Despite having a seemingly clear starter at the top of the position group, there are many questions to be answered about the tight end position for the Missouri Tigers ahead of the start of spring practices.

The spots behind the clear-cut, number-one guy are murky, as of now. With one new transfer addition and a freshman who isn’t on campus yet, the future of the position, outside of a guy or two, is unclear. The two with the most potential, however, do bring hope to the tight end spot.

Everything there is to know about star tight end Brett Norfleet is already there. He’s an incredible athlete and an even better playmaker, which is all determined by the status of his health. Norfleet battled injuries last season and struggled to consistently see the field. When he eventually was healthy, his role in the offense was slightly diminished.

Junior Jordon Harris comes with more unknowns but made his presence felt last season as a blocker and occasionally reliable receiver. His role and field time could change depending on the performances of others and himself, which is what spring practices are all about.

Here are three storylines to look at for the tight end position during Missouri football’s spring practice slate.

Norfleet experienced off-and-on injuries for all of this most recent season, hindering a potential breakout sophomore year. He still recorded 235 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not what was expected of him. Norfleet also opted out of the Music City Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes after undergoing shoulder season shortly after the conclusion of the regular season.

Seeing a healthy Norfleet will be important for the Tigers not only in the spring but all of next season as a whole. The glimpses he flashed in his freshman campaign were beyond impressive and he quickly became an extra outlet for quarterback Brady Cook. Despite a shakey passing offense at times last season, Norfleet still couldn’t consistently find his footing.

“It’s kind of easy to be that guy that flashes, has a couple of good games, when you’re not expected to be counted on every day. But we need those guys not to be flashes,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Whether we’re talking about Brett Norfleet or we’re talking about Cayden Green or Logan Reichert or Marquis or Nic Deloach, We can’t be flashy. We got to be consistent.”

If Norfleet shows up healthy in the spring and is back to showcasing his skillset for the Tigers, that would be the best-case scenario. Tight ends have been an important part of Kirby Moore-led offense and without him, there would be a much larger hole to fill. If there is no Norfleet, the picture of who becomes the top tight end on the roster is much more unclear.

Since arriving on campus, James’ athleticism and skillset for a young tight end were apparent. He saw the field minimally last season and only appeared in dire situations when others were injured, but made a good impression on his coaches in practice. He left that same impression on the coaching staff heading into his freshman season in high school.

“He impacted the game a lot of different ways,” Former Missouri tight ends coach Erik Link. “I think that’s that’s something that was clear to see. He was a guy that we were tracking and watching and looking at really is a guy that’s extremely versatile and can probably play a lot of different positions on the field.”

A major complaint of James’ was his size. He was ranked as an athlete coming out of high school and was listed at 200-pounds before the season. At the beginning of his freshman year, he was listed at 222-pounds. Now, heading into the spring, he’s listed at 230.

He’s made clear progress at filling out his frame, but even still he presents as undersized for a tight end. Despite that, he will be playing with more weight in the spring. Seeing how he moves with more to his frame will be vital to how he fits into the depth chart, especially with questions about the depth of the tight end spot.

In a surprise offseason move, the Tigers added Brown through the transfer portal from Colorado State. It didn’t seem like an addition Missouri needed, but he’s on the roster nonetheless. After recording 256 receiving yards and three touchdowns for the Rams last season, Brown’s spring will be his time to show Tiger fans what he can do.

Most of what Brown did with Colorado State this last season was as a blocker. The majority of his snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, came as a blocker compared to a receiver. Based on the personnel in the room, his talents might be needed in both of those fields. Harris is a solid returning blocker, but James’ expertise is in the receiving department. Brown might be called upon to do both for Missouri next season.

Brown isn’t a standout athlete, but he’s displayed some after-the-catch versatility on occasion. In general, Brown was a surprise transfer and many do not know what he’s capable of. Giving the coaching staff a baseline of what he can bring to the team will set the table for his role in the coming season.

Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver

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