Are the Missouri Tigers Rebuilding? Or Are they Reloading?

Offense

The departure of quarterback James Franklin, ironically, appears to be the least of the Tigers’ problems when it comes to players leaving, despite having thrown for more than 2,400 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for more than 500 yards and 4 touchdowns in only 10 full games.

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Maty Mauk won over lots of fans filling in for Franklin during four games last year, and as a freshman he had 11 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions. However, Mauk’s struggles are being overlooked. The guy barely completed 50 percent of his passes last year, and 8 of his 11 touchdowns came against Tennessee and Kentucky. It’s worth mentioning that the three wins Mauk had were against teams that finished the year with a losing record once you throw Florida into the mix. Also, of his 229 rushing yards on the year, 114 came against Tennessee, who struggled defensively up front. True, all of this is a little unfair to Mauk since he was thrust into the role as a freshman, and he definitely proved he can play. But adding to the questions about the Tigers, we have to throw Mauk into that mix because there are definitely things he’ll have to work on if he wants to be the full-time starter this year. Especially when you account for all the help around him he’s lost.

At running back, Henry Josey is a big loss after racking up 1,166 yards and 16 touchdowns on only 174 carries, which was good enough for a 6.7 yards per carry average. I don’t need to be the one to tell you that’s incredible in the SEC, and when you factor in that he had to share running time with two other running backs and the quarterback, that’s even more impressive. The good news is that Senior Marcus Murphy and junior Russell Hansbrough each added more than 600 yards last year at the position, and both averaged more than 6 yards per carry as well. As the two combined for 13 touchdowns, they have shown they can make plays and could possibly be just as skilled as Josey was. Mauk’s ability to run will only help that, and then there’s sophomore Morgan Steward who could see more time this year. When you factor all of that together, the skill at the running back position shouldn’t be much of a drop-off, surprisingly. It sounds crazy, but the running game should be as good as it was last year.

The passing game, though, could be a different story. The biggest setback Missouri could have suffered happened when Dorial Green-Beckham was kicked off the team. That meant the loss of their three best receivers from last year going into this year. Senior Bud Sasser was the leader of the guys who are returning this year, but he only put up 361 receiving yards and a touchdown. Senior Jimmie Hunt had 253 yards and a touchdown, but he has the most star-potential. Those two guys actually could be pretty good. Behind them, though, for the third receiver spot, there’s hardly any experience. The entire success of the passing game will hinge on senior Darius White. White was once a 4-star on Rivals but has yet to see any regular action in his career. This year, his senior year, is his time to step up. At 6’3″ he is the perfect skill player for a quarterback like Mauk, who needs a sizable safety blanket to throw the ball to when trying to make a play. White could be that guy, so expect him to be the third starter. Those three guys have the potential to make the offense just as good as it was last year, but in a system that likes to use lots of receivers, Pinkel still has questions that need answering. No other receiver entering this season has any experience. The good news, though, is that redshirt freshman J’Mon Moore could make some noise this year, and incoming freshman Nate Brown was a 4-star on Rivals who stands at 6’3″ and could step in easily too. The tight ends, which are also part of the offense, is a different story, though. Eric Waters is gone, leaving only Sean Culkin to fill the void. Culkin will be a sophomore and had 1 catch for 6 yards last year. As an overall receiving unit, it’s completely unreasonable to believe that these guys will be as good as last year. But, there is some talent here, and there’s lots of potential, so it’s also fair not to expect the passing game to completely fall off.

Apr 19, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk (7) waits for the play call during the Black & Gold Game at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports

The best news for this Missouri offense is the offensive line. Three starters are back, which is a huge deal given the turnover at the skill position. Losing All-SEC tackle Justin Britt will hurt, but senior tackle Mitch Morse has plenty of experience to step in there, and he’s not too small either at 6’6″ 305 pounds. Center Evan Boehm is a junior who already has two years’ experience starting, and as a former 4-star on Rivals who stands at 6’3″ 315 pounds, don’t be surprised if he becomes a standout in the conference himself this year. Guard Max Copeland is another loss for the Tigers, but senior guards Anthony Gatti and Stephen Carberry stand at 6’6″ 315 pounds and 6’5″ 300 pounds respectively. Gatti has starting experience as well. Connor McGovern will return as the starting tackle, and he has plenty of experience too after starting all of last year and standing at 6’4″ 310 pounds. Junior center Brad McNulty will be in the rotation as well with five games of starting experience and standing at 6’4″ 300 pounds. Junior Taylor Chappell and Mitch Hall along with sophomore Jordan Williams will all provide depth to the line. The best news is there are four freshmen who could also work their way into the rotation, including two redshirts and newcomer Andy Bauer, who stands at 6’3″ 300 pounds and was a 4-star on Rivals. The offensive line as a whole should be better this year despite the loss of Britt. There’s enough talent coming back, and it’s a more experienced unit with depth.

It may sound crazy, but when you factor in Mauk’s potential at quarterback, the returners at running back, and the proven offensive line, Missouri’s offense may still be pretty good this year. It won’t be what it was last year, averaging 39 points per game, but mainly because so many playmakers at receiver are gone. There are plenty of proven players everywhere else on the field, and all they have to do is prove they can do it on a consistent basis. The biggest questions facing the unit are Mauk’s ability and who can step up at receiver. If those two things are taken care of by the start of the season, you could still see a pretty high-powered Missouri offense.