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1) On Saturday afternoon, we got our first chance to talk to Eli Drinkwitz since camp opened. He was very understated, just as he was at SEC Media Days. He definitely seems to be focusing on the negatives rather than the positives. I don't think that's accidental. Since the end of last season, I think Drinkwitz has been pretty clear to undersell and overdeliver. That's the smart way to do things. In the last few years, we've heard Cuonzo Martin tell us he had enough talent to win the SEC before finishing under .500 and Dennis Gates talk about a Final Four roster and then go winless in the SEC. Sure, part of that is coachspeak and trying to speak things into existence and all, but in this day and age where there's fans and media waiting to parse every single word you say, I think the smart thing is to downplay expectations. Because then, people are either happy you overachieved or at least prepared if you don't.
I absolutely think Drinkwitz believes he has a team capable of winning the SEC and playing for a national championship. But publicly, I don't expect to see him talking about those things a whole lot...at least not yet. If we get to the Oklahoma game and his team's 7-1 or 8-0, then maybe we start to see some acknowledgement of it. But I think his greatest strength is understanding PR. It got him through year three when he was a sub 500 coach on the field. He knew what to stress and how to keep people excited even if the results on the field hadn't yet warranted his excitement. Now, on the flip side, I think he understands the value in not feeding into the fan frenzy that's already surrounding the start of the season. He knows the goals. He has the same goals. But publicly, I expect him to fly under the radar most or all of this year.
2) One thing I like about the first week of camp is that we've gotten to talk to a lot more people than in the past. Mizzou held a media day last Sunday in which all assistants and a lot of players were available. Earlier this week, we got to talk to Triston Newson (I think for the first time since he arrived on campus) and Chris McClellan and Nate Noel. This is the value of fall camp for us and for you guys. We want to talk to a variety of players. It would be an added bonus if we got to talk to the freshmen, but we know that isn't happening. Still, to get insight from a variety of players and to be able to hopefully talk to some who aren't sure fire starters gives us and you guys a better feel for the team and the personalities. That's the goal. I think it's just another sign that Drinkwitz is more comfortable with this team than any of his previous teams. In the past--even most of last year--it's been the same rotation of five or six players that talked every week. There was nothing new to report because there was nothing new being said because it was all being said by the same handful of people. Hopefully this camp is a sign that the reins are being loosened a little bit and Drinkwitz has more players he trusts in front of a microphone. That's a good sign for all involved if it happens.
3) McClellan gave us probably the best quote of fall camp so far when we talked to him. I asked him how close he had come to committing to Missouri out of high school and he said pretty close, but Florida had just a few small things that pushed them over the top. Then I asked how different the program is at this time than it was when Drinkwitz was trying to sell him two years ago.
"Just seeing the development and just watching Drink. Literally everything he told me in high school, he's done, step by step."
I'm not sure there can be a better endorsement for a coach. "Two years ago he said this was going to happen and now it's happened." It was, to be honest, my hesitation with Drinkwitz two years ago. I didn't know if he could build a program. I'd watched Gary Pinkel do it. And he did it methodically. He told us at the start "I know this works. It worked at Washington and it worked at Toledo and it's going to work at Missouri." And there were times it didn't really look like it was going to work. But Pinkel never wavered. He was either going to succeed doing it his way or he was going to fail doing it his way. But he was not going to waver from what he believed in.
That's a really tough thing to do. Even more so now than it was when Pinkel did it because there's so much more attention and scrutiny on every day and every decision. The critics are so much louder. I didn't know if Drinkwitz could do it. But he has. He stood strong in the face of the critics and how he's silenced them. That doesn't mean he's arrived.
Pinkel wasn't safe until the end of his sixth season. He went 8-5 that year and stood 37-35. His breakthrough came in year seven when he went 12-2. But it was what came after that season that cemented him. Over the next seven years, Pinkel won ten games or more four times. He had six winning seasons. His record over those seven seasons was 64-29. So Drinkwitz has had his 2007. That came last year. What we find out next is if he can have his 2008-14.
4) The main position battle I'm watching right now is at left tackle. Most had handed the position to SMU transfer Marcus Bryant before camp even opened. I think he's still probably the likely starter. But Drinkwitz said on Saturday that Bryant and junior college transfer Jayven Richardson are basically swapping first-team reps every day. Whether that's a sign we overhyped Bryant, a sign we undersold Richardson or a combination of the two, we don't know yet. I'd still give the edge to Bryant. But the thought has always been that Richardson is a very capable 6th man with the ability to compete to start at multiple spots on the line. The other four spots are not in question. Armand Membou, Cam'Ron Johnson, Connor Tollison and Cayden Green are set. We'll figure out over the next few weeks who the fifth starter is. But I think both are going to play and I'd throw Mitchell Walters and Tristan Wilson in as guys Missouri would be comfortable playing week one if necessary. The goal is always to have eight linemen you feel good about. I think Missouri has at least that many right now and maybe even a little more.
5) Let's go ahead and take a stab at the starting lineup on both sides of the ball. I'll start with offense.
QB: Brady Cook
RB: Nate Noel (but Marcus Carroll isn't far behind)
WR: Luther Burden/Theo Wease/Mookie Cooper (but Marquis Johnson, Mekhi MIller and Josh Manning will play plenty)
TE: Brett Norfleet
OL: Armand Membou, Cam'Ron Johnson, Connor Tollison, Cayden Green, Marcus Bryant
6) Now on the defensive side of the ball.
DE: Johnny Walker, Zion Young
DT: Chris McClellan, Kristian Williams
LB: Chuck Hicks, Triston Newson (that's as of today. I wouldn't be surprised to see Corey Flagg and Khalil Jacobs start games this season)
STAR: Daylan Carnell (Sidney Williams will back him up)
CB: Toriano Pride, Dreyden Norwood (I think Nicholas DeLoach is the third guy right now)
S: Marvin Burks, Joseph Charleston (TreVez Johnson is third)
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