Mizzou's veteran defense banks on experience at linebacker, secondary

COLUMBIA, Mo. — From linebacker to safety to cornerback, Missouri should have the most experienced second and third line of defense in the Southeastern Conference this fall, featuring six players who played at least 580 defensive snaps last fall. The starters at those positions are all but set when preseason camp begins next week. The real intrigue begins when the season kicks off. How will all that experience pay off in 2023?
Mizzou projected 2023 depth chart
Mizzou does not release a preseason depth chart. The depth listed above is a projection.
Position Number Name Year
Linebacker 9 Chad Bailey Senior
30 Chuck Hicks Graduate student
10 Dameon Wilson Sophomore
22 Will Norris Junior
Linebacker
8 Ty'Ron Hopper Senior
14 Triston Newsom Junior
16 Brayshawn Littlejohn Freshman
41 Carmycah Glass Redshirt freshman
Free safety
1 Jaylon Carlies Senior
3 Sidney Williams Junior
17 Tyler Hibbler Sophomore
TBA Philip Roche Freshman
Strong safety
28 Joseph Charleston Senior
18 Isaac Thompson Redshirt freshman
20 Marvin Burks Jr. Freshman
Star safety
13 Daylan Carnell Sophomore
4 Tre’Vez Johnson Junior
20 Marvin Burks Jr. Freshman
Cornerback
2 Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Junior
12 Dreyden Norwood Sophomore
TBA Shamar McNeil Jr. Freshman
Cornerback
7 Kris Abrams-Draine Junior
19 Marcus Clarke Senior
TBA Nicholas DeLoach Jr. Freshman
“Return a lot of production,” Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said last week at SEC media days. “But like I tell those guys all the time, nobody cares about what you did last year. It’s about what we can do this year that’s going to be important. And we’ve got a lot to prove.”
But with experience comes expectations, especially at the cornerback position. Returning starters Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. might form the most accomplished tandem in the SEC — they combined for 26 pass breakups last fall — but aren’t satisfied with last year’s results.
“We have two things that we talk about in the corner room,” corners coach Al Pogue said earlier this spring. “One is either I have to finish on the ball or finish with the ball. Last year I thought they did a really good finishing on the ball (and) knocking it down. Now we got to do a better job of finishing with the ball. So, me, as their coach, I have to put them in more positions to where we’re catching the ball and not just knocking it down. I’m harping on, ‘Hey, man, that’s a missed opportunity. We’ve got to come down with that pick.’
“They’ve got to get the money ball.”
For all the progress Mizzou made in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s debut season, the Tigers forced only 18 turnovers last year, which tied for eighth in the SEC. In a system designed to create takeaways with pressure — pressure on the pocket with blitzes, pressure on receivers with aggressive coverages — the defense produced one or fewer turnovers in six of Mizzou’s 13 games. Coincidence or not, the Tigers lost five of those six games. Abrams-Draine and Rakestraw played more than 1,400 snaps collectively but came down with just one interception — Rakestraw’s Week 3 pick against Abilene Christian.
“Obviously, they both played at high levels at times, but we need to be more consistent,” Drinkwitz said. “We need to be dominant at those positions to shut down outside wide receivers, which is going to be a challenge. In our league you’re playing against really good players, so they’ve got to really continue to improve. I think having Dreyden Norwood as the third corner allows those (starters) to go really hard knowing that they can take a break and he can come in and sub them out.
“But I think the main thing is more consistency. I think there’s several times that we gave up plays that we know we can be better (and) more challenging in those positions.”
In his second season back from reconstructive knee surgery, Rakestraw is up to 193 pounds and was clocked in the 4.3-second range in the 40-yard dash this summer.
“He’s added muscle, great work ethic, been a leader for our football team,” Drinkwitz said. “But even more than that, he’s a 4.0 student and very proud of what he’s doing.”
At the two deep safety positions, the Tigers return two more veteran starters in Jaylon Carlies (free) and Joseph Charleston (strong), while Daylan Carnell returns to take over the starting job at the star position after sharing the duties with departed senior Martez Manuel. Carnell flashed in his apprentice role last year, matching Carlies with a team-best three interceptions. Quarterbacks posted a meager 44.1 efficiency rating when targeting receivers matched against Carnell in coverage, per Pro Football Focus.
Mizzou players lost from 2022 roster
Position Name Reason
Linebacker
Zach Lovett Transfer, Iowa State
Devin Nicholson Transfer, Kent State
Xavier Simmons Medical scholarship
Safety
Martez Manuel NFL draft
Tyler Jones Transfer, Tennessee State
Jalani Williams Transer, Kent State
Cornerback
Darius Jackson Transfer, Texas State
Marcus Scott Transfer, Cal
The Tigers are every bit as stacked at linebacker with returning senior starters Chad Bailey and Ty’Ron Hopper, two of the most productive returning linebackers in the SEC and possibly the best returning tandem. Bailey is PFF’s top-rated returning linebacker and ranked as the league’s best in coverage last year, while Hopper is PFF’s third-highest graded returning linebacker and among the league’s five best linebackers in pass rush and coverage. His 14 tackles for loss last season tied for second in the SEC.
The staff has added depth behind the two All-SEC candidates, starting with junior college transfer Triston Newsom, who had a breakout spring to emerge as a top backup, along with Wyoming transfer Chuck Hicks, who missed all of 2022 with a torso injury.
On Newsom, Abrams-Draine said, “He’s hungry. He hasn’t been somewhere like Mizzou before. He wants it bad. He’s a playmaker. He’s gonna get the ball and do his job and have a good attitude.”
Despite returning starters at six of seven positions at linebacker, safety and corner in Baker’s base 4-2-5 system, the Tigers weren’t content with all that in-house experience. The Tigers poached two more seasoned Power Five defensive backs out of the transfer portal to replenish the depth and ignite some competition this offseason. Tre’Vez Johnson played more than 1,000 defensive snaps the last three seasons at Florida and should push Carnell at the star position. Sidney Williams was part of Florida State’s safety rotation the last two years and adds depth deep in the secondary, along with three St. Louis underclassmen: Isaac Thompson (SLUH), Tyler Hibbler (Trinity Catholic) and promising freshman Marvin Burks Jr. (Cardinal Ritter.)
“We call him ‘Starvin’ Marvin,’” Abrams-Draine said. “He’s going to be a big piece of this defense, probably this year.”
Among the cast of walk-ons in the secondary is redshirt freshman Nasir Pogue, a transfer from Troy and the son of Mizzou’s cornerbacks coach.
Mizzou Camp Preview
Projected Depth chart
(#, Name, Year)
Linebacker
9 Chad Bailey, Sr.
30 Chuck Hicks, Gr.
10 Dameon Wilson, Soph.
22 Will Norris, Jr.
Linebacker
8 Ty’Ron Hopper, Sr.
14 Triston Newsom, Jr.
16 Brayshawn Littlejohn, Fr.
41 Carmycah Glass, RsFr.
Free safety
1 Jaylon Carlies, Sr.
3 Sidney Williams, Jr.
17 Tyler Hibbler, Soph.
TBA Philip Roche, Fr.
Strong safety
28 Joseph Charleston, Sr.
18 Isaac Thompson, RsFr.
20 Marvin Burks Jr., Fr.
Star safety
13 Daylan Carnell, Soph.
4 Tre’Vez Johnson, Jr.
20 Marvin Burks Jr., Fr.
Cornerback
2 Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Jr.
12 Dreyden Norwood, Soph.
TBA Shamar McNeil Jr.
Cornerback
7 Kris Abrams-Draine, Jr.
19 Marcus Clarke, Sr.
TBA Nicholas DeLoach Jr., Fr.
* Mizzou does not release a preseason depth chart. The depth listed above is a projection.
Players lost from 2022 roster
Linebacker
Zach Lovett, transferred to Iowa State
Devin Nicholson, transferred to Kent State
Xavier Simmons, moved to medical scholarship
Safety
Martez Manuel, declared for NFL draft
Tyler Jones, transferred to Tennessee State
Jalani Williams, transferred to Kent State
Cornerback
Darius Jackson, transferred to Texas State
Marcus Scott, transferred to Cal