Everything Eli Drinkwitz Said Wrapping Up Spring Practices

Opening statement…

"Just to hit, straightforward, we had a few portal entries, and I anticipate we'll have a few more. I don't anticipate it'll be more than eight, but you never know. It's just part of what college football is right now. I think we were one over scholarship wise, I think we were in 86. Well, potentially, would have been 86 with all the freshmen coming in. So after one, then we will be looking to replace portal for portal entry, just so everybody can be up to date on that.”

Defense

"So okay, anyway, first start with our defense post-spring evaluation. Just really impressed with the way this group went about their business. Obviously, you start with returning starters and impressed with the number of returning starters we have. This is really, for them, their fourth year in the system, because every coordinator we've had, we've asked to keep the same terminology and system in place. But obviously, they're now more accustomed to their coordinator and position coaches, and so I think they have taken more ownership of the defensive group.

"But then, anytime you add in the transfers and dynamic transfers and depth that we have — very, very confident, comfortable within our defensive scheme.”

Defensive ends

"You talk about our defensive ends, first with Zion Young returning, you add Damon Wilson II, Langden Kitchen, Nate Johnson. You have returning Jakhai Lang, you have coming off of injury Darris Smith. You have an early enrollee, Javion Hilson. And that is a group that has an incredible amount of depth, talent — got the ability to stop the run, rush the passer, really affect and influence the game at a really, really important level. I don't think that's the right adjective, but really very exciting.

Defensive tackles

"And then you combine that with the defensive tackles — obviously, Chris McClellan coming back, Sterling Webb — both had a lot of plays, played a lot of games, very impactful in the games they played. , really encouraging and challenging both Jalen Marshall and Marquis Gracial to take that next step. They've been in the rotation and kind of waiting their turn. We don't need them to wait any longer. It's their time to play.

"Marquis has really improved with his weight, getting his weight more under control so he can be more explosive and continue to find that next disruptive player. We really are challenging Jalen Marshall — he's got all the potential in the world to be a dominant football player, but he's got to want it more every single day. And so we're challenging him to do that.

"Obviously, Sam Williams coming back, he played just a little bit last year, and then moving Elias Williams into that defensive tackle position. He's actually a guy that, throughout the spring, flashed for us — very, very impressed with his growth. There is a healthy competition in the defensive tackle room, and if our edges are as good as we believe they are, it's going to only create more opportunities for our defensive tackles with one-on-one blocks.

"Really need those guys to continue to move forward.

Linebackers

"At the linebacker position, obviously, we got the fortunate news to return Triston Newson. He's been an outstanding player for us since mid-season two years ago, when he took over after [Ty’Ron] Hopper’s injury. Got Khalil Jacobs coming back off of injury, who I think really utilized that injury as an opportunity for him to grow — not only with his knowledge of the game but also his off-the-field nutrition and strength and conditioning. Explosive. He's a guy that's really impacted this football team from a leadership standpoint. Really proud of him.

"Obviously, you're adding Josiah Trotter, who was a freshman All-American a couple years ago and really an impactful player — just a dynamic downhill (guy), everything that we had expected him to be and more.

"I think Nic Rodriguez probably had the best spring of anybody on the defensive side of the ball. His playmaking ability at the linebacker position was remarkable throughout spring, really challenging to block. I think he and Coach Nicholson really hit it off. His instinctual play, physicality, has been remarkable to watch, and his ability to contribute — dynamic blitzer.

"Jeremiah Beasley is another guy — J.B. — that really stepped up. Him and Nick played a lot on special teams this year in certain packages. Man, those two guys have really taken that next step.

"So that linebacker group — very deep. Very deep, very impactful. And you've even got guys like Brian Huff and Dante McClellan, who's a true freshman. I look for that room to be as deep and as impactful as the edge position.

Safeties

"Safety position — a lot of great competition. Marvin Burks was limited throughout the spring just because of the shoulder injury, but still got a bunch of reps. Obviously, the premium for us is letting these guys — , those three positions — try to be interchangeable, find the best combination.

"And , Jalen Catalon — we are really, really glad we got him. Just a guy that's an instinctual player, violent player. Man, he could hit a ball carrier across the middle. I would hate to be a wide receiver with him around, because he did an excellent job. You can tell his veteran presence and understanding of the game by not taking some shots on our defenseless players. But man, he is going to be a very impactful player.

", obviously Daylan Carnell continues to be his (usual self). I thought he had his best spring since he was here — his sense of urgency, his command of the defense, his competitive spirit, his wanting to be a leader on that side of the ball — I think really impacted him.

"And then you look at newcomer Greco — I thought Trajen had an outstanding spring. Probably led the team in takeaways in the spring. I'd have to recount it. And then you've got the Santana Banner, you've got Mose Phillips III who came in, you've got Jackson Hancock — , all those guys found ways to impact the defense.

Cornerbacks

"And then at the corner position — , Drayden Norwood was beat up a lot during spring, which was a positive for everybody else, because that allowed Stephen Hall, Toriano Pride Jr., Nic Deloach, Cam Keys, , Mark Manfred III — a true freshman — to get in there and really get going at that position.

"So very excited about those guys. And like I said, I thought consistently the defense was ahead of the offense. I anticipated that would be the case because of the quarterback battle and the lack of continuity with so many guys on the offensive side of the ball getting reps. But man, that side of the ball was really good for us this spring, and very excited about what they can continue to do.

"The challenge for them is to not get complacent. Not to compare themselves to our offense, but to compare themselves to what the best version of them can be. And I've challenged our defensive staff to really push these guys every single opportunity that they have during the month of April. June will be a really impactful month for us too, as we enter OTAs.

Offense

Quarterbacks

"I told every quarterback that we would not name a starting quarterback coming out of spring. Didn’t feel like it was fair to those guys to put that pressure on them, especially with Matt and Beau being new. But I also knew that the spring would be important to tell us where the competition was by the end of spring and who had kind of emerged as the leaders of that competition.

"I was very impressed with Matt Zollers. There was a time at the start of his injuries where we didn’t think he would be released for spring practice, but he did an excellent job. I think him being an early enrollee, getting here, getting with Zach and Russ — very impressed with where he’s at throughout spring and know that every bit of arm talent, natural leadership ability, athleticism and playmaking ability is there. I look forward to watching him develop.

"But with that being said, it was clear to us after probably the first week and a half of spring that the competition is between Beau and Sam, and those two guys would be the primary to push in to be the starting quarterback.

"Sam obviously is back from his Tommy John surgery. I thought he took advantage of his rehab reps in bowl practice and really continued that throughout spring. I thought he managed the offense well, led really well, made good decisions — solid decisions — obviously bounced back when he would make a mistake, didn’t let it carry over. I thought he took the competition with Beau really well.

"Beau was every bit what we expected, and in fact I think he was a better passer than we had anticipated. I remember practice number three — he went out there and lit the defense up in Skelly, in a team period. I think he had four touchdowns on that day. He was named Offensive Player of the Day. In the very next practice, Sam came back and battled back. He was named Offensive Player of the Day, and I think he had three touchdowns. And so it was awesome to watch the back and forth in those guys.

"I knew Beau would have a little bit of a learning curve still with the offense, but I was impressed with how much he’s already understanding it and knew it and grabbed a hold of it. Excellent leader, very dynamic with his feet, sound, solid decision-maker. Very excited about those two guys continuing to lead. And like I told them — from this point on, everything’s judged. How they approach walkthroughs, how they approach the team and the team meetings, how they handle themselves in workouts — all of it is going to help determine who becomes the next starting quarterback.

"With that being said, Sam is still actively rehabbing for baseball. In fact, I know he threw a bullpen Saturday. He throws another one on Wednesday, and I anticipate that he will be back to pitch this season sometime for Mizzou baseball if that’s in Coach (Kerrick) Jackson’s plan. So he is working to rehab back, and we’re working with him and the baseball program and with his doctor’s orders to get him back up to speed. I’ve been very impressed with the way he’s handled himself doing both.

Wide receivers

"On the wide receivers — man, Kevin Coleman’s everything you want him to be as a slot. Dynamic player, really tough cover in man-to-man. Really felt like he had a good spring getting to know those quarterbacks.

"Been impressed with our freshman Donovan (Olugbode). I think he really stood out in a positive way. Big-time catch radius. I know y’all saw the one-hand catch on Twitter, but that wasn’t new to anybody. , that was pretty much every practice — he was making wild plays. And so he will push Marquis (Johnson) and Josh (Manning) and James Madison II to be a force on the outside. Obviously can’t just play with one wide receiver, ?

Tight end

"At tight end — Brett (Norfleet) is recovering from shoulder surgery, so he was able to do all the non-contact but wasn’t able to have contact this spring. Jordan Harris, Vince (Brown II), Jude James was a guy who really came along. Look for Jude to be an important, impactful piece for us. I thought he did an excellent job embracing special teams and was very impressed with his continued growth.

Running back

"For us at the running back position — Jamal Roberts, Mr. Dependable. Ahmad Hardy comes along, teaches his teammates how to ride a horse. AJ — the outside zone — it’s been impressive to watch him on Twitter riding horses as much as it’s been impressive to watch him on film. He does an excellent job with both.

"Marquise Davis — excellent runner. A guy who is going to have an impact as a true freshman. Feel like he’s going to be able to provide us with some added depth and explosiveness at the running back position.

Offensive line

"Offensive line is still a work in progress. Obviously Connor Tollison’s not back, so Dom took a predominant amount of the snaps at center until the last week, when we had him and Tristan switch — working primarily. Jayven Richardson and Johnny (Williams IV) at left tackle, with Jayven getting most of the reps with the ones. Keagen has solidified himself as the starting right tackle, and I would anticipate that’s how it would look moving forward. But, , got to continue to work to get the best five out there.

"Logan Reichert missed most of spring because of that foot injury. He should be back next week. So we want to give him an opportunity to compete. He’s got a lot of big-time ability, and we want to give him an opportunity to compete — potentially at the left tackle or right guard position. Not finalized two of those spots just yet at that position.

Specialists

"Specialists — very impressed with Connor Weselman. I mean, he had an outstanding spring punting the football, and that’s what SEC punters are supposed to look like, from the hang time and distance and combination. Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz watches play against the Buffalo Bulls during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.

"So again, the challenge for us is we want to do something that’s never been done before at the University of Missouri, and that’s play for or win an SEC Championship, participate in a playoff and/or be the first team in school history to have three 10-win seasons in a row. That’s a challenge. It’s going to be hard, but we embrace it, and we embrace the chase and embrace the opportunity to do something that’s never been done before — which goes along with quarterback No. 1, which is always compete to do it better than it’s ever been done before.

"That’s the message to our team — complacency will kill us. Being comfortable will kill us. So we are challenging ourselves as we’re in this April speed-power block with the athletic training and grow track, with individual self-improvement through our player development program on Wednesdays, our leadership classes on Wednesdays, our fatherhood classes on Mondays, our walkthroughs on Fridays. All of this is an avenue for us to continue to improve, to do something that’s never been done before."

On the impact of having two potential first-round picks in the NFL draft...

"Yeah, it’s something we don’t control. Obviously I believe both of those guys have earned and deserve the opportunity to go in the first round. I believe those guys are impactful players and know that both of them are going to have a positive impact on whichever organization they go to.

"But whether or not they go in the first round or just get drafted, it’s going to have a positive influence on our university, our football team and our program — just because you’re talking about two great players from both of the two large metropolitan cities that represent the University of Missouri.

"When we took this job, we said, 'Hey, we’ve got to get the best players from Kansas City, the best players from St. Louis.' And I think those will be the first two players drafted from Kansas City and St. Louis in this year’s draft — which means we got the best two players there.

"I can’t predict what people are going to say. I can’t predict what negative energy Todd McShay is going to say about our guys. So I’m not going to let that influence the positive effect they’re going to have on our program."

On Sam Horn’s leadership and the quarterback competition dynamic...

"I think we talked about this in the quarterback competition — when you say you’re a quarterback, you’re represented by the guy who’s actually on the field, right? So if you say, 'I play quarterback at the University of Missouri,' people view that through the lens of who the starter is.

"If you’re not the starter, your job is to support the starter and give him your positive energy. Give him what he needs — if he says, 'Hey, tell me what they do on third downs,' or 'Watch this look and tell me what they do in two-minute,' you’ve got to be there.

"I think Sam really embraced that. And you can either get disenfranchised and bitter, or you can embrace your role as a teammate. Sam really did that the last two years, even through his injury. We took Sam and traveled him the last six weeks of the season just so he could be around the team and know what it looks like to be on the road as a quarterback.

"Sam’s always been a guy the team gets along with — a great teammate. Now it’s his opportunity to compete for the job and adopt some of the leadership things Brady did really well, but also just be him — be uniquely him. And he knows what that looks like.

"We’re talking about a guy who led his team to a state championship in Georgia. When I went to watch him play in high school, he was the best player on the field. And Travis Hunter was on that field, too. But Sam Horn was the best player out there. So he knows what it looks like. He has that leadership and confidence, and I think he put that on display this spring.

"He’s a competitor, and he knows Beau is here to be the starting quarterback too. Those two guys have had a really good competition — the right kind of competition. I told both of them: our team is either going to thrive because of this competition or be divided because of it. That’s going to be reflected in how they handle it.

"And I think both of them have done a really good job of cheering for each other, challenging each other and connecting as teammates. It’s been fun to watch."

On what the addition of Ahmad Hardy says about Mizzou’s RB development...

"Yeah, I think it really speaks more to [running backs] coach [Curtis} Luper and his ability to get the best out of the players he has. This is several years in a row now — whether you’re talking about Larry Rountree or Tyler Badie or Cody Schrader or Nate Noel, and now Ahamad Hardy or Jamal Roberts or Marquis Davis, for that matter — those guys are going to get opportunities. They’re going to impact the game. They’re going to get the football and they’re going to run it with power.

"To run outside zone at an elite level, you’ve got to have that buy-in and skill. The cool thing about Ahamad is I was able to call Brian Vincent, who’s a friend of mine in the profession — we’ve actually done clinics together on outside zone. So I called him and asked about Ahamad and what he thought.

"I hope people would speak as highly of me when they call my assistant coaches, because that guy couldn’t say enough positive things — about Ahamad as a teammate, a player, a young man. He was happy for his success. And that really made us excited to add him here."

On Jalen Catalon’s positional versatility and leadership...

"I think the experience just shows. Playing safety and playing quarterback are very similar. That’s why you see safeties move to quarterback or quarterbacks move to safety — they understand route combinations, what’s happening, what to anticipate on the backside.

"Man, he just knows. He baited our quarterbacks into a couple of bad looks. He baited offensive linemen into making protection calls on blitzes when he was bluffing. Then other times, he’d blitz and not be seen and make tackles for loss in the backfield.

"He’s just got instincts and knowledge from the amount of experience he has playing the game.

"From a leadership standpoint, he’s hungry to win. Obviously his experience last year at UNLV with Coach (Barry) Odom — helping turn that program around — was huge for him. But now he wants to come back into the Power Five and do it at another level.

"I think he’s really enjoyed all the amenities we have and the brotherhood we’ve built. And I think he’s already added to it in a positive way."

On whether Missouri is targeting specific positions in the spring transfer portal...

"No, not necessarily. I feel very strongly — and maybe content’s not the right word — but very confident in our football team right now. I think we have a very talented football team. I think we have a very cohesive football team.

"So unless there’s a huge surprise, which I haven’t seen so far, I don’t anticipate that we have to go get this position or that position. But if somebody leaves and that provides us an opportunity — either to add the best player available, or maybe to add a younger guy who can come in and develop — or if we feel like we need to create some competition because certain players aren’t achieving at the level we want them to, and we need to challenge them... because the only thing better than competition is a lot of competition — then yeah, we may factor that in.

"Anybody that can help us win the SEC Championship, we would be open to."

On whether physicality is a defining trait of the defense...

"Yeah, physicality and toughness is something we always strive to have on the defensive side of the ball. But toughness is really about your football team, right? Tough teams run the ball, stop the run and cover kicks. And that’s measured in a very simple way — did you win the rushing battle? Did you stop the rushing battle? Did you win the hit yard battle on coverage?

"There’s also just a level of physicality we want to keep playing with. I thought, really over the past couple years, our safeties have set that tone. J.C. (Carlies) was obviously a big-time hitter at safety. Joe Charleston had several hits. Daylan Carnell knocked a few players out of games this past year.

"That’s always been part of our brand of football, but I think Jalen (Catalon) adds even more to it.

"And man, like you said — we’ve got a lot of guys with similar names right now. Catalon, Marshall, Marquis — I’ve got like three of them. So yeah, we’ve got to dig through that."

On whether any position group exceeded expectations this spring...

"I’ll say this — I’m as confident in each position on our roster right now as I’ve ever been. There’s not any position that makes me lay my head down on my pillow and feel nervous — at least within the framework of what we can control. I get nervous about things I can’t control.

"The depth we have, the ability to adjust schemes — it’s now just about continuing to define what each group does best and pushing them in that direction.

"On defense, I think we’ve got six to seven legit edges that are going to earn playing time. Darrian Smith, before his injury, was as impactful a defensive end as I’ve been around. You get him back healthy alongside a dynamic pass rusher like Damon Wilson II. We know what Zion Young can do. Jakhai Lang’s got multiple SEC sacks. Langden Kitchen — really good football player. Javion Hilson, a true freshman and early enrollee, has earned a shot to carve out a role.

"Nate Johnson is a freshman All-American who just ran a 1.10 fly 10-yard split — one of the fastest times on the team. The only two guys faster were Damon Wilson II and Darrian Smith. That room is impressive.

"And then you start talking about the linebackers — Tristan Newson, Khalil Jacobs, Josiah Trotter, Nick Rodriguez, Jeremiah Beasley, Brian Huff. I think Dante McClellan has some really natural instincts at that position too.

"So I feel really confident about our front seven. You’ve also got the star position — Daylan Carnell is going to be a three-year starter. A lot of guys back who’ve been making plays at a high level."

On how Missouri evaluates the quarterback 'it-factor'...

"Yeah.  What they say — when the student’s ready, the teacher will appear, right? I think that’s kind of how the quarterback position works. The team’s going to know who the starting quarterback is — they’ll just know. There’s a confidence that, when that guy’s on the field, we’re going to get the job done.

"The biggest thing about starting is reps and experience, so you don’t make the same mistake twice.

"There was a confidence in Brady (Cook) because we knew there wasn’t going to be a situation he hadn’t seen before. He knew how to respond. That’s the challenge for these guys — we don’t know exactly how they’ll respond yet.

"For all of them, they have to embrace what they do well. Bo’s played in a lot of games — the moment won’t be too big for him. Sam Horn’s going to get on the mound and pitch with every MLB scout in the stands — that moment’s not too big for him either.

"To me, it’s about learning from mistakes so you don’t repeat them. Brady threw a lot of picks and made some questionable decisions his first year starting. He took a lot of heat for it. But what did he do the next year? He learned from it. He didn’t make the same mistake twice.

"That’s the challenge I’ve laid out for these guys. If you throw an interception in the red zone — do you learn from it? Because if you make that same mistake again, you can’t be the starting quarterback. There’s not any one play that’s going to define you as the starter, but there are plays that can disqualify you from that job based on decision-making.

"So far, so good. With Beau and Sam, they haven’t made those repeated mistakes — the kind that make you say, 'Yeah, he just can’t learn.'"

On what Keagen Trost has done to solidify right tackle...

"I think for me, it was a little bit hard to tell on tape how physical and athletic he was just because of the system he played in last year. But again — watching him go against some of the best defensive ends in the country — I’m just going to say it. I’m putting it out there and making Coach (Brandon) Jones sweat a little.

"Watching Keagen compete, watching him be physical, watching him go against those guys, get beat, respond — he’s got athleticism, he’s got toughness, he’s got a lot of playing experience. So I feel very confident he can hold down that side."

On blending multiple O-linemen and building chemistry quickly...

"You’ve got to get five guys to play as one. That’s really no different than any year. Two years ago, we had a brand-new O-line coach who was introduced after spring ball — and that turned out to be one of our best units.

"It’s about accelerating trust within the group, and I think Coach Jones will have that.

"Connor Tollison’s got experience at center. He should be next to a left guard who’s played two years with him. Dom — Dom Giudice— has played a ton of football at Michigan. Keagen’s played a ton. Jayven (Richardson) hasn’t played quite as much yet, but he’s been in a few games.

"It’s not just about those five working together — it’s about how experienced they are at communicating. And again, I knew the defense would be ahead of us this spring. And there were times when it was bad. Like, shelter-in-place bad. But I saw a resilience in those guys’ eyes that gives me confidence."

On what Drew Pyne meant to the program...

Drew was an excellent teammate. An outstanding individual. A guy who embraced his role, who showed what it means to have an elite edge for us. He brought energy every day. He was detailed in his work. He was gritty when we needed it, and he was consistent every day in his approach.

"Like I told him — it’s hard at the top. His last pass at Mizzou was that touchdown to beat Oklahoma. That’s a memory. When he comes back here, he’ll always remember being in that locker room, getting the game ball, helping us beat Oklahoma.

"We wish him absolutely the best. It was his dream to play a more meaningful role, and that’s understandable. That’s what the portal is for — giving players the freedom to chase what they want.

"He did it the right way. I’ve had several schools call me about him. I’m glad he found Bowling Green — I think that’s the right fit for him."

On adjusting to constant changes in college football...

"Man, I’ve been on both sides of that. I think it’s a great question.

"I’ve spent a ton of time trying to figure out the new revenue share system. How do we divide the money? What’s the cap? What do we do to stay under 105? Then yesterday the judge says we might grandfather in roster limits.

"So honestly — I don’t know what the crap is going on.

"You waste a lot of mental energy. We told our guys back in December: 'This is what we think the structure will look like.' And now they might go back and change it. That’s frustrating.

"Let the practitioners have a say in how we operate — or at least stop changing the rules every day. But we’ll adapt. Whatever they say, we’ll figure it out. We’ll find a way.

"My hope is we all remember — this is an unbelievable game. College athletics are a meaningful part of the culture in the U.S. Not just football. Not just basketball. Not just the revenue sports. But also the Olympic sports. They all matter.

"We need some sort of governing structure that doesn’t involve a lawsuit every single day. We can’t keep shifting the rules that drastically all the time.

"Last night’s Final Four was phenomenal. The whole tournament was incredible. College football’s been incredible. I was watching with my daughters on Sunday night — our women’s gymnastics team qualified for the national championship in Fort Worth. That’s phenomenal.

"So please, whoever is in charge — and I don’t know who’s in charge, nobody knows — can we get a structure in place? Something sustainable? So we can keep providing scholarships, keep bringing joy to the fanbase, and keep this awesome thing going."

On whether Mizzou is considering hiring a general manager...

"I don’t even know if we have a structure in place. I was waiting. Honestly, I haven’t made any of those decisions yet.

"That would be a conversation I’d have to have later on, because at some places, the GM’s firing the head coach — so who’s really in charge?

"That kind of environment, if you don’t do it right, can go south quick. But again, it goes back to the same thing — I don’t know what the rules are. I don’t know if that’s the structure we’re going to end up with because of the new settlement that’s in place.

"If that’s the direction we go, then yeah — I think it could make a lot of sense to have a partner who could work alongside me and handle more of the business structure side of it. Great. But until I know what that looks like, I just think there’s no reason to rush to do that. Not yet."

On adapting to structural changes like OTAs and increased summer access...

"I think we’ve adapted really well to the structural changes.

", we call it OTAs — the NCAA calls it 'summer access.' There are rules that allow you eight hours in the summer, and two of them can be used either for teaching or football instruction — either in the film room or on the field.

"So we divide that up. We do some in film, and we do some OTA, or 'organized team activity.' That’s when the whole team has to be there. In contrast, weight room sessions are divided up. Offense lifts one day, defense another. Or offense lifts in the morning, defense in the afternoon. It’s by position group.

"So when we say OTA, we’re just letting the team know — this is a time when everyone has to be there. It’s not necessarily the NFL structure. I just want to clarify that.

"But yeah — we’ve tried to adapt and use the rules the best way possible. I think there’s zero doubt that a big part of our success the past three or four years has been our ability to embrace NIL, embrace the transfer portal, and use it as a net positive. Be adaptable.

"But at some point, I’d really like to settle into some rules — just for sustainability."