FOOTBALL RECRUITING
-- Going to start with another look at what we think the 2016 class could look like as far a positional breakdown. We are basing this off some talks we have had with different people around the football program. The list is taking into consideration the commitments of Trystan Castillo, Greg Taylor and Natereace Strong. There are 16 scholarship seniors graduating after this season as of now which means a class around 20 seems likely.
QB - 0
RB - 1
WR - 1
TE - 0
OL - 3
DE - 1
DT - 2
LB - 2
CB - 2
S - 1
K - 1
ATH - 2
As always, the list is subject to change. We've heard junior college targets are likely at offensive line, defensive tackle and perhaps cornerback and safety. In regards to the juco offensive lineman it sounds like Mizzou would prefer he be a guard/center type and then the remaining two offensive line targets are expected to be high school tackles.
We will resume the positional hot board next week.
-- Speaking of junior college targets, Pete was able to catch up with Hutchinson (Kan.) CC offensive lineman Tate Leavitt this morning. The 6-foot-6, 290 pound prospect told Pete that Missouri is one of the schools he is in contact with the most and he plans to visit the Tigers the weekend of May 15.
There is also an interesting connection between Leavitt and Mizzou. He is originally from Sheridan High School in Thornville, Ohio which is 30 miles east of Columbus just south of I-70. When being recruited in high school Leavitt received his first offer from Western Michigan and A.J. Ricker.
Leavitt reports offers from Alabama, Arizona State, TCU, Oklahoma State and several other power five schools so just having a connection with Mizzou won't be enough. It could help some, though.
-- Junior college defensive tackle is another priority position for Mizzou and it seems like Snow (Utah) College prospect Handsome Tanielu is at the top of the Tigers' board right now. Spoke with Tanielu last night and he told me that Mizzou offered him about two weeks ago. Craig Kuligowski came by his school to verify size and watch him practice. Shortly after Kuligowski left he extended the offer.
Tanielu is a December graduate so whichever program he decides on will have him for 2016 spring ball. He would like to visit Mizzou in late July, but is not sure if that will be able to happen. Looks more likely he will visit for the season opener against Southeast Missouri State.
As one might expect the big draw for Missouri is the amount of defensive linemen the Tigers have put in the NFL recently.
"Seven for seven man," the 6-foot-2, 305 pound prospect said about Mizzou's run of first rounders. "Missouri is on the top of my list for a reason. I like Coach Kool. When I got the offer I was so excited. It wasn't like any other offer because Mizzou is an elite team. They're a freaking pipeline to the NFL for defensive lineman. To be coached by Coach Kool would be a privilege."
The other top schools for Tanielu are Penn State and Boise State. He is also hearing quite a bit from Arizona State and expects an offer soon. Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss have recently started increasing their recruitments of the Waianae, Hawaii native.
-- A high school offensive tackle that Mizzou recently offered and seems to have a decent shot with is Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian prospect Devin Cochran. The 6-foot-7, 300 pounder is being recruited by new Tiger safety coach Ryan Walters.
Cochran admitted that he hadn't really been hearing much from Mizzou before the offer was extended on Wednesday. He said that he had been getting a little mail, but the offer was a surprise. The 5.6 three-star said he has no top schools, but will start narrowing his list down soon for a summer decision.
When asked if Mizzou had time to impress him enough to make his cut down this was his answer.
"Yeah definitely. I'm sure they do. They had a great team recently and I'm sure they'll be able to catch up," he said.
He doesn't have any visits set up yet, but Cochran does plan to check out several schools over the summer as he works on making his decision.
-- Mizzou signee Emanuel Hall's high school teammate Tyrell Dodson picked up a Mizzou offer in early April. The 6-foot-1, 228 pound middle linebacker continues to add offers and now has five from Power 5 schools, but Mizzou was big because it was his first SEC offer.
"I can't really put it into words. I'm just blessed to have the SEC offer," he said.
Asked if the offer put Mizzou at the top of his list Dodson admitted it was hard to concede that because he has never visited Columbia. He did say that Mizzou is a top team on his list.
Dodson had wanted to visit Mizzou during the spring, but was never able to work out a time that was good for him and his family. Now he has shifted his focus to trying to visit over the summer. When his senior season starts, Dodson wants to go down the list of schools that have offered and make his top five and from there he'll start his official visits.
The draw of playing in the SEC and with his former teammate should be enough to keep Missouri firmly entrenched at the top of Dodson's list. Another school that he feels is close to offering and will be in the mix till the end is Tennessee. Dodson admitted that he grew up watching the Vols and always imagined himself in the orange and white.
"Emanuel has been trying to recruit me," he said. He's been hyping Mizzou up and telling me to come visit. Every time he sees me he says they want me at the Zou."
-- Mizzou summer camps are approaching quickly. The one day combine style camps take place June 7 and June 9. The three day padded camps are June 4-6 and June 11-13.
The Tigers love to bring in guys for these camps that they are considering extending offers to. 2016 CBC (Mo.) wide receiver Roddrik Bryant is one we've heard about a couple times that could definitely land an offer with a strong performance. It sounds like the staff really wants to see how his injury is progressing after missing all last season. Bryant has already been on campus this year for junior day and the spring game.
We'll be working on getting as accurate a list as possible of the expected participants over the next three and a half weeks.
BASKETBALL RECRUITING
-- It has been mentioned on here a few times before, but for anyone who has missed it 2015 Brownsburg (Ind.) shooting guard K.J. Walton is going to be in Columbia for his official visit this weekend. All signs point to Mizzou landing a commitment from the 103 ranked player in the Rivals150 sometime during the visit. He should be arriving on campus around noon.
-- Traded a few messages with 2017 Parkway West (Mo.) forward Wyatt Yess about his Mizzou offer. He said he knew the Mizzou coaches watched him during the evaluation period in Indianapolis, but he still wasn't expecting a Mizzou offer. He said it was an amazing feeling when they did offer.
Yess is very busy with basketball right now, but we are hoping to get a full interview with him next week.
-- Received some information this week that Mizzou is starting to show some strong interest in 2016 Connors State (Okla.) College forward Arlando Cook. The 6-foot-9 prospect averaged 11 points and 9 rebounds per game for his freshman season and was the regional tournament MVP for the Cowboys.
Cook is originally from St. Louis and played at Madison Prep. He has connections to Martavian Payne and Corey Tate.
