How will Mizzou's Offensive Line Depth Shake Out?: The Extra Point

Welcome to Missouri Tigers On SI's "Extra Point," a video series featuring the site's Missouri beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers provide analysis on a topic concerning the Tigers or the landscape of college sports.

On top of having to replace three starters, the Missouri Tigers will have to replace multiple depth pieces along the offensive line.

Mitchell Walters played swing tackle, playing as a sixth-lineman on 43 snaps last year, often in the red-zone.

Drake Heismeyer was a reliable backup center, filling in once starter Connor Tollison suffered a season-ending knee injury in November.

The exact faces that will fill those roles in 2025 are unknown right now, but the back end of the offensive line depth chart is full of versatile players who could make for some interesting competitions during fall camp.

Sunday's practice for Missouri offered some interesting insight into this.

Dominick Giudice, the front-runner for the starting right guard spot, was taking the first-team center reps as starter Tollison was absent with a minor injury. Throughout the rest of fall camp, it's been redshirt junior Tristan Wilson taking the reps behind Tollison, but Wilson was also not seen doing snapping drills during the final practice of the week.

Giudice took the starting center reps for Missouri in the spring as Tollison recovered from his injury.

It begs the question, even if Giudice wins the starting right guard spot, will he be the backup center? Missouri could easily slide the Michigan transfer over, and replace him at right guard with Florida State transfer Jaylen Early.

Both Giudice and Early are very versatile. Early played 117 snaps last year at right guard, 177 at right tackle and 15 at left tackle. Giudice started five games for Michigan last year, all at center.

The depth at tackle also has some interesting questions. The starting left tackle spot is up for grabs between Johnny Williams IV and Jayven Richardson.

Whoever loses that competition will likely be Missouri's backup left and right tackle, and also have a role as a swing tackle, sometimes coming in as an extra lineman. Williams seems to have the versatility for both sides, working on the right side in the spring, now on the left side in the fall.