2024 Missouri Tigers Position Preview: Offensive Line

A peak into the Tigers revamped offensive line for the upcoming 2024 season.

Sep 30, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Connor Tollison (55) snaps the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Missouri Football had an impressive outing on the offensive side of the ball last season, with players in the top ten nationally for rushing and receiving yards. On the stat sheet, the praise will go to the skill players. But if it weren't for the big guys in the trenches, it might be a completely different story. Their top-tier run-blocking allowed now-professional Cody Schrader to rush for 1,627 yards, while their solid pass protection allowed quarterback Brady Cook and company to get sacked only 26 times.

Only losing two main starters in Javon Foster at the left tackle and Xavier Delgado at left guard, the Tigers look reloaded on their front line. With a few new additions and growth from one season to another, the Tigers appear to have another solid core to protect their quarterback. Here's a look into the big guys up front for the upcoming season, position by position.

2024 Missouri Offensive Linemen

Projected Depth Chart:

LT: Marcus Bryant, Cayden Green, Brandon Soils
LG: Cayden Green, Cam'Ron Johnson, Logan Reichert
C: Connor Tollison, Drake Heismeyer
RG: Cam'Ron Johnson, Tristan Wilson
RT: Armand Membou, Mitchell Walters

Left Tackle

Marcus Bryant: Senior, 6'8", 318 lbs

Marcus Bryant was one of the most notable of the transfers that the Tigers picked up this past offseason. The former SMU Mustang started in 10 games last season but appeared in 13. Bryant is an absolute beast of a lineman, standing at a towering 6-foot-8. He only allowed one sack this last year, leading to his selection to the All-AAC First Team. He has been dominant at his sole position of left tackle for the last few seasons and will look to do the same for the Tigers this year.

Brandon Solis: Redshirt Freshman, 6'7", 289 lbs

Brandon Solis has yet to see the field for the Tigers. The Nashville, Tenn native was a 3-star prospect in the class of 2023. He redshirted last season, gaining valuable experience on the practice field preparing for this year. Solis has the versatility to play at both left and right tackle and shows good mobility and lower-body movement for a tackle, probably from his time as a basketball player. Regardless of who starts at the left tackle spot out of Bryant or Cayden Green, expect Solis to come off the bench.

Cayden Green presents the biggest question mark on this offensive line. It's not really a matter of if Green and Bryant will start, but where. Green has left tackle and guard versatility, but plays his best at tackle. Bryant's natural and only spot has been left tackle, but could make the switch to the right side, which would cause other mixups.

Jayven Richardson: Sophomore, 6'6", 303 lbs

The final name to look at in this position is Jayven Richardson, a sophomore who committed this past season out of Hutchinson Community College. He has guard and tackle versatility as well, but will probably be at the bottom of whereever he plays. Richardson is a candidate to sit-out a year to preserve one for the future, but since he has some college-playing experience, he could get onto the field some.

Left Guard

Cayden Green: Sophomore, 6'5, 316

Green, along with Bryant, are two of the biggest additions to this revamped team through the transfer portal. Green was a 4-star prospect out of Lee Summit High School in the class of 2023. The Tigers swung and missed the first time around in his recruitment when Green announced his commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners. Growing up under two hours from Columbia, the Tigers were able to bring him back home.

He has a great blend of strength and athleticism to bring to the table, while excelling in run-blocking with a low pad level. He had problems in high school where he would get too high too fast with his upper body and still has that issue, but it has improved. Missouri practically brought in another 4-star recruit with the addition of Green.

Green is definetly not penciled in at the left guard spot. As previously mentioned, he was recruited as a tackle by Oklahoma and other programs, but started 5 games and played 11 total at left guard. Green may have left the Sooners so he could play at left tackle. Expect him to be on the left side of the line when the season comes around, but the exact position remains unknown.

Logan Reichert: Redshirt Freshman, 6'6", 369 lbs

Reichert is another absolute giant on the Tiger offensive line. He, like Solis, redshirted the 2023 season, giving him at least four years of opportunity. The 4-star Kansas City native chose the Tigers over Oregon, Oklahoma, Auburn and other high-major programs. He excels in pass-protection with his big frame, but struggles against faster, more functional edge defenders. Reichert is most likely to see the field if there is an injury, or during garbage time, but shows promise for more playing time in seasons to come.

Center

Connor Tollison: Junior, 6'4", 286 lbs

Simply put, Tollison is one of the best returning centers in the country. He is one of the best run-blocking centers in the country as well, one of his biggest struggles in earlier seasons. Tollison played in all 13 games for the Tigers, starting at the center position for all of them. He started in 12 games at the center spot the season prior.

Drake Heismeyer: Senior, 6'3", 302 lbs

Heismeyer has been a solid piece to the Tigers special teams unit, appearing in all 13 games last season on special teams. The St. Charles, Mo native now enters his season and will maintain his special teams role, only seeing the field at the center spot in late game and injury situations.

Right Guard

Cam'Ron Johnson: Senior, 6'4", 305 lbs

Johnson has more than solidified his starting spot at right guard. He appeared in all 13 games last season, starting in 12 of those appearances. Entering his senior year, he will look to build on his strong showing in 2023. He earned lots of honors prior to his time with the Tigers at the University of Houston, earning First-Team All AAC in 2022 while only allowing one sack, starting in all 13 games. He was the best of his offensive linemen, which was one of the best units in the country.

Tristan Wilson: Redshirt Sophomore, 6'4", 302 lbs

Wilson appeared in two games last season, against Arkansas and in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State. Wilson, an undersized guard, was a 3-star prospect out of Lebanon, Mo. It will be hard for Wilson to get significant playing time for another season while sitting behind Johnson. Unlike other backups on this Tiger offensive line, Wilson does have limited playing experience, which will give him a leg up if an injury comes around. He has the ability to play multiple positions on the line.

Right Tackle

Armand Membou: Junior, 6'3", 314 lbs

Membou is another experienced member of this offensive line unit who more than likely has his spot locked down for the upcoming year. He started all 13 games last season at the same position and five in his freshman year, appearing in 11. He is now a veteran on this line and should not be a liability on the right side. Membou was a 3-star prospect out of Lee Summit High School in the 2022 class.

Mitchell Walters: Senior, 6'8", 327 lbs

Mitchell Walters is probably the most experienced and most ready to play of all the backups. He started in four games and played in all 13 during the 2022 season, but lost his spot to Membou last year. He spent all of his time on the field goal unit this past season, still contributing to the Tigers success. Expect to see Walters on the field in some way or another, whether on special teams or as a backup.

Incoming Freshman

Caleb Pyfrom: 6'5", 315 lbs
Ryan Jostes: 6'6", 298 lbs

There is enough depth on the offensive line that would push both Pyfrom and Jostes to the bottom of the depth chart, making a redshirt possible. Both are listed as tackles, with Pyfrom displaying some positional versatility during his time at Omaha Central. Jostes has some real speed, getting snaps at tight end for Washington High School in the Show Me State. Both will prove valuable in years to come in depth spots and potential starting spots, so preserving a season with a redshirt looks to be a viable option.

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