Everything Eli Drinkwitz Said in 2024 Season Preview Press Conference

The Missouri Tigers head coach spoke to the media Tuesday after the conclusion of fall practices.

Aug.17, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz looks onto the practice field at the team's annual fan night practice at Faurot Field. / Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

COLUMBIA, Mo. — With fall camp now in the rearview mirror and the season opener against Murray state quickly approaching for the Missouri Tigers, things are quickly ramping up for the team. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz spoke to the media Tuesday to recap the 17 practices and look ahead to the upcoming season. Here's all that he had to say.

Opening statement:

"We had a challenging fall camp, which I told our team laid the foundation for our season. I was very impressed with how consistent our guys were in how they prepeared each day with energy and focus. They weren't perfect with the execution but they did have really good energy and positive attitude for the three weeks of fall camp."

'Really good, healthy back-and-forth between the offense and the defense and I'm excited about where this team can go."

How the mindset changes after fall camp:

“I think the mindset changes. Fall camp is very challenging because the amount of install and the monotony of going against the same guys. Now there's a different focus and a different preparation. You're going to be evaluated based off your retention of information and how you perform against another opponent. You get to measure yourself against somebody totally different. So It'll be a challenge. I think there's definitely an excitement to that for us, the big challenge, and I know we'll preview that Sunday at our press conference. But the challenge for us is our next opponent has so many unknowns because of the transient roster.

Reflecting on decision to give up play calling ahead of 2023:

"Obviously I wasn't spend enough time play designing. I think when I look back on the decision to give up play calling was also the decision of embracing my role as the head coach, focusing on other areas that I needed to spend my time and allow somebody else to have the freedom and full time opportunity to design schemes on the opposite side of ball. I think obviously the ability to trust (offensive coordinator) Kirby (Moore) with that, his development of chemistry with the staff and with our players has been awesome. It's kind of given me a fresh perspective on how to develop that with Corey and as he's transitioning on defense on that side.”

Creating the STP identity:

“The STP mindset really began with us last year, just because we knew we were collectively talented, but we hadn't proved in that through results on the field and at the end of the day, this is a result based business. In our own minds, we felt like we were talented and felt like we were good coaches, but at the end of the day, you're measured by wins and losses, so we had to prove it and it kind of stuck. This year, there's still a whole lot left to prove. I don't know if it'll be there every year, but right now, it still fits who we are."

Progression of newcomers on the offensive line:

"I mean, I think we've seen growth. That's one of the main challenges that I have for our coaches, is to challenge our players to grow and measure that growth so that we can see the improvement that they have, and so the players can get constant feedback on where they're at, and how am they're doing, and what do I have to get better at. Whether you're talking about Cayden Green and Logan Reichert. This morning we went over weight loss or weight gains from last year to this year. Last fall camp compared to this fall camp, Logan Reichert was 376 last year. He's 344, he's moving better than he's ever moved before. He's one of the fastest, most explosive offensive linemen we've had. So to see those guys grow has been awesome."

"Marcus Bryant had to get acclimated to this group and then all five of those guys have to get into a situation where they play five for one. So that's a challenge. It doesn't just happen overnight. You have to put in those reps, and you got to continue to work on it, refine it, so but we have seen growth."

His takeaways from fall camp:

"Expectations are external. That's what everybody else outside of this building believes we should or could accomplish or be. Internally, we talk about standards. So for us, the standard is how we practice, how we carry ourselves, the focus and energy that we have, the core values that we live by, the goals that we wanted to accomplish. I think we worked really hard to meet those every day. I was proud of the consistency that our guys showed to meet those standards."

"We had a lot of penalties in fall camp that were self-inflicted wounds that we really have to get off the tape. We had alignment errors defensively, we've gotta be more consistent."

"Offensively, some of the same issues in the red zone kept creeping up so we challenged our coaching staff and players to address those so we can be more efficient and better."

The area of Luther Burden's growth in which Drinkwitz is proudest of:

"We always knew he was extremely talented, but talent is not enough. Talent's not a separator. Talent is the floor. Really, personal growth and character and developing that elite edge is really what's going to set the ceiling for what we are as people. Luther is surrounded himself with a really good team that has helped him figure out how to operate at a higher level on a day to day basis, whether that's nutrition, whether that's in the academics, whether that's in his off the field habits. I think that's that's the area that I've been very pleased with."

On recruiting in St. Louis and the rest of Missouri:

"When we first got here, obviously we were adamant and still are adamant about recruiting the local area as hard as we possibly can and we probably overextended ourselves and sent those to as far as recruiting. Now it's been to the point where we're recruiting the right players from St. Louis. Not everybody from St. Louis wants to play at the University of Missouri, and I get that not everybody that wants to play at the University of Missouri is going to be offered a scholarship. But now we've got the right fit and we're showing what the possibilities are, whether you're talking about Marvin Burks, Brady Cook, Cody Schrader, Mitch Walters, Luther Burden, Brett Norfleet, Drake Heismeyer, Toriano Pride, Nic DeLoach."


"All of these guys are the right fit for the University of Missouri and they've embraced what it means to play here and also what that means to represent the University of Missouri in their city of St. Louis too. I think the other thing that we've done, which has been really good is that we've expanded our net Now we're recruiting at a really high level in Kansas City with Armand [Membou], Cayden [Green], Williams [Nwaneri], Mekhi Miller recruited Logan Reichert. Now we're recruiting the rural areas of Missouri at a really high level too and I think that has been a very good addition."

How Johnny Walker Jr., named a team captain, has grown as a leader:

"I think Johnny has really tried to take on the leadership role on defensive side of the ball with the loss of players from last year, the loss of some coaches.I think him, Kristian Williams and Chuck Hicks, three defensive captains, along with Tristan Newson, Tre'vez [Johnson} ,Joseph Charleston and Dreyden Norwood, those guys have really adopted the leadership role of this is what that defensive identity of our football team is going to be, and Johnny's been really good. I've seen him pull Williams Nwaneri aside andtry to become a mentor to him, or guys who've had tough days."

"Chris McClellan, when I was all over him three or five days ago, pulling aside saying, hey, this is how we do it here. This is how coach is. You have to respond in a positive way, and I think that's really been a really good. Obviously, he's got his own personal goals about what he wants to accomplish this year, but I've really challenged him, just like we did with D-Rob, Jaylon Carilies, Ennis [Rakestraw Jr.] and [Ty'ron] Hopper, he's embraced that."

On how consistent Marvin Burks has been and his growing role:

"Marvin was an early enrollee last year and I thought he had a really good fall camp. He started four games on special teams, and then it just became a lot. Now I think he's more comfortable in what we're asking him to do. He's got a full year under his belt. He's still contributing on three or four special teams plays, but now he's really anchored down on what that boundary safety position is and how to play it."

"I think the really cool thing about that position (boundary safety) is we've got a lot of guys who can play, which allows us the freedom to really get our best players on special teams. So you're talking about Tre'vez, Caleb Flag gor Joseph Charleston. Trajen Greco has been a guy that's really stepped up. It's allowed our coaching staff to really embrace, hey, we got to really be great on special teams. If that means rotating some guys at the boundary safety position so that we can be fresh on special teams. I think coach Yoro and coach Batoon have really done a good job of that."

"The safety position really has the most experience coming back, which is Joseph, Marvin, Sidney Williams Daylen Carnell, Philip Roche. It's that corner position that we have to continue to find the consistency. It's probably the one that's the most challenging for me, replacing the two NFL corners (Ennis Rakestraw and Kris Abrams-Draine.)"

Possible involvement of freshmen tight ends Jude James and Whit Hafer

"Brett Norfleet and Jordon [Harris] were beat up and then Tyler (Stephens) got dinged up three or four days ago. All of those guys are back today. I think (Whit) Hafer and (Jude) James did an excellent job of maximizing their reps. I don't know if that means they'll play any more than their four games (the non-conference schedule), but it's definitely put themselves in a position. I think Whit was a guy who really maximized his opportunities, and him and Jude got in with the ones and didn't flinch. They were able to go in there and perform and obviously there were things they have to improve on, but I was really impressed with how they handled it."

On edge rusher Darris Smith's Injury:

"Really disappointed for Darris and I kick myself every day, because the end of the day, as the head coach, I'm responsible for designing the practice and wish I would have done something different that day. He had an outstanding camp and think he's been awesome with the right mindset and obviously disappointed but not devastated. He continues to be in our team meetings, has positive energy, and is going to be a great teammate."

"The thing about football, as it goes on, whether you're a coach or player, the game doesn't stop. Obviously we have to have a next up, next man up, and you're never going to be Darris Smith. We don't need anybody to be Darris. We need to be the best version of ourselves and those guys have embraced that. We've got a deep room. That's one position that we are deep. Eddie Kelly, Zion Young Johnny Walker, Joe Moore, Jahkai Lang would be the first five and we've got two freshmen there. They're really stepping up."

On the team's five captains:

QB Brady Cook: " Obviously Brady's always been a leader and I think there's so much respect for him in that room because people have seen him be consistent, good, bad, or indifferent. Although, last year I didn’t see him flying around in a helicopter for NIL deals so we'll see if that affects him any.  He's been consistent every day in how he's approached his work."

WR Theo Wease: "The maturity and growth that he shows and and constantly getting the best out of people."

"Defensive side of ball, it's a challenge over there because you're not only replacing great players, you're replacing coaches. There's a standard that death row has to have and that standard is never carried by coaches. It's carried by players and what it means to be on that field, because coaches aren't on the field.

"The 11 guys that are on the field represent death row and coaches can only say so much. But what's the standard that those guys want it to be? And that's really been my challenge with those guys all fall camp when when we had good days or bad days is what's the standard? What what do y'all want it to look like? Because at the end of the day, y'all are the the the torch bearers and I think those three guys (captains Johnny Walker Jr., Kristian Williams and Chuck Hicks) have been really consistent with spreading that message."

On sophomore receiver Marquis Johnson:

"Marquis is a very gifted football player. He's a very special talent with the right skill set. The challenge for Marquis is continuing to mature off the field and to be consistent in his energy. There are great days of positive energy with Marquis. We just need to see those consistently. We don't need to hide it, the good days and the bad days. Consistency is the highest paid trade in the world. We need to see a consistent energy between Marquis, in his interactions within this building and outside of this building. That's something he's really worked on. That's something that (strength) coach Russell challenged him on. It's that lead edge acronym,emotional consistency. In the 17 practices, there were some good, some bad. I would say the last seven days have been his most consistent, and now we just need to continue to see that moving forward and see that same growth that we saw Luther make from his freshman to sophomore year."

"We need to see that with all of our freshmen. Can you be consistent? It's kinda easy to be that guy that flashes. has a couple of good games, when you're not expected to be counted on every day. But we need those guys not to be flashes. Whether we're talking about Brett Norfleet or we're talking about Cayden Green or Logan Reichert or Marquis or Nic Deloach, We can't be flashy. We gotta be consistent."

On changes in leadership on team starting in 2023 compared to previous seasons:

"There certainly were things that didn't work. I think one of the things that we instituted two years ago that we've carried on is a leadership class that we instituted in April and it was not mandatory. It was voluntary but we had weekly meetings."

“It's a curriculum that we go through. It's between 45 minutes, an hour. It has homework."

That would be the one that I would definitely point to. I think there's been different approaches by coaches and different things done by our player development staff, specifically guest speakers throughout the summer that I think probably have helped that we're more consistent in the past 2 years than they were prior. So I think all those things together."

On Cook's Fall Camp:

"I don't think he turned the ball over in either one of the scrimmages, including in the two minute drives where he had to try to score. So that's been a good thing moving forward. I think his daily preparation and process, last year, he had a buddy system with him and Cody Schrader. I think him figuring out who his next buddy is that he can, every day be in here in this building  and set the foundation for his success is gotta be what he's gotta figure out."

On the fan support heading into 2024, need to sell out season opener:

I definitely get a sense that the community and the state as a whole is very excited about Mizzou football and that's been awesome. Whether that’s been the summer around the state or dropping my kids off to school today a 6th grader saying he's really excited about Mizzou football this season. That’s stuff that hasn't been like that going into it. That's been awesome to really stir the passion and excitement of our fan base. 

But our challenge is we need to sell out this first game. We're a top 11 program in the country coming off A Cotton Bowl win. And in my opinion, if we don't sell out the first game, then that shows me that we're not where we wanna be as a fan base yet. I mean, that's just the reality of it.

Don't sit on the sideline and wait, ‘Well, it's gotta be this game.’ No it doesn’t. Come watch this team and be excited about this team and embrace this team.

"And the same challenge that I have for our players is let's have a 1-0 mindset. Let's try to be a 1-0 team and be 1-0 fan base. Don't get excited about the game in November after the bye week. I don't know what that game's gonna look like. I know next week versus Murray State is the most important game we have. And we need to sell it out because we need to show the rest of the country that we're serious about our program."

"Let’s establish ourselves. Let's eliminate all the noise about what the past history of what the fan base has been. Let's establish what our identity moving forward is gonna be. And the establishment of the identity moving forward is, it doesn't matter if it's Thursday night, Monday night, or Saturday night, If we're playing at Faurot Field, we're selling it out. "

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

Missouri Tigers Team Preview, Projected 2024 Depth Chart

Luther Burden III Named to AP Preseason All-America Team

Missouri's Versatile Newcomers at Linebacker Make Room More Flexible