Mizzou's Linebacker Core Shined vs. Central Arkansas: 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.

In a game with so much uncertainty around a few position groups on Missouri's roster, a few really stood out as looking improved and in general, very solid.

One of those spots was the linebacker room, headlined by West Virginia transfer Josiah Trotter. The group played extremely well from top to bottom, showing off its depth and why it should be one of the best posituion groups on the roster.

Trotter led the team in tackles once the whistle blew, finishing with eight overall and a tackle for loss. Sophomore Jeremiah Beasley was close behind in that category with seven, with Nicholas Rodriguez trailing with five.

Despite having a good game, there's always more that they can do. It took a while for the entire defense to warm up and get into the speed of the game, along with other small mistakes.

"We had a great game, but there's always room for improvement," Rodriguez told reporters on Tuesday. "So we're always looking to see what we can improve on and what we could get better at, and just how to go about those steps."

Freshman Dante McClellan boasted arguably the most impressive play of the game after taking a poor pass from Central Arkansas quarterback Luther Richesson to the house for an 83-yard pick-six. McClellan and Beasley, according to Pro Football Focus, finished the week as two of the highest-graded players at the position.

McClellan finished this game with three total tackles. He was subject to more playing time against the Bears because the Tigers were up by so much, but he made some plays and may have done enough to earn more snaps in the future.

The rotation in the linebacker room may not thin out if all five or more players can find ways to contribute and minimize mistakes. Playing the linebacker spot is more than just generating tackles, however, and they all should have their hands full against Kansas this coming week.

The veteran experience of a player like Triston Newson will be more valuable than ever against the Jayhawks, especially for younger players like Rodriguez and McClellan. They'll all have to be as close to mistake-free as possible in order for a successful day on the defensive side of the ball.