Marcus Bryant is Beginning to Find his Role on the Mizzou Offensive Line

The SMU transfer is bringing along his skillset he displayed with the Mustangs to Columbia and the SEC.

Nov 14, 2020; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs offensive lineman Marcus Bryant (52) gets ready to block during the game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Tulsa won 28-24. / Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

The Missouri Tigers had a giant question mark at left tackle after Javon Foster left for the NFL. During the spring window of the transfer portal, the Tigers brought in former SMU offensive tackle Marcus Bryant. The former Mustang has years of proven experience at left tackle and appears to be ready for the step up in SEC play.

When Bryant entered the transfer portal, he was looking for a school where he felt needed. The coaching staff made it clear that Bryant would be an important part of the offense in whatever role he ends up playing. That was the main reason he ended up choosing the Tigers.

"I wanted to be in a program, it was kinda like a puzzle piece, somewhere that really needed me, not really in a rebuild type of deal," Bryant said in a press conference Friday. "So that's when Mizzou hit me up and I came down here and we visited. They were emphasizing how I'm the puzzle piece to the to the puzzle so that’s why I chose to Missouri."

Bryant clearly has the talent to play with the Tigers, starting 29 games over four years with the Mustangs. That being said, jumping right into a new team, especially coming off a season like the Tigers had previously, can prove to be challenging. Bryant is starting to fit in with the Tigers offensive line unit.

"I just want to be the best left tackle in the country. That's what I wanted to do and really display on a bigger level.  So that's why I felt like this is the right piece for me."

No one doubts that Bryant can prove himself, but he also has to fit into the Tigers scheme and play to the offenses strengths. He has some experience with a similar scheme from his younger years of playing.

"We run a lot of outside zone and definitely pass protection. I know coach Drink(witz) and my old head coach, they really have the same style."

The outside zone scheme and play itself leads to a outside run. That becomes the offensive tackles job to make sure the hole is there for whichever running back is in. It also requires an extreme amount of athleticism, especially for a larger person. That precisely becomes the selling point for Bryant.

Bryant stands at a whopping 6-foot-8. 318-pounds. He is exceptionally huge, even for an offensive tackle. That is his biggest strength, and to say Bryant knows how to use it is an understatement. According to Bryant, no one is moving through him, ever. Want to guess how many people can run through Bryant.

"Not a lot," Bryant said. "I had a hard time just sitting down on it, but just running straight through me, I don’t think it's gonna work."

Not only is Bryant learning the scheme, but the offensive line as a whole is starting to gel together. They lost two key pieces in both Foster and Xavier Delgado and learning how to play together, as well as communicate, will take some time. It does seem as if they are beginning to come together as one group when it comes to their togetherness.

"It's going really good. We get better each day. Our meetings are fun are funny and all that. So I feel like our chemistry is really there," Bryant said.

When it comes to how they will begin to come together, reps and good execution. as well as small details appear to be the key. It may have started off as a challenge at first, but this far into fall camp, things seem to have improved.

"We're really emphasizing on details. You're not gonna be perfect every play, but you just got to try to get all five guys to do their job at the same time," Bryant said.

It wasn't as good as it seems to start out, with Bryant struggling the first couple of days. He might be fitting in now, but it certainly was not that way at the very beginning.

The first couple of days, it was kind of a struggle because I hadn't played in so long and then everything is so much faster and having to adjust each day, it really just helped me speed up my game, speed up my steps and really tune into my detail," Bryant said.

Bryants progression throughout fall camp has been postitive and all signs point to him securing the day-one starting left tackle spot. He might be facing some competition from JUCO recruit Jayven Richardson, who appears to be the current LT. Unless he struggles the last couple days of fall camp, expect to see a ready Marcus Bryant at left tackle against the Murray State Racers.

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

Missouri Football Fall Camp Practice Report: Day 10

Missouri Cornerback Nic Deloach Past Freshman Nerves, Ready to Expand Role

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