Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz has a tough task ahead of him as he tries to narrow down his roster for the upcoming season. With the Tigers' two-deep defense starting to take shape, one thing is clear: several freshmen are in the mix for early playing time.
Missouri football is almost finished with its second week of fall camp, with five practices left before they enter gameweek preparations for their Thursday, September 3, opener against UAB in Columbia. The team has been working hard to finalize its roster, and several newcomers have made strong impressions in their first preseason on the Columbia campus.
One of these freshmen is Jayden McGregory, a four-star safety from West Des Moines, Iowa. McGregory has been running with the second-team defense in fall camp, putting him squarely in the mix for a rotational role this coming year. He's listed at 6 foot 2 and 198 pounds, a college-ready build that suggests he'll be seeing action sooner rather than later.
The specific roles on the back end of the defense are becoming more and more clear as camp progresses. Santana Banner and Trajen Greco will start in the free and rover safety roles, respectively. Auburn transfer Kensley Louidor-Faustin and Elijah Dotson look likely to rotate at STAR. Meanwhile, McGregory, sophomore CJ Bass II, and Notre Dame transfer JaDon Blair have been competing for the remainder of the snaps on offer this year.
Another freshman who's caught the eye of coaches is Jaxson Gates, a cornerback from La Verne, California. Gates has taken multiple reps with the second-team defense throughout camp, despite being listed at just 6 foot and 185 pounds. He's got a tough path to significant snaps, with the Tigers' three transfers each having significant high-level experience or a strong upside.
However, Gates won't be limited to special teams duty. He's likely to see the field early on in the nonconference schedule, and his four-star ranking suggests he's got the talent to make an impact. It's a good sign for the Tigers that they've got depth at cornerback, and Gates is just one of several players vying for a spot in the rotation.
Khalief Canty Jr., an offensive guard from Detroit, has also been making waves in camp. The 6-4, 315-pound freshman has been taking the backup reps at right guard behind returner Curtis Peagler. Canty was a three-star signing this past December, and his strong performance in camp suggests he's a solid pickup for the Tigers.
With several of Mizzou's starting offensive linemen set to move on after this season, Canty's got a good chance of locking down a future role. He's already well ahead of schedule in his college career, and it's likely that fans will see him in action sooner rather than later.
Source: Yahoo Sports