Which Freshman Could See the Field for Missouri Football This Season?

The No. 21 recruiting class in the country is now on campus in Columbia, with a few looking to make an immediate impact for the Tigers.

Michael Stamps | Jul 31, 2024

Freshman WR James Madison II begins a workout in Columbia at the University of Missouri. / James Madison II via Twitter/X

Eli Drinkwitz and his staff have propelled the Missouri Tigers onto the national recruiting scene. After sealing the deal with 5-star Williams Nwaneri, things seem to have taken a drastic turn. With another elite recruiting class incoming in 2025 and some potential breakout players on campus already, reloading with new talent does not appear to be an issue.

It won't be easy for the new guys to break into the rotation. They wouldn't be there if they weren't talented, so it takes more than raw talent to see the field right away. Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore looks at previous breakout freshman to determine what it takes to get on the field.

"Some consistency, a number of days. You look at last year, some of those guys who helped us, Marquis Johnson, Brett Norfleet, you kind of were able to see that after a couple of days, like hey, these guys are probably going to have a chance," Moore said. "And still it's a constant process of seeing where they're at, how much they can handle. They got to have success and they ended up doing a good job under the lights early and then their role kind of changed throughout the season."

The class of 2024 is in Columbia now and some are competing for spots in the depth chart. Here's a few competitive freshman, in no particular order, that could see the field for the Tigers this season.

Williams Nwaneri

Nwaneri is the obvious choice here. The composite top-ten defensive end is one of the most talented players on the Tigers roster on day one. His combination of power and speed is not normal for a 6-foot-6, 257-pound athlete. No one doubts that he has the talent to get on the field, but getting reps will be more of a challenge.

Like most of the incoming freshman, there are plenty of experienced players in front of them who will make it a challenge to move up the depth chart. Ahead of him lies Zion Young, Johnny Walker IV, Darris Smith, Joe Moore and others. The odds of him being a day-one starter are very small, but moving up the depth chart is not out of the question.

Trajen Greco

There aren't any signs yet in fall camp that have pointed to Greco getting on the field, but its still early on. Greco, a Georgia native, has positional versatility at both cornerback and safety. He has the size and speed of a solid corner, but insticts and tackling ability to move back and play safety. He is officially listed as a safety on the Tigers roster.

The depth at safety is not as strong as other positions. He will most likely have senior Tre'Vez Johnson to challenge as a backup and senior Joseph Charleston as a starter. Johnson did post 43 tackles last season, the best number of his career. Not to say Greco will for sure surpass Johnson on the depth chart, but the opportunity is there.

If he wanted to slide over and play free safety, the opportunity is there as well. He only has Caleb Flagg and Phillip Roche to compete with and if he was able to make the switch, which is not a guarantee, a backup spot would be there to grab.

Talan Chandler

When asked about the backup center position, offensive line coach Brandon Jones brought up the 6-foot-3, 297-pound Talan Chandler. He has clearly given the coaches something to work with this early on in fall camp and previous workouts. The Nevada, Missouri native was a 3-star recruit out of high school, decommitting from Colorado and joining the Tigers shortly after.

The backup center spot is very wide open, with multiple names who could receive snaps. That doesn't change the fact the junior Connor Tollison will be the starting center and he won't leave the field unless there are injuries. The other main name to look at in this positional battle is senior Drake Heismeyer. Chandler is another incredible athlete that could see limited backup snaps, depending on what happens to Tollison.

Kewan Lacy

The RB3 spot for the Tigers is also wide open. The competition leaves a lot of question marks, with a decision between sophomore Tavorus Jones, redshirt freshman Jamal Roberts and the new guy, Kewan Lacy. To say no one knows who will have this job by the time Murray State comes to town is accurate. Someone could pull away by that time, but it could also be a week-to-week situation, with whoever performs the best in practice and preparation takes the job.

Lacy is nowhere on the depth chart, but it would be fair to say he is at a disadvantage compared to Jones and Roberts. Though they haven't seen the field much, or at all, they have had valuable practice experience and have gained a general understanding of the offense. Lacy is an explosive 4-star running back from Lancaster, Tx who is elusive and great in the passing game. He will have a valuable skillset to provide to the unit, but who's to sa ywhen.

Courtney Crutchfield/James Madison II

The main reason for including the pair of freshman receivers is that we've seen a recent freshman breakout at receiver. Marquis Johnson came seemingly out of nowhere last year and posted 383 yards and 3 touchdowns, as well as one of the most memorable moments of the Tigers season last year. There is so much depth at the receiver spot it's not fair, which probably does not favor freshman Courtney Crutchfield and James Madison II.

Both are scary good and could probably get snaps on many teams throughout the country, but the Tigers receiver room is just that full that they may be the odd men out. Crutchfield is a magnet to the football, getting passes out of the air that don't seem like they have a chance. Madison is great with the ball after the catch and uses his length well in his route running. No one would be shocked if these two get on the field, or one or the other, but they will have to prove themselves on a weekly basis to do so.

A Final Note

It's worth mentioning that there isn't any idea of who could end up redshirting, or the other way around. The Tigers have experienced depth at most positions, which will make it harder for the freshman to break through. Someone will, and as fall camp progresses, we may begin to pick up on who that could be.