Mizzou's Cayden Green Working Back from Injury While Walters Provides Reliability

Both an experienced veteran and a young, talented sophomore continue to split reps at the left guard position.

Oct 12, 2024; Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Cayden Green (70) in action during the first half against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

There have not been many players to get benched or replaced in the rotation so far for the No. 24 Missouri Tigers, but the left guard position has been one that's seen flux.

Sophomore Cayden Green started at the spot to begin the year and did a fairly good job. Against Alabama, an injured Green only played six snaps before being replaced by veteran Mitchell Walters. Green tried to play in the game but ultimately did not feel good enough to do so.

“Cayden got rolled up and just he tried to go,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said this week. “Everybody was trying to give it everything he could to go in the game, but was banged up and really couldn't drive off of it.”

Walters had seen reps at the position and other spots on the offensive line, but recently, they've came at left guard. Green has played well as of late before getting banged up, not committing any penalties since Missouri's matchup with Buffalo and allowing his first sack in his minimal time against Alabama.

Ahead of Missouri's game against Oklahoma, Green could be a vital part of protecting a talented Oklahoma pass rush, playing against his former team. No more information will be learned until Wednesday's initial injury report.

"It was an injury decision,” Drinkwitz said. “He's trending back in the right direction, but would still be classified in the injury report.”

Walters now has been preparing for the starting spot with Green injured. He's practicing with the ones in order to give him more familiarity with the current starting lineup, even though he's previously started consistent;y with the Tigers in seasons prior.

The preparation from the coaching staff in meetings and practice has prepared Walters to play against Oklahoma and in games beyond.

“Coach [Brandon] Jones does a good job of just rotating guys in with the first group,” Walters said. “So I was able to get in there, get some work with the ones [that] I’m familiar with.”

Since his previous starting stint in 2022, Walters has grown in multiple facets of his game. As he's gotten older and more experienced, the pace of the game is now completely different.

“I’m definitely more focused in the weight room. You know, that helps quite a bit. Also, I feel like the speed of the game slowed down quite a bit as I’ve matured and gotten older.”

Walters' claim to success for the Tigers in his career and primarily this season, has been his ability to play multiple positions. To Walters, it wasn't necessarily the challenge he was expecting.

"I thought, gonna be a lot harder than what it is. But, I mean, at the end of the day, you're playing o-line so definitely just focusing on each position and when you're out there, just kind of having that mindset," Walters said. "I got to focus when I'm tired, when stuff gets hard, just being able to lock in on what you're supposed to do."

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