Missouri football spring camp: One question for every position on the Mizzou offense

Posted by author February 28, 2025 Football

Spread the love

The offensive depth chart is about to look a lot different.

Missouri football players will report to the team facility Friday, opening a stretch of 13 practices over the course of 21 days that comprise the Tigers’ spring camp. Mizzou will not hold a spring game this season due to ongoing construction along the north concourse of Memorial Stadium.

One of the biggest storylines over the new few weeks will be the Tigers’ offense, which is entering a season of significant change.

Quarterback Brady Cook, wide receiver Luther Burden III and multiple other starters have moved on to either the NFL Draft process of graduation. The Tigers responded by signing eight players on the offensive side of the ball out of the transfer portal.

With spring camp on deck, here is one question facing every position on the Tigers’ offense as the team begins its offseason practices:

Missouri football quarterback: Is Beau Pribula ready to lead offense?

There will, by all accounts, be an open competition for Cook’s replacement as MU’s starting quarterback. But in all likelihood, Pribula will be leading the offense out onto the field when Mizzou opens its season Aug. 30 against Central Arkansas. That’s what the transfer portal is for.

There are reasons to like what Pribula brings, with his ability to run the ball in spot situations with Penn State ranking highest among them. He rushed for more than six yards per carry and 10 touchdowns in 24 total appearances.

But there are reasons to exercise restraint along with that excitement, too.

Pribula has never started a game in college and has thrown 56 total passes in the three seasons since he signed with the Nittany Lions in 2022.

It isn’t an exaggeration to posit that Missouri will go where Pribula is able to take it in 2025. So, how high is that ceiling?

Running back: Will Hardy’s production translate to SEC?

Ahmad Hardy was a freshman All-American with ULM last season, and that has earned him a jump from under-recruited high school prospect and Group of Five star to the SEC.

Now, is he ready to be RB1 in one of the two toughest leagues in the land?

Mizzou’s run game in 2024 never quite replicated the levels of success Cody Schrader had in Columbia. Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll combined for 1,447 yards last season, which was a couple hundred yards short of Schrader’s single-season MU record 1,654-yard year.

Hardy ran for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns as a rookie last season for Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun Belt Conference, and was among the nation’s best for yards after contact. The signs that Mizzou’s run game is in good shape are promising, but Hardy will need his production to survive the step up in talent.

Wide receivers: Has Mizzou replaced WR depth?

Mizzou is replacing all three of its starters, with Burden, Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper moving on. That’s a lot to lose, but the next men up for those starting roles should offer some cause for optimism.

Mississippi State transfer Kevin Coleman Jr. was a third-team All-SEC selection by the coaches last season; Marquis Johnson had his coming out party in Missouri’s Music City Bowl win with 122 yards and a touchdown; and Joshua Manning flashed potential when called upon last season.

Now, how deep does Mizzou run after that?

Junior wideout Daniel Blood has made spot appearances in the past two seasons, and James Madison II was a highly rated high school recruit in the Class of 2024. The Tigers bring in a top-100 high school recruit in Donovan Olugbode, and one of the Class of 2025’s sharpest risers in Shaun Terry II as early-enrollees.

Ideally, Missouri will have four or five reliable receivers it can turn to in September and beyond. The Tigers will be trying to get there through some significant turnover.

Tight end: Who’s up after Norfleet?

Eli Drinkwitz said in December that starting tight end Brett Norfleet had offseason surgery, and the second-year standout missed the Music City Bowl. It’s unclear whether he’ll return for spring ball, but it seems unlikely.

If that is the case, there’s opportunities for backup Jordon Harris or Colorado State transfer Vince Brown II to earn their way to the TE2 spot. Harris took some encouraging strides in 2024, but the Tigers could use another pass-catching tight end.

Offensive line: How well has MU done in portal?

Mizzou is replacing 60% of its starters along the offensive line, with right tackle Armand Membou carrying first-round projections in the upcoming NFL Draft and right guard Cam’Ron Johnson and left tackle Marcus Bryant out of eligibility.

The Tigers signed three players out of the transfer portal to bridge that gap: Michigan’s Dominick Guidice; West Virginia’s Johnny Williams IV; and Wake Forest’s Keagen Trost.

This could be one of MU’s most important positions to figure out in the offseason. Replacing three starters is not easy. Nor is getting three new pieces on the same page in the space of a handful of months.

But the Tigers have to get it right if the offense is going to reach its ceiling. There will be opportunities for returners to compete for a starting role, but the news transfers were brought in for a reason — to make the transition up front smooth.