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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The puzzle pieces are clicking into place.

After 18 fall camp practices, plus months of preceding spring practices and summer workouts, Missouri football knows its personnel. Returners, transfers, freshmen, all of them are now slotted into their 2025 roles.

And with an injection of depth, particularly on defense, quite a few will play in a significant capacity this season.

“We feel very confident in the plan we’ve got,� coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “There’s some positions that three or four people are going to take (snaps).�

That plan is now about as solid as it can be coming out of camp. Sure, roles will change with the ebbs and flows of performances and injuries, but the Mizzou depth chart has now come together.

With the Tigers’ depth and plan to rotate at several positions, it’s not a linear two-deep.

“I don’t think we’re settling in on 22 total players,� Drinkwitz said.

The actual number is upwards of 50 or more.

After watching limited portions of most preseason camp practices, interviewing nearly all of MU’s assistant coaches and multiple news conferences with Drinkwitz, the Post-Dispatch is ready to project the Missouri depth chart ahead of the 2025 college football season.

Consider this a position-by-position guide to who’s likely to play (and how much) this fall, with a couple of asterisks.

First, this is wholly unofficial and based on observations and conversations. Things change as the season goes. Second, this is a projection, not an argument for or against any particular player.

Now for the intel.

Quarterback

Starter: Beau Pribula, graduate student

µþ²¹³¦°ì³Ü±è:ÌýSam Horn, redshirt junior

Remember, this is a projection, so don't get too caught up here on that order: Both Pribula and Horn are going to play in the season opener in what ought to be the final stage of the quarterback battle. The team's Week 1 depth chart will almost certainly list an "or" between their names. That's rather unsurprising given how close the competition has been.

Still, Pribula continues to look more likely to win the job. It's not locked in, and maybe a stellar showing from Horn during the opener flips things in his favor. Pribula's mobility and feel for the offense seem more aligned with what Missouri likes out of its signal-callers, hence an edge for him. If he does in fact take the first snap next Thursday, that becomes even more telling.

Regardless of who the winner is, MU feels very good about its depth should the starter struggle or get hurt this season. Not every Southeastern Conference team believes it has two quarterbacks capable of winning games, but Mizzou does. Maybe that'll be tested this year. Maybe it won't. 

True freshman Matt Zollers is the third option at quarterback. Drinkwitz briefly suggested Zollers could push for the starting job this season, but that never panned out in a serious capacity.

Running back

Starter: Ahmad Hardy, sophomore

Backups: Jamal Roberts, redshirt sophomore; Marquise Davis, freshman

The word is out about Hardy, a transfer from Louisiana-Monroe for whom excitement has continued to build this offseason. He posted 1,350 rushing yards — 1,000 of which came after contact — there last season as a true freshman, which is quite a bit of production already. Hardy is already very familiar with the inside and outside zone runs that are staples of the Mizzou offense, but there’s always a question of how he’ll adjust from the Sun Belt to the Southeastern Conference. Still, given his production and talent, Hardy is shaping up to be a workhorse running back for the Tigers.

Roberts, a St. Mary’s product, is heading into his third season after carving out a role on third downs last season. He’s a solid receiving option in those situations, but his biggest strength is helping block for the quarterback. Roberts tied for the fifth-most pass-block snaps among SEC running backs last season, which shows how often MU turned to this rather niche ability for a tailback. He’s received praise for his understanding of the offense and where pressure could come from, which has helped him stand out in blitz pick-up situations. Hardy seems to have come in ahead of Roberts, but the latter will still have a role.

Davis has had a difficult-to-read fall camp. His physique and down-hill running style look distinctly un-freshman, but the true frosh was made to wear No. 77 instead of his chosen No. 7 during practice because coaches didn’t think he was running hard enough. If any freshman tailback is built to hold up all right in the SEC, it’s Davis, and Mizzou is likely to give him some in-game opportunities to better evaluate what he has to offer.

Outside wide receivers

Starters: Joshua Manning, junior; Marquis Johnson, junior

Backups: Donovan Olugbode, freshman; Xavier Loyd, graduate student

Manning and Johnson have stuck around in a deep wide receiver room, waiting for their turn to become primary targets. That time is now. Manning, at 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, looks like the next big-bodied wideout. Johnson’s speed is well-established, and his Music City Bowl showing at the tail-end of the 2024 season (seven catches, 122 yards, one touchdown) suggests he can handle more volume than just the occasional go route. Because they’ve been buried by the likes of Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper in the past, Manning and Johnson are relatively unproven, but the developmental prowess of wideouts coach Jacob Peeler suggests he’ll have them ready.

Olugbode has the hands and frame (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) to contribute fairly immediately as a true freshman. The four-star who played his high school football at national preps powerhouse IMG Academy has been one of the most impressive freshmen during camp. How much of a role that leads to probably depends on what he does with any opportunities that come during favorable nonconference matchups. Loyd, who started his career at Kansas State and transferred over from Illinois State, is an experienced and stable rotational option.

Slot wide receiver

Starter: Kevin Coleman Jr., senior

Backups: Daniel Blood, junior; Shaun Terry II, freshman

Coleman established himself as one of the SEC’s best wideouts on a shaky Mississippi State team last season, and the St. Mary’s product is back in his home state with a good chance at becoming Missouri’s leading receiver. Mizzou’s final scrimmage of fall camp suggested plenty of passing volume will go to the slot, which positions Coleman to be a key player.

Blood, entering his third season, has had an up-and-down preseason. Coaches like his potential but have wanted to see more consistency. Still, he could wind up being fourth in the overall wide receiver hierarchy. Terry’s athleticism is evident, but as a true freshman behind two more experienced options has an uphill battle to a significant number of targets.

Tight end

Starter: Brett Norfleet, junior

Backups: Jordon Harris, junior; Vince Brown II, redshirt senior

Mizzou and offensive coordinator Kirby Moore want to bring tight ends into the passing game more, but that’s largely contingent on Norfleet saying healthy. Take that as an indicator of how much upside he has and how much injuries affected his first two seasons of college football. He’s the clear top option in this room.

There will be times when the Tigers, like any team, bring multiple tight ends onto the field. Harris is a solid blocker but has yet to emerge as a receiving option, with just five catches in 24 career appearances. Brown, who transferred in after two seasons at Colorado State, has more receiving ability. There’s a chance that versatility increases his role. Speaking of versatility: redshirt freshman Jude James, a Francis Howell product, has once again put together a strong preseason and could play an H-back-type position, but that was the case year and led to only 22 snaps for him.

Left tackle

Starter: Cayden Green, junior

Backup: Jayven Richardson, redshirt junior

Besides quarterback, left tackle was the last puzzle piece to snap into place during camp. Green, a preseason All-American at left guard, will now bump outside. There’s still a high degree of confidence in what he can do at tackle, given that he’s the Tigers’ best offensive lineman, and he played out there during one game at Oklahoma. It will still be a transition for Green, but he’s well-positioned to make it happen.

Richardson struggled to secure the starting job for a second year in a row. He spent most of the preseason repping as the first-team left tackle before a shake-up last week brought Green over and in front of him. Given the importance of the left tackle spot, Mizzou opted to go with its star lineman over the one-time junior college transfer.

Left guard

Starter: Dominick Giudice, graduate student

Backup: Jaylen Early, redshirt senior

Michigan transfer Giudice can play anywhere on the interior: center or either guard spot. He spent most of camp at right guard but switched over to left guard amid the late-camp O-line shift. He’s the least experienced at left guard of the three interior positions, but that’s not expected to be a problem for the veteran who’s been dubbed the “glue� of MU’s offensive line.

Early, who transferred from Florida State, has played both guard and tackle and on both sides of the line. He initially came in as a contender for the left tackle spot but coaches relatively quickly decided he’d be best suited for the interior. Still, Early has not looked like a serious first-team option during camp.

Center

Starter: Connor Tollison, graduate student

Backup: Tristan Wilson, redshirt junior

Tollison is coming back from a November ACL tear that ended his 2024 season prematurely. He’s been limited or held out of some live periods during fall camp but remains on track to start the opener. Tollison is one of the best run-blocking centers in the country and has vastly improved after correcting some of the snapping issues that appeared earlier in his career.

Wilson has progressed from giving center a try to becoming the No. 2 option there should Tollison ever miss time. There could be value to Missouri giving him some in-game work at center early on this season to test his readiness. If needed, Giudice could also play center, which is where he spent most of his time at Michigan. True freshman Henry Fenuku has also snapped during the preseason and would be the fourth option.

Right guard

Starter: Curtis Peagler, redshirt junior

Backup: Logan Reichert, redshirt sophomore

As Drinkwitz tells it, it was Peagler’s emergence as a startable option at right guard that triggered three changes to the offensive line during camp. At 6-foot-4 and 338 pounds, Peagler is the second-biggest lineman on the Mizzou roster. He’s inexperienced, with just 36 career snaps, but MU is fully planning to start Peagler at right guard.

Reichert has yet to really push for a starting spot has he heads into his third season but has been the second-team right guard in recent practices. If Peagler were no longer an option at right guard, though, there’s a chance MU would roll with Wilson at right guard over Reichert — or un-shift the line and bring Giudice back to the right side.

Right tackle

Starter: Keagen Trost, graduate student

Backup: Johnny Williams IV, redshirt sophomore

Trost transferred in from Wake Forest and won the right tackle job promptly during spring practice. As would be expected of a seventh-year player, Trost showed the kind of consistency the Tigers wanted in a replacement for first-round NFL draft pick Armand Membou. Coaches feel Trost’s physicality and athleticism didn’t fully appear with a poor Wake Forest team, which also factored into their confidence in him.

Williams spent most of camp in the left tackle battle but never clawed ahead of Richardson and instead has been repping as the second-team right tackle. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining, so his arrival from West Virginia looks to be more of a long-term play for both Williams and Missouri. Either Williams or Richardson are most likely to be the Tigers’ “swing tackle� in any six-linemen alignments.

Defensive end

Starters: Zion Young, senior (field); Damon Wilson II, junior (boundary)

Rotation pieces: Nate Johnson, junior (field); Darris Smith, redshirt junior (boundary)

Backups: Langden Kitchen, junior (field); Javion Hilson, freshman (boundary)

Mizzou categorizes its edge rushers by whether they’re going to attack from the field (wider) or boundary (narrower) side of the field. Young is back as the primary field end having taken over that role after transferring in from Michigan State before the 2024 season. Wilson, recognized as one of the best players available in the portal this cycle, is in from Georgia and should start immediately.

To consistently keep fresh players on the field — and particularly with the depth available at defensive end — Mizzou will rotate. Defensive ends coach Brian Early has said he’s essentially looking for four starters. Johnson, an App State transfer, will be part of the second wave. So will be Smith, who missed all of the 2024 season after tearing his ACL during fall camp. Together, they bring a degree of versatility into play: Both can play the field and boundary spots. If Mizzou wants to get crafty on third downs, their switchability could come into play.

Depth options could still see playing time, especially in some situational roles. That’s where Kitchen, a transfer from Northwest Missouri State, and true freshmen Javion Hilson and Daeden Hopkins enter the fold. It takes a lot for a freshman to play right off the bat, but Hilson looks like he stands a chance. The talent ahead of him is the biggest hurdle.

Defensive tackle

Starters: Chris McClellan, senior; Marquis Gracial, redshirt junior

Rotation pieces: Sterling Webb, senior; Bralen Henderson, graduate student

Backups: Jalen Marshall, redshirt junior; Sam Williams, redshirt sophomore

McClellan is the clear leader of this group and likely to play the most snaps among a rotating group of defensive tackles. A step forward from him would give Missouri an increased degree of production from a position group that has trended quiet in recent seasons.

While he’ll still rotate in and out, there’s more flux behind him. Gracial has been alongside McClellan with the first-team defense recently, which suggests he’s breaking through into a regular role. Webb was third in the rotation last season and could track for the same spot. Henderson, a transfer from Ohio, moves well enough to crack the rotation too. Marshall and Williams have been consistently pushing for the last couple of seasons, but if there are only four D-tackles getting regular snaps, they’re most likely the odd ones out.

Linebackers

Starters: Josiah Trotter, redshirt sophomore (middle); Triston Newson, graduate (outside)

Rotation pieces: Khalil Jacobs, senior; Nick Rodriguez, sophomore

Backups: Jeremiah Beasley, sophomore; Brian Huff, redshirt freshman

Getting Newson back was a pleasant surprise for the Tigers, who thought he was out of eligibility after last season, but an NCAA waiver given to former junior college players granted him one more year. He’ll retain his starting role. Trotter, a freshman All-American at West Virginia, has the makings of an immediate starter after arriving via the transfer portal. He’s a hard-hitter with a high ceiling at middle linebacker.

Jacobs, healthy after tearing his right pectoral muscle midway through last season, might not be one of the first two linebackers on the field, but Mizzou will certainly find a role for him. He brings a degree of athleticism to the linebacker room that opens up different situations for him to be deployed in. Last season, that involved being the lone linebacker in some third-down sets.

Rodriguez, Beasley and Huff are all up-and-comers who’ve shown potential. There will likely be some special teams opportunities for them, but Rodriguez is the most likely to have a concrete role at linebacker.

STAR

Starter: Daylan Carnell, graduate student

Backups: Trajen Greco, sophomore; CJ Bass III, freshman

From last year’s depth chart projection: “Carnell has become synonymous with Missouri’s hybrid safety role, which blends secondary and linebacker responsibilities.� Still true this time around. Carnell’s been prone to chipping in defensive touchdowns. He’s listed at 225 pounds, up from 215 a year ago, and it shows in what could be an even harder-hitting campaign.

Greco missed the first week of camp with a muscle injury but worked his way back to normal participation as the preseason went. It’s not perfectly clear whether he’ll be a like-for-like replacement for Carnell when the safeties rotate. Bass isn’t especially likely to be an immediate contributor but has repped at STAR in the run-up to his freshman season.

Safeties

Starters: Jalen Catalon, graduate student; Marvin Burks Jr., junior

Rotational pieces: Santana Banner, redshirt sophomore; Caleb Flagg, senior

Backups: Mose Phillips III, junior; Jackson Hancock, redshirt freshman

Catalon, another seventh-year player, will step straight into a starting role after transferring in from UNLV. He’s been sound on the ball during the preseason and, alongside Pribula, was one of two transfers voted a team captain as a newcomer. Burks took on a starting role last season to mixed results but could improve greatly with more solid tackling and avoiding some of the coverage breakdowns that hurt the Tigers in 2024.

Banner, a transfer from Northern Illinois, is another big-bodied defensive back with the athleticism to make plays. Flagg has been one of MU’s more underrated transfer acquisitions, finding a role despite having started his career at Houston Christian. Phillips, a Virginia Tech transfer, could very well earn snaps too, but he has not been with the first- or second-team defense much during camp.

How Mizzou rotates at safety might not represent a traditional two-deep. If second-year defensive coordinator Corey Batoon’s scheme looks like it did last year, there could be some situations in which the Tigers deploy three or four traditional safeties.

Cornerbacks

Starters: Drey Norwood, redshirt senior; Toriano Pride Jr., senior

Backups: Stephen Hall, redshirt senior; Nick Deloach Jr., redshirt sophomore

Norwood is back as the team’s top corner at a position where Missouri returns every snap from a year ago. Coaches hope he can take a step forward as an alpha cornerback capable of locking down opposing teams’ top targets. The second corner spot will be more about finding consistency. Pride and Deloach rotated there last year, with neither consistently holding the spot down. Pride is more likely to return to a starting capacity in 2025. If he doesn’t, or his performance slips, Hall put together a solid preseason and would be the next cornerback up.

Kicker

Starter: Blake Craig, redshirt sophomore

Backup: Robert Meyer, freshman

Craig’s first season as the Tigers’ kicker had its highs — twice converting from 56 yards — and its lows, like him going just 1-for-7 on field goal tries between 40-49 yards. That gave him a clear area of improvement heading into 2025 as the undisputed starter, but whether that’s taken place won’t be evident until at least a few games into the season.

Punter

Starter: Connor Weselman, graduate student

Backup: John Butcher, junior

Weselman hasn’t punted in a game since midway through the 2023 season, but MU coaches have conveyed confidence in the Stanford transfer who’s taking over in Columbia. He’ll need to improve some of his metrics from his time with the Cardinal to stack up with the middle of the SEC pack, though.

Punt returner

Starter: Kevin Coleman Jr., senior

Backups: Daniel Blood, junior; Shaun Terry II, freshman; Damarion Fowlkes, freshman

Midway through camp, Drinkwitz said Coleman would be the primary option when it comes to returning punts. There’s always the chance that the team doesn’t risk its top wide receiver in some of those situations, though, which is when others come into play. Blood would be the most experienced and returned punts last year. Terry, however, put some electric returns on tape as a high school player, so the Tigers may give him a look or two at this level. Last year, MU returned punts only eight times compared to 26 fair catches.

Kickoff returner

This group is harder to evaluate. Wideouts Marquis Johnson and Joshua Manning combined for 22 of Missouri’s 24 returned kickoffs last season, and both are still around — but now as starters, they might not go deep on kickoffs to avoid some injury risk. Other options during camp have been Shaun Terry II, Damarion Fowlkes, Jamal Roberts, Brendon Haygood and Marvin Burks Jr.

Long snapper

Starter: Brett Le Blanc, junior

Backup: Henry Crosby, freshman

Make it this far? Nicely done. Le Blanc is back as the starting long snapper, this time wearing No. 51 instead of his previous No. 49.