OFFENSE-The big question is who will fill the record-breaking cleats of quarterback Brad Smith, who broke 69 various school, Big 12 or NCAA records in becoming the only player in Divsion I-A history to pass for 8,000 yards and rush for 4,000.
Chase Daniel will likely get the nod after the Missouri coached burned his redshirt into 10 games.
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Sophomore Quarterback, Chase Daniel will be leading the Tigers this year
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It wasn't just mop-up duty, either. Daniel, a former EA sports National High School Player of the year, rallied the Tigers from a 10 point fourth quarter deficit against Iowa State for an overtime win.
The new Missouri quarterback wont be asked to be a one-man show. Coach Gary Pinkel wants his quarterbacks to distribute the football. Translate: Expect the tailbacks to do a majority of the running, and the signal caller to air it out a little more. Junior Marcus Woods leads a group of four tailbacks with playing experience, but injuries and ineffectiveness kept the starting position wide open last year. Connell Davis, a 6'3 205-pound redshirt freshman, is bigger than all of MU's returning backs and offers and intriguing mixture of speed and athleticism.
Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker form one of the best tight end tandems in the country after combining for 94 receptions and 1,070 yards last year. They could find themselves on the field at the same time more often as onlly two wide receivers have much expereince. Four starters return on the like, but Al Big 12 guard Tony Palmer will be tough to replace.
DEFENSE-The Strength of the defense remains intact, with seven of Missouri's top eight linemen back. Ends Brian Smith and Xzavie Jackson are primed for huge senior seasons, but sophomore Stryker Sulak could emerge as the star after cracking the lineup midway through his redshirt freshman season. The tackles, although undersized are solid.
Things get a little shaky after that. The Tigers are dangerously thin at linebacker, with only four scholarship players returning with experience. Senior Dedrick Harrington, entering his thrid season as the starting middle linebacker, has yet to live up to the hype surrounding his heralded recruitment.
Senior safety David Overstreet collected a team high 100 tackles last year and is the leader of the defense. Overstreet however is the only defensive back returning with much starting experience. Missouri graduated three senior cornerbacks, but sophomore Domonique Johnson and Junior Darnell Terrell possess more playmaking potential. A handfuk of Junior college recruits could provide immediate help in the secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS-Adam Crossett has been impressive as a fill-in punter for the past two seasons. Now the Junior will add the placekicking duties. Crossett has a strong leg but his accuracy hasnt always been there.
FINAL ANALYSIS-Expect vast improvement in the passing game, but Smith's breathtaking ability to turn broken plays into big gainers will be missed. The Tigers dont have a proven running threat in the backfield. They do however have tremendous talent at tight end and defensive end but are seriously thin at linebacker and wide receiver. A quick start is imperative, with four winnable non conference games on the schedule. A hiccup early could prove costly.
