2025 Mizzou Position Preview: Offensive Line

There's not much more that needs to be said about Green and Tollison at this point in time. Everyone knows that they are the two returning starters and they both have the most experience in the room, along with the most hope of making it to the NFL.

Wake Forest transfer Keagen Trost and Michigan transfer Dominick Giudice are two others slated to start for the Tigers. Trost will slot in at right tackle and Giudice will most likely play right guard. They both made their presence felt early in the spring and have been frequently talked about as standouts by the coaching staff.

Head coach Eli Drinkwitz even went so far as to name Trost the starting right tackle following the conclusion of spring practices. So far, this still seems to be the case. Someone will really have to step up in order to take it away from him, which likely won't be the case.

Giudice also seems to have a firm grip on the starting right guard spot, especially from a leadership standpoint. His multiple years of experience with the Wolverines seem to be paying off so far.

"On the offensive side of the ball, Dominick Giudice had a really good day today from the leading standpoint," Drinkwitz said on August 3.

The left tackle spot is obviously the biggest question on the offensive line. It's between Richardson and Williams to earn the starting role and there still isn't much separation. Both don't have a ton of experience, but both are showing that they're more than good enough to earn the spot.

"I've been pleased with both those guys," Drinkwitz said. "It's good when you're not noticing the left tackle and so far, we haven't noticed them."

Outside of left tackle, a clearer picture of what the starting offensive line looks like has come into focus. The combination of experience and leadership littered throughout the potential starters should be more than enough to ensure the group's success.

In the Rotation

There are only a few rotational linemen who could see the field for the Tigers this season, but they will have big roles. Junior Tristan Wilson is the main man who fits into that category. He has the flexibility to play multiple positions between both guard spots and center and it's likely that he could appear at both this season.

Logan Reichert, another guard, will be another primary reserve if someone were to go down. His primary position is right guard, so if he's healthy and Giudice goes down, he will likely be the first man in.

Jaylen Early, a transfer from Florida State, is another complicated piece of the offensive guard rotation. According to Drinkwitz, that will be his primary position to start his Missouri career. This might make him a true backup guard alongside Reichert, with Wilson being the sole backup center and an emergency guard.

It's also worth mentioning that whoever does not win the starting left tackle job will still have a chance to earn playing time. Whether it's Williams or Richardson, the other will have to remain ready if the starter either gets injured or is not meeting expectations.

Other names that have been thrown around by the coaching staff are Brandon Solis and Whit Hafer. They are both tackles, but are young and still learning their respective positions.

Who’s next up? 

Four-star offensive tackle Jack Lange and four-star guard Henry Fenuku seem to have the most promise out of Missouri's young offensive linemen. Lange is huge and has caught some early eyes in camp, while Fenuku has impressed coaches with his ability to improve his body and frame.

Outside of those two, there aren't many names with much buzz around them. Keiton Jones, a former three-star interior lineman who's entering his freshman season, has yet to be talked about much. He was serving as a rotational center in some fall camp snapping drills, but that's about it.

Lange has the tools to be an SEC offensive tackle, but it could be a while until he sees the field. Williams is only a sophomore and Richardson is a junior, so Lange will have people in front of him on the depth chart for at least a year in the future.

Biggest question in fall camp: Who starts at left tackle?

It now seems that the position battle will come down to Jayven Richardson and Johnny Williams IV. There isn't one person who has one leg up on the other right now and it will likely be a competition that isn't decided until the end of camp.

Richardson started with the ones to start the fall, with Williams being integrated in. That's about all anyone knows at this moment, outside of the fact that both are progressing nicely.

It's hard to point a finger at one of the two and say they will be the starter. Both Williams and Richardson have positives they bring to the table, but the one common negative they have, a lack of experience, seems to be what creates all the uncertainty around the position.