Mizzou Spring Football Storylines: Linebacker

The Missouri Tigers have prided themselves on tough defensive units since head coach Eli Drinkwitz took the reins of the team. That tough mentality starts at the linebacker position, a position that’s had many elite players filter through the program in recent years.

That’s the case again for the Tigers this coming season, with Drinkwitz adding two highly-touted transfers at the inside linebacker position. Both come from Power 5 schools and were productive at their prior stops, with both seemingly destined for big roles this coming season.

Like most of the position groups, there are multiple returners who should, in some way, see the field. That being said, they aren’t as experienced at a Power 5 level like the pair of transfers are. One of them, most of which are sophomores and redshirt freshmen, will need to take a massive leap to earn a better spot on the depth chart.

There isn’t a single linebacker, outside of one on the roster, that is proven themselves in a Missouri Tigers jersey. They might have experience at other schools, but proving themselves in Columbia is different.

Here are three storylines to follow at the linebacker spot for the Missouri Tigers as spring football practices commence.

Out of all the returners at the linebacker spot, there are two that appear primed to make a jump. One of those guys is Rodriguez, a sophomore from Miami. He earned playing time later in the year as injuries pounded the Tigers and he made contributions where he could.

Now, he still doesn’t have a clear, defined role. Everyone knows what he’s capable of doing as a pure tackler, but he will need to make a leap in that category, among many others, if he wants to assume more playing time.

Rodriguez took on that playing time last season after an arm injury to Khalil Jacobs. He slotted right in and made some freshman mistakes, but played well considering the circumstances.

“I just embraced the process, embraced the role,” Rodriguez said in a press conference last season. “It’s how it panned out and I’m grateful for it.”

With most players that have questions swirling around them, there is some proof in the pudding alluding to the fact that they can do what’s being questioned. For Rodriguez, there’s only been flashes of being a solid player. Missouri’s coaching staff will hope to see more and expect more from the talented true sophomore, who many believe could have tons of potential at the spot.

The two transfers the Tigers added in the offseason are graduate transfer Mikai Gbayor from Nebraska and redshirt sophomore Josiah Trotter from West Virginia. Both were very productive at their last teams and were leaders in the middle of the field for their respective defenses. Both also appear like the top-two options to assume the No. 1 linebacker role.

That being said, it’s their job to go out and take the role away from anyone else. When it comes to fit and projectable skillset, Trotter looks like the purest middle linebacker out of the group. He was also the most productive of anyone in the room, recording 93 total tackles last season for the Mountaineers. Simply because of his production and his known athleticism, he looks like he will be the assumed number one. Trotter still has to prove that.

Gbayor is another Swiss army knife at the position, one that doesn’t have a defined role. He plays a more powerful brand of football, but can also be reliable off the edge. He was more prone to missed tackles too, so proving he can clean up that area in fall camp and make his powerful impression felt should be his goal.

With plenty of position questions and uncertainty littered throughout the roster, it seems like there are many injury questions as well. The same could be said for Khalil Jacobs, who suffered an arm injury in a Missouri win over UMass earlier in the season. It was a surprising and frustrating loss for the Tigers, who had found a consistent role for Jacobs.

Assuming Jacobs is recovered by the start of the season, he should be relied on to do the same thing he did last season. He acted as a utility linebacker for the Tigers, flashing the ability to use his speed and drop back in coverage while also being an effective pass rusher. His versatility is useful and can certainly pose issues for opposing teams.

When Jacobs makes his inevitable return, his consistent attitude, work ethic and production as a gadget backer will be a valuable tool to the arsenal of defensive coordinator Corey Batoon.

“Really just consistency, that was a big thing for myself,” Jacobs said during media availability just days before the Tigers’ 2024 season-opener. “They definitely want me to be able to find ways to be consistent every day and be the best I can every day.”

This all depends on Jacobs being ready to participate in spring practices. His arm injury came as a bit of a surprise following the matchup against the Minutemen, especially of the season-ending nature. There will be a role for Jacobs when he’s available, it’s just a matter of when.