Missouri football will be looking to make history in 2025 by winning double-digit games for the third straight season and making the College Football Playoff, both of which would be firsts for the program. But those goals begin with spring ball, which starts Friday. 

Since Missouri’s last regular season game, there have been several significant changes to the roster from Armand Membou and Luther Burden III announcing their intentions to enter the 2025 NFL Draft as projected first-round picks, to Brady Cook and Johnny Walker having played their final games of their collegiate career as they exhausted their eligibility. 

We will be previewing the storylines and or questions for each position. Next up are the safeties.

The Tigers lost three safeties this offseason when starter Joe Charleston and key reserves Tre’Vez Johnson and Sidney Williams all exhausted their eligibility. Add in Phillip Roche’s departure before the regular season finale versus Arkansas and that’s four safeties. 

However, MU didn’t play around when it came to attacking this position through the portal and with its signing class. It signed three-star East St. Louis prospect Charles Bass before it signed former Northern Illinois Husky Santana Banner, former Virginia Tech Hokie Mose Phillips III and former UNLV Rebel and 2024 third-team All-American selection Jalen Catalon.

Those four will join starters Marvin Burks Jr. and Daylan Carnell as well as reserves Caleb Flagg, Trajen Greco and Jackson Hancock in the safety room. 

Can Marvin Burks rebound from underwhelming season? 

Burks was the team’s highest-rated defensive prospect from the class of 2023. He came in as a true freshman and appeared in all 13 games and recorded 16 tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery. He was destined to be Jaylon Carlies’ successor at free safety for the 2024 campaign and he was. 

Last season as a sophomore, Burks racked up 66 tackles, two tackles for loss, two pass deflections and an interception in 13 games, but in coverage he didn’t fare too well. 

He had the fifth-worst coverage grade (48.1) on the team, according to PFF College. He allowed 16 receptions on 25 targets for 223 yards and two touchdowns. 

When it came to stopping the run, his grade was just as bad with a 50.3, which was the fourth-worst on the team. His 15 missed tackles (10 against the run) led the team with the player with the second-most missed tackles having 11. 

Burks is really athletic and probably fits better in the STAR role than as a deep safety, but that’s going to be a change that may have to wait another year until Carnell departs. Burks has the physical tools needed to be a great safety but his lack of eye discipline led to several big pass plays happening on his watch and his propensity to try and hit players and not wrap them up led to a lot of missed tackles. 

He will likely be penciled in as one of the three starting safeties throughout the offseason but the team brought in some really good talent at his position. If he wants to hold on to that starting gig, he must show better discipline in both the run and passing games to take his game to the levels the team needs him to reach. 

How will the new additions fit into the rotation?

We’ve already previewed what we think the depth chart will look like at the positionhere. But that’s just a prediction. Regardless, one would imagine that Mizzou will try and deploy all three transfers somewhere in its two-deep since the Tigers typically go six safeties deep. 

Banner is more of a coverage safety. Last season, he recorded  54 tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass deflections, an interception and a forced fumble. He was targeted 21 times and allowed 14 receptions for 184 yards. He had a coverage grade of 80.5. 

If MU wants to have a better presence defending the pass on any particular play deploying Banner may be the option. 

Phillips is more of a box safety and probably could fit into the role as Carnell’s backup at the STAR. 

The former Hokie registered 65 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, three pass deflections, an interception and a forced fumble in 2024 and allowed 17 receptions for 290 yards and two touchdowns on 27 targets. 

He played nearly 286 snaps as a deep safety, 275 in the box and 131 in the slot last year. So, he’d be a good utility player for safeties coach and defensive coordinator Corey Batoon. 

Catalon is coming to town off the best season of his career, which saw him rack up 96 tackles, five tackles for loss, five interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), four pass deflections and a forced fumble. 

He allowed 26 receptions for 426 yards and two touchdowns. 

A huge question that’s followed Catalon throughout his career is can he stay healthy? 

He suffered season-ending injuries in 2021 and 2022, but seemed to bounce back completely last season by playing 888 snaps across 14 games. 

Missouri acquired some real talented players at safety and working them into the rotation will be somewhat of a task with Burks and Carnell returning to the starting lineup and Flagg and Greco proving last season why they are deserving of more opportunity this season.

Like linebacker and defensive end, MU has found itself in a position where it has more than enough quality players at a position, but it only has so many spots in the rotation for those players.

Other Previews

Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers 

Tight ends

Offensive line

Special Teams

Defensive line

Linebackers

Cornerbacks

If you want to be in the know about Mizzou sports every single day, sign up for our VIP membership. You can get an annual subscription for 30% off the regular price or get your first month for $1.