I'm going to ramble on about what we have coming back on offense next year because hey...why not.
QB- Lock today looked as good as I've ever seen him look. That arm looked fantastic and even the few throws he missed on, they were a lot closer than they had been. The only question here is who is our backup? I don't think anyone would blame Zanders if he transferred to a smaller college and got his oppertunity. I'd love to see him stay put this will more than likely be Lowary's job. Wilson may be able to compete with him and Estes will almost assuredly take the RS.
RB- This is the position of least concern. Hopefully Crockett learns from his mistakes and picks up where he left off. I think Witter exceeded everyones expectations this year, and Strong had some nice moments towards the end of the year. I'm very happy with that three man crew. Ryan Williams probably transfers out.
WR- J'Mon obviously draws a lot of criticism here for his actions on and off the field, but I for one am happy to have him back. Hopefully he keeps his mouth closed and becomes close friends with the jugs machine, but he is obviously Locks favorite target and I think it's good news for Mizzou that he is back next season. Mason and Johnson are going to be awesome to watch play here for the next three seasons. I can't wait to see their growth as they get more comfortable against this level of competition and in this system. Beyond those three will be a lot of transfers. Dilosa is probably out. Justin Smith and Wingo will both probably weigh their options. I wish Smith would give it another year here because that size could be a huge asset. Floyd and Hall will probably both be back but nothing will be given to those guys. Jafar Armstrong, Da'Ron Davis , and hopefully Jeff Thomas (probably a pipe dream) will all have an oppertunity to provide depth if they can show consistency catching the football.
TE- Blanton had some really nice flashes this year. He also had his share of drops, but I think he can be a big piece for us next year. He's a huge target and a good athlete, and I think big things are in store for him. Jason Reese will provide some depth, but he's underperformed so far in his Tigers tenure. It will be interesting to see Brandon Scales and Albert O's roles next year. Can Albert play on the line and block like a TE or will he just be essentially a big WR. There was some talk of Scales lining up in the backfield as an H-Back type, so thats where I anticipate we see him at. I wouldn't hate to see a Juco TE to go along with Blanton but I doubt we get one and there are too many other holes to worry about on defense to really waste the time really going after one.
OL- All things considered this group was fantastic. Once they started to gel their run blocking was great. While they may not have been the best pass blocking team, they managed to keep Lock off his back for the majority of the year. This group was well coached and I look forward to seeing where Sims, Castillo, and Holmes fit in in their second year in the program.
All in all this offense isn't far off. I love the thought of watching Lock/Crockett/Johnson/Mason for the next few years here. I'm a little concerned about depth at the WR/TE positions, so hopefully the Frosh and RS Frosh come ready to compete for PT. But I look forward to seeing this offense develope guys. What do you all think about the roster turnover? Anybody that probably transfers out that I missed?
QB- Lock today looked as good as I've ever seen him look. That arm looked fantastic and even the few throws he missed on, they were a lot closer than they had been. The only question here is who is our backup? I don't think anyone would blame Zanders if he transferred to a smaller college and got his oppertunity. I'd love to see him stay put this will more than likely be Lowary's job. Wilson may be able to compete with him and Estes will almost assuredly take the RS.
RB- This is the position of least concern. Hopefully Crockett learns from his mistakes and picks up where he left off. I think Witter exceeded everyones expectations this year, and Strong had some nice moments towards the end of the year. I'm very happy with that three man crew. Ryan Williams probably transfers out.
WR- J'Mon obviously draws a lot of criticism here for his actions on and off the field, but I for one am happy to have him back. Hopefully he keeps his mouth closed and becomes close friends with the jugs machine, but he is obviously Locks favorite target and I think it's good news for Mizzou that he is back next season. Mason and Johnson are going to be awesome to watch play here for the next three seasons. I can't wait to see their growth as they get more comfortable against this level of competition and in this system. Beyond those three will be a lot of transfers. Dilosa is probably out. Justin Smith and Wingo will both probably weigh their options. I wish Smith would give it another year here because that size could be a huge asset. Floyd and Hall will probably both be back but nothing will be given to those guys. Jafar Armstrong, Da'Ron Davis , and hopefully Jeff Thomas (probably a pipe dream) will all have an oppertunity to provide depth if they can show consistency catching the football.
TE- Blanton had some really nice flashes this year. He also had his share of drops, but I think he can be a big piece for us next year. He's a huge target and a good athlete, and I think big things are in store for him. Jason Reese will provide some depth, but he's underperformed so far in his Tigers tenure. It will be interesting to see Brandon Scales and Albert O's roles next year. Can Albert play on the line and block like a TE or will he just be essentially a big WR. There was some talk of Scales lining up in the backfield as an H-Back type, so thats where I anticipate we see him at. I wouldn't hate to see a Juco TE to go along with Blanton but I doubt we get one and there are too many other holes to worry about on defense to really waste the time really going after one.
OL- All things considered this group was fantastic. Once they started to gel their run blocking was great. While they may not have been the best pass blocking team, they managed to keep Lock off his back for the majority of the year. This group was well coached and I look forward to seeing where Sims, Castillo, and Holmes fit in in their second year in the program.
All in all this offense isn't far off. I love the thought of watching Lock/Crockett/Johnson/Mason for the next few years here. I'm a little concerned about depth at the WR/TE positions, so hopefully the Frosh and RS Frosh come ready to compete for PT. But I look forward to seeing this offense develope guys. What do you all think about the roster turnover? Anybody that probably transfers out that I missed?
