There’s a lot to like about this Missouri football offense in preseason.
The starting quarterback is entering his third full year leading the team. He gets every wide receiver who caught a pass, a freshman All-American tight end and three starting offensive lineman back from a year ago to help the cause.
Where the Tigers did lose pieces, they’ve replenished. Two of the top-ranked transfer portal entrants have been added to plug gaps at left guard and left tackle. Two experienced running backs are on board to fill the spot left behind by the storied Cody Schrader.
And offensive coordinator Kirby Moore is back for an encore to his dazzling first season calling plays.
With exactly two weeks remaining until Mizzou begins its new campaign against Murray State on Thursday, Aug. 29, on Faurot Field in Columbia, the Tribune is taking a stab at a projected depth chart.
Here is who we think are the starters, the main rotational pieces and the reserves on Missouri’s 2024 offense. All scholarship players, and any notable walk-ons, are listed:
No competitions at quarterback for Missouri football
The starter: Brady Cook, sr.
The backup: Drew Pyne, so.
The reserves: Aiden Glover, fr.; JR Blood, sr.; Sam Horn (out), so.
This didn’t take much deliberation.
Cook is Mizzou’s starter for the third straight year. In the case of a forced hand or some second-half rest when a game is no longer competitive, Pyne is coming off the bench. MU head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Pyne had secured the backup role after the first week of camp.
Horn underwent offseason Tommy John surgery and, with no comments indicating otherwise, will sit out the entirety of the 2024 season.
More: Projecting Mizzou football's first defensive depth chart of 2024
Running back
The starter: Nate Noel, sr.
Main rotation: Marcus Carroll, sr
The reserves: Jamal Roberts, r-fr.; Tavorus Jones, so.; Kewan Lacy, fr.; Austyn Dendy, fr.
This competition is still very much up in the air.
Best bets suggest both will see the field early in the season. Since Carroll’s downhill, straight-through-’em style comes with a little more wear and tear, we’re giving the nod to Noel for the bigger workload over the course of the season. That could change, and their usage is likely going to depend on the play call and situation.
Roberts, as it stands, is probably RB3. If Mizzou can put the lighter games on its slate out of sight quickly enough, he could get some second-half snaps.
Although this is probably more pertinent news for future seasons, true freshman Dendy has found a permanent home in the running backs room after beginning his MU chapter as a safety.
More: How new Missouri football running back Marcus Carroll went from bruised to bruiser
Wide receivers
The starters: Slot: Luther Burden III, jr.; X: Theo Wease Jr., sr.; Z: Mookie Cooper, sr.
Main rotation: Marquis Johnson, so.; Mekhi Miller, jr.; Daniel Blood, so.; Joshua Manning, so.
The reserves: Courtney Crutchfield, fr.; James Madison II, fr.
Take your pick.
Burden is a preseason favorite for the Biletnikoff Award, and a potential candidate for some Heisman Trophy votes. Team captain Wease was among Mizzou’s more important and offense-altering additions last season.
Then, open season. Johnson is one of fastest players on the roster, if not the fastest. Cooper has gotten better and better in each of his three previous seasons with the program. Miller has been a game-changer in third-down packages, and Blood has been praised for his twitchiness entering his second season.
Perhaps the standout of camp, however, has been Manning. His time may still be a year away, and a hefty special teams load is probably where he’ll mostly ply his trade in 2024, but his 6-foot-2 frame and noticeable progression could give him some backup reps behind Wease.
In short, Mizzou’s OC has one of those good problems: More proven options than he could possibly use.
Freshmen Crutchfield and Madison look like exciting future prospects, but, even for the deepest room on the team, there’s still only one ball to go around.
Tight end
The starter: Brett Norfleet, so.
The reserves: Tyler Stephens, sr.; Jordan Harris, so.; Jude James, fr.; Whit Hafer, fr.
St. Louis product and Francis Howell High alum Norfleet is expected to return to camp some time this weekend after a spell on the sidelines in camp. If that timeline holds, he will be starting and featuring often when the Tigers take the field Aug. 29.
Harris also has spent some time out during camp but is due back. Another year of special teams duties may be in his future. Stephens is probably the next tight end up if the Tigers choose to go heavier or sub out Norfleet.
Offensive line
The starters: LT: Marcus Bryant, sr.; LG: Cayden Green, so.; C: Connor Tollison, jr.; RG: Cam’Ron Johnson, sr.; RG: Armand Membou, jr.
The backups: LT: Jayven Richardson, so.; LG: Curtis Peagler, so.; C: Drake Heismayer, sr.; RG: Logan Reichert, r-fr.; RT: Mitchell Walters, sr.
The reserves: Triston Wilson, so.; Brandon Solis, r-fr.; Talan Chandler, fr.; Ryan Jostes, fr.; Caleb Pyfrom, fr.
SMU transfer Marcus Bryant has all but won the fall camp competition at left tackle, meaning Mizzou has its starting five along the offensive line.
Oklahoma newcomer Green will occupy the spot next to Bryant, and the starting three from center to right tackle in 2023 — Tollison, Cam’Ron Johnson and Membou — make up the remainder of the big men up front.
More: Meet Marcus Bryant, the frontrunner to play left tackle for Missouri football in 2024
More: Why Josh Manning may be candidate to break into Missouri football’s loaded WR rotation
Richardson is the backup left tackle as it stands, and also could feature as a sixth lineman or swing tackle if Mizzou opts for a heavier set.
Walters has been praised by coaches and teammates for his offseason, and has the versatility to back up just about any guard or tackle spot. In portions of camp open to reporters, he has been the backup at right tackle.
Wilson was, at one point in camp, snapping balls to backup QB Pyne, but the reserve center role is likely still in senior Heismeyer’s hands.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Projecting Missouri football's first offensive depth chart of 2024
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