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Set aside the X’s and O’s, for a moment, and give the Jimmies and Joes your full consideration.

Missouri’s preseason camp has plenty of scheme installation, particularly with a new defensive coordinator in Corey Batoon entering the fold, but the few weeks of practices leading up to the first game of the season are also about personnel.

More specifically, Mizzou is working out which players will see regular playing time in 2024 and which will be positioned as key backups.

Coach Eli Drinkwitz and the rest of the Tigers staff will designate starters, yes, but their mission — and list of players they’ll use — leads them deeper into the depth chart than just 11 players on each offense and defense.

“So much, now, for football is different just because of the rotational amount of players. Really besides quarterback and offensive line, everybody else is playing snap counts,� Drinkwitz said over the weekend. “I feel pretty confident that we’re two deep at just about every position.�

Based on the roughly 120 players listed on Missouri’s roster, Drinkwitz has a number in mind of how many playing-time-ready options he needs to find.

“For us, it’s about continuing to establish that competitive depth at special teams and making sure that 35-50 are able and ready to win in the SEC,� he said.

After observing portions of a handful of preseason camp practices and interviews with most of Mizzou’s assistant coaches and more than a dozen players, the Post-Dispatch is ready to predict the Tigers’ depth chart ahead of the 2024 college football season.

This is your position-by-position guide to who’s likely to play for Missouri this fall, with a couple of asterisks.

First, this is wholly unofficial and based on anecdotal observations from the limited portions of practice that are open to media, which mostly includes individual drills. Interviews and players' past stats were also factored into these determinations. Second, this is a prediction or a projection, not an argument for or against this version of the depth chart.

On to the good stuff.

Quarterback

Starter: Brady Cook, senior

Backup: Drew Pyne, sophomore

This is arguably the biggest difference from Mizzou’s depth chart at this time last year: Cook is the undisputed starter. That’s a first for the signal-caller entering his final college season, and his confidence has been palpable during practices. He’s taking first-team reps himself, and there’s no talk — forced or legitimate — of anyone usurping him for the QB1 role.

Pyne has impressed since arriving in Columbia after a late transfer meant he wasn’t with the Tigers for spring practices. His experience — Pyne and Cook are in the same class — is evident, and his reps have been crisp. Strong scrimmage performances suggest Pyne’s schematic transition to MU is going well, which makes sense given that working with offensive coordinator Kirby Moore was a selling point for the former Notre Dame and Arizona State quarterback. Should Cook miss time at any point this season, Pyne is the clear QB2 for the Tigers. His preseason has raised his stock for the likely quarterback competition that will precede a Cook-less 2025 season.

Beyond Cook and Pyne, Mizzou’s quarterback options are tougher to reckon with. Sam Horn, last season’s backup, is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. True freshman Aidan Glover looks more settled since a shaky spring but is inexperienced. JR Blood, a transfer from Southern, is a veteran — albeit one who hasn’t played at the Southeastern Conference level. Brett Brown and Tommy Lock have had capable practice reps but weren’t brought into the team to compete for the starting job.

Running back

Starters: Nate Noel, senior; Marcus Carroll, senior

Backups: Jamal Roberts, redshirt freshman; Tavorus Jones, sophomore

Noel and Carroll, who have 1,000-yard seasons on the books at Appalachian State and Georgia State, respectively, transferred to Missouri to be part of an experienced “thunder and lightning� backfield tandem. Carroll fits the bruiser role, while Noel flashes more potential on the perimeter and in the passing game. Coaches have compared them to the former MU duo of Larry Rountree III and Tyler Badie. Noel seems to get slightly more first-team reps than Carroll does, though that could be the Tigers trying to limit contact, which is a core part of Carroll’s game. They seem likely to receive similar workloads at the start of the season, which could evolve as the campaign progresses.

Roberts, who may well have seen a role last season if Cody Schrader had not assembled a record-setting season, has another year of training under his belt. His versatility as both a north-south rusher and a pass-catcher makes him appealing as an RB3. Jones has received more buzz during this preseason than the last, but the running back room is crowded ahead of and around him.

The speed and talent of freshman Kewan Lacy made him one of the jewels of this year’s recruiting class. Getting up to speed with an SEC program has been a process, and a soft-tissue injury has limited him at times during preseason camp. Austyn Dendy, another true freshman, switched from safety to running back over the weekend. He performed well in a scrimmage but is positioned as an emergency tailback for now.

Left tackle

Starter: Marcus Bryant, senior

Backup: Jayven Richardson, sophomore

Bryant and Richardson, transfers from SMU and Hutchinson Community College, respectively, entered preseason camp in a competition for the starting left tackle job. As expected, Bryant won that battle after a week and change. His size fits in at the SEC level, and the Missouri staff recruited him by telling him he was the final piece of the offensive puzzle. While Richardson’s experience has come mostly at left tackle, he seems like a candidate for the Tigers’ swing tackle or “sixth man� role, which was occupied by Marcellus Johnson last season. Even with the entire O-line healthy, Richardson could see the field in some six-linemen heavy formations.

Left guard

Starter: Cayden Green, sophomore

Backup: Logan Reichert, redshirt freshman

When Green transferred to MU from Oklahoma, the question was not whether the young lineman would start — it was where. He spent the spring at tackle, his more natural position in the eyes of some, but Bryant’s arrival pushed Green to the interior as a means of getting what coaches see as the best five linemen onto the field together. Green and Reichert are the same year, and both hail from the Kansas City area. Reichert, nicknamed “Big Show,� remains the heaviest player on the team at 369 pounds (he's also 6-foot-6). His gains over the course of a redshirt season and offseason seem to have centered around refining technique.

Center

Starter: Connor Tollison, junior

Backups: Drake Heismeyer, senior; Tristan Wilson, sophomore

Tollison struggled with consistency when it came to snapping the ball this season but didn’t shy away from those errors, something that has led to better performance through spring and preseason practices. Grading services like Pro Football Focus tab Tollison as one of the best run blockers in the nation at his position. Like with Cook, he’s unchallenged as a starter this season after defending his position atop the depth chart last year.

Heismeyer has been with the Tigers for the entirety of Drinkwitz’s coaching tenure but was played almost exclusively on special teams. Wilson’s snapping work appears to be a newer development. In a pinch, right guard Cam’Ron Johnson or freshman Talan Chandler could also be center options.

Right guard

Starter: Cam’Ron Johnson, senior

Backup: Curtis Peagler, sophomore

Johnson came to MU from Houston alongside offensive line coach Brandon Jones to push Tollison at center but wound up starting at right guard. Eleven penalties mucked up an otherwise solid first season in the SEC for Johnson. Peagler, who did not make it onto the field in his first two seasons, seems poised to begin pushing those higher up the depth chart for snaps.

Right tackle

Starter: Armand Membou, junior

Backup: Mitchell Walters, senior

There aren’t many college football players at any position who are more athletic than Membou. MU strength coach Ryan Russell that Membou has squatted 650 pounds, benched 425 and hit 20 mph running down the field. What does that mean for Mizzou’s right tackle spot? An easy decision about who to start. Walters was a starter at times in the 2021 and 2022 seasons but has settled into a backup role. He’s been with the program since 2020, making him a veteran option should the Tigers need him.

Slot wide receiver

Starter: Luther Burden III, junior

Backups: Mekhi Miller, junior; Daniel Blood, sophomore

Does writing Burden’s name in Sharpie under this position need any justification? The East ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ product who’s landing on preseason All-America teams is one of the best wideouts in the country — if not the best. His move into the slot last year was productive. Expect Moore to keep Burden moving around so that other teams struggle to consistently cover him the same way.

Miller battled injuries last season but popped up in big ways when he was on the field, including the first touchdown of the 2023 season. Blood leveraged a strong offseason and brings an ability to pick up yards after the catch, which appeals to coaches.

Wide receiver

Starters: Theo Wease Jr., senior; Mookie Cooper, senior

Backups: Marquis Johnson, sophomore; Joshua Manning, sophomore

Both Wease and Cooper chose to come back for another season of college football and reprise their starting roles from last season. The strengths of Wease, a former Oklahoma wideout, in red zone and contested catch situations are well-documented by this point, but he shows a sneaky quickness that can catch opponents by surprise. Cooper, who spent a year at Ohio State before transferring to his home-state school, can run routes out of a variety of locations and will still see a healthy share of targets, even as the third wide receiver on the field.

Johnson’s freshman season backed up his nickname, “Speedy,� with the first-year player finding opportunities to burst over the top of the defense for big plays. That kind of role isn’t going away, but coaches have challenged him to expand his route tree to merit more snaps and targets. Manning has taken first-team reps over Wease and Cooper at times during preseason camp, though that may be a case of load management or experimentation. Still, he has the size to match Wease’s role and seems likely to get a few targets in his second season.

Freshmen Courtney Crutchfield and James Madison II have impressed at times during preseason camp but face an uphill battle for any significant number of snaps because of the crowded, experienced wideout room.

Tight end

Starter: Brett Norfleet, sophomore

Backups: Jordon Harris, sophomore; Tyler Stephens, senior

Norfleet and Harris have been absent from practices lately as they recover from injuries, though both are expected to return to camp action near the end of this week. Norfleet’s ascendance during his freshman season flew under the radar, but assuming he takes an expected step forward as a blocker, he should be a consistent starter. What’s less clear is how many targets will go to him and the Tigers’ other tight ends, given the depth and prowess of the team’s wide receivers.

Stephens has experience but struggled with drops in the back half of last season, eventually leading to Norfleet’s promotion into a starting role. Harris didn’t get as much playing time behind that duo but could be a factor this season.

One freshman to watch here: Francis Howell product Jude James has taken more reps with Norfleet and Harris sidelined and is an intriguing H-back-type option. Whether that will make it off the practice field, though, remains to be seen.

Defensive end

Starters: Zion Young, junior; Johnny Walker Jr. (joker), senior

Rotation: Joe Moore III, senior; Eddie Kelly Jr., junior

Backups: Jahkai Lang, redshirt freshman; Williams Nwaneri, freshman

Here’s where the rotational aspect of constructing a depth chart — and the Tigers’ biggest injury of the preseason to date — come into play. If recent trends hold true, Mizzou will turn to four edge rushers each game, mixing them in and out fairly frequently. Darris Smith, a transfer from Georgia, likely would have been No. 3 in that rotation, but after a season-ending injury, he’s off the depth chart.

Walker will start once again and play a similar role to last season — except now his position is called the joker. That means there may be a little bit of pass coverage responsibility from time to time. Young, who transferred from Michigan State, will be the more traditional defensive end.

Moore looks likely to reprise his role as a part of the D-end rotation, and the experience of Georgia Tech transfer Kelly suggests that duo will be the group that comes off the bench. Lang may be younger but has taken some second-team reps during preseason practices, so he may well end up ahead of Kelly. There’s plenty of external demand for in-game Nwaneri reps, but Missouri is not inclined to rush him onto the field. For the time being, playing time given to the freshman would stand to be developmental for him rather than necessary for the team, but Smith’s injury means this position group has a little less depth to work with.

Defensive tackle

Starters: Kristian Williams, senior; Chris McClellan, junior

Rotation: Sterling Webb, junior; Marquis Gracial, sophomore

Backups: Jalen Marshall, sophomore; Sam Williams, redshirt freshman

For a bit, it seemed like Mizzou might target one more defensive tackle in the transfer portal, but Drinkwitz and Co. are sticking with this group to comprise another likely four-man rotation in the trenches. Williams is the only returning member of last year’s defensive tackle group and looks to be its leader in terms of snaps. McClellan has SEC experience from his time at Florida, which has helped him take command of the other tackle spot.

Westminster graduate Webb is making the jump from New Mexico State to a much more physical league, which could be quite the transition. Gracial was a highly rated recruit out of St. Charles and now seems poised for playing time after two seasons of limited action. Marshall and Williams have taken reps alongside the second-team defense at times during preseason camp.

Middle linebacker

Starter: Chuck Hicks, senior

Backup: Corey Flagg, senior

Hicks is back for a whopping seventh year of college football and is a projected starter after filling in for Chad Bailey for most of last season. Hicks brings stability to the core of a defense that’s otherwise seeing some significant turnover. Flagg transferred in from Miami ahead of spring practice and seems geared for a spot at middle linebacker, though he might find other opportunities when the Tigers want a blitz-prone option in the center of the field.

Outside linebacker

Starter: Triston Newson, senior

Backups: Khalil Jacobs, junior; Brayshawn Littlejohn, redshirt freshman

Like with Hicks, Newson saw some significant playing time as a fill-in last season, albeit for Ty’Ron Hopper in Mizzou’s outside linebacker role. Newson will likely be asked to step up his pass-rushing capabilities, but he’s a sound tackler who has been serviceable in coverage as well. Jacobs, a transfer from South Alabama, seems to have slotted in at the outside position more than the middle. Littlejohn saw some special teams action as a freshman, but that hasn’t translated to a clear path to defensive playing time this season, barring an injury.

Cornerbacks

Starters: Dreyden Norwood, junior; Toriano Pride Jr., junior

Backups: Nicholas Deloach Jr. redshirt freshman; Marcus Clarke, senior

Norwood and Pride are both new starters, though they’ve both got some experience. Norwood filled in at times last year and was smooth in coverage. He started the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State, setting up his path to a starting role this year. Pride didn’t see a massive role at Clemson, his first stop, but brings a physicality — and trash-talking — to the secondary that has him poised for key snaps in 2024.

Cahokia's Deloach has been one of preseason camp’s most surprising breakouts, actually splitting first-team reps with Pride during some drills. Clarke is experienced and was a backup cornerback last season, too, but doesn’t seem to be in the mix for any starts beyond those required by an injury.

STAR

Starter: Daylan Carnell, junior

Backup: Sidney Williams Sr., senior

Carnell has become synonymous with Missouri’s hybrid safety role, which blends secondary and linebacker responsibilities. A pick-six highlighted his 2023 campaign, but this year, Carnell’s versatility could be one of Batoon’s most intriguing weapons when it comes to crafting pass coverages and blitzes.

Williams, like the rest of Mizzou’s safeties, can fill in at a variety of positions but has spent most of preseason camp working with the STAR room.

Safeties

Starters: Joseph Charleston (field), senior; Marvin Burks Jr. (boundary), sophomore

Backups: Tre’Vez Johnson (field), senior; Caleb Flagg (boundary), junior

Charleston returns the most tackles of any MU defender and retains his starting position from a year ago. Burks (Cardinal Ritter), who earned playing time as a freshman, is a young starter replacing Jaylon Carlies.

Johnson can play either safety position as needed but has tended to replace Charleston when the second team takes the field. Flagg, who was the defensive MVP of Missouri’s spring game, wasn’t expected to be a force in the competition for playing time but seems to be the primary backup after impressing in camp.

Kicker

Starter: Blake Craig, redshirt freshman

Backup: Nick Quadrini, sophomore

Consistency is the key for Craig, who has the leg to be one of the better kickers in college football but is still settling into making routine kicks look, well, routine. The ball comes off his foot as it should for a kicker. He’s never attempted a field goal or extra point in a game before. Quadrini has been the second kicker to take the field during camp.

Punter

Starter: Luke Bauer, junior

Backup: Orion Phillips, sophomore

Bauer (De Smet) seems likely to keep the starting job after it was handed to former punter Riley Williams at times last season. The punting competition hasn’t been a dominant part of preseason camp, but Bauer seems like the more likely option. Both he and Phillips may boot the ball away during the first games of the season, though, if coaches feel a need to continue the battle.

Long snapper

Starter: Trey Flint, senior

Backup: Brett Le Blanc, sophomore

If you made it this far, congratulations. There doesn’t seem to be a long snapper battle during camp. Flint, who took over snapping duties last season, looks consistent.