aug. 11 "team tempo" lineups
Position | 1st Team | 2nd Team |
---|---|---|
Quarterback | Beau Pribula | Sam Horn |
Running back | Ahmad Hardy | Marquise Davis |
Wide receiver | Joshua Manning | Donovan Olugbode |
Wide receiver | Marquis Johnson | Xavier Loyd |
Slot receiver | Kevin Coleman Jr. | Daniel Blood |
Tight end | Brett Norfleet | Jude James |
Left tackle | Cayden Green | Jayven Richardson |
Left guard | Dominick Giudice | Jaylen Early |
Center | Connor Tollison | Tristan Wilson |
Right guard | Curtis Peagler | Logan Reichert |
Right tackle | Keagen Trost | Johnny Williams IV |
Field defensive end | Zion Young | Nate Johnson |
Defensive tackle | Chris McClellan | Sterling Webb |
Defensive tackle | Marquis Gracial | Bralen Henderson |
Boundary defensive end | Damon Wilson II | Darris Smith |
Middle linebacker | Josiah Trotter | Nick Rodriguez |
Outside linebacker | Triston Newson | Khalil Jacobs |
Hybrid safety | Daylan Carnell | Trajen Greco |
Safety | Jalen Catalon | Caleb Flagg |
Safety | Marvin Burks Jr. | Santana Banner |
Cornerback | Drey Norwood | Stephen Hall |
Cornerback | Toriano Pride Jr. | Nick Deloach Jr. |
An obligatory note of caution: Particularly given the offensive line tinkering and ongoing quarterback competition, don’t take that depth chart as worthy of being written in permanent marker. (tncms-asset)cadceaa7-5c2f-4356-89d2-0b2e9e403765[2](/tncms-asset)(tncms-asset)5d7ef6cf-818f-4156-8a0b-0056277ad14a[3](/tncms-asset)