SB Nation - Tyler Crane

The North in 2010

Bill C. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:00:31 -0000

The 2009 Big 12 North race is, to say the least, intriguing heading into November, but the way my brain works, I can't help but keep an eye on the future as all of this plays out. And since it's in my head, I might as well type it out too, huh? As November 2009 begins, let's take a look at...2010.

What we're going to do is simple: we're going to take the most recent two-deeps listed on each team's website, remove the seniors, and see what's left. Obviously there will be plenty more analysis to come, but this will be a nice, preliminary peek. I can't help myself.

Missouri

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Blaine Gabbert (Jr) Jimmy Costello (So)	DE	Jacquies Smith (Jr) Marcus Malbrough (So)
RB	Derrick Washington (Sr) De'Vion Moore (So)	DT	Dominique Hamilton (Jr) Marvin Foster (RSFr)
WR	Jerrell Jackson (Jr) Brandon Gerau (Jr)	DT	Terrell Resonno (Jr) Bart Coslet (Sr)
WR	T.J. Moe (So) Rolandis Woodland (So)	DE	Aldon Smith (So) Brad Madison (So)
WR	Wes Kemp (Jr) Michael Egnew (Jr)	WLB	Zaviar Gooden (So) Donovan Bonner (So)
TE	Andrew Jones (Jr) Beau Brinkley (Jr)	MLB	Will Ebner (Jr) Luke Lambert (Sr)
LT	Elvis Fisher (Jr) Justin Britt (RSFr)	SLB	Andrew Gachkar (Sr) Tyler Crane (Jr)
LG	Austin Wuebbels (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	CB	Carl Gettis (Sr) Trey Hobson (Jr)
C	Tim Barnes (Sr) J.T. Beasley (Jr)	CB	Kevin Rutland (Sr) Robert Steeples (So)
RG	Jayson Palmgren (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	FS	Jasper Simmons (Sr) Munir Prince (Sr)
RT	Dan Hoch (Jr) Jack Meiners (So)	SS	Jarrell Harrison (Sr) Kenji Jackson (Jr)

K	Grant Ressel (Jr)	P	Matt Grabner (Jr)
PR	Carl Gettis (Sr)	KR	Jasper Simmons (Sr)

I've got to say, this is the most complete team heading into 2010. Blaine Gabbert will be the most accomplished North QB heading into 2010 and Derrick Washington the second-most accomplished RB. The improved secondary will return just about everybody of importance, and a deep LB corps could be well-positioned to absorb the loss of Sean Weatherspoon with as little drop-off as possible.
Two major question marks: a) who replaces Danario Alexander, and b) who replaces Jaron Baston? Multiple candidates exist to replace Spoon, so that's actually less of a worry, but the WR situation is at least a bit worrisome. Wes Kemp has shown flashes, and if he continues to grow, he could be the deep threat this team needs, but what is it I always say? Until you actually prove it, it's a question mark. Beyond Kemp, guys like Jackson, T.J. Moe (remember him?), Rolandis Woodland, and one of the redshirting freshmen (L'Damian Washington, Jaleel Clark, Kerwin Stricker) will fill out the depth chart, and at least one of them will need to take a step forward.
Of course, you know who else could absorb the loss of Danario? Tight ends. Novel concept, I know.
I really like what I've seen out of Dominique Hamilton recently, but Terrell Resonno seems to have disappeared. Either he or one of the underclassmen (Marvin Foster, Jimmy Burge, George White) will need to raise their game. If somebody competent steps up at WR and DT, this team is loaded.

Colorado

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Tyler Hansen (Jr) Cody Hawkins (Sr)	DE	Marquez Herrod (Sr) Josh Hartigan (Jr)
RB	Rodney Stewart (Jr) Darrell Scott (Jr)	DT	Curtis Cunningham (Jr) Nate Bonsu (So)
FB	Ryan Deehan (Jr) ?	DT	Will Pericak (So) Conrad Obi (Jr)
WR	Scotty McKnight (Sr) Jason Espinoza (Jr)	DE	Forrest West (So) Nick Kasa (So)
WR	Markques Simas (Jr) Will Jefferson (So)	WLB	Jon Major (So) Tyler Ahles (Jr)
TE	Ryan Deehan? (Jr) ?	MLB	Michael Sipili (Sr) ?
LT	Nate Solder (Sr) Ryan Dannewitz (So)	SLB	B.J. Beatty (Sr) Doug Rippy (So)
LG	Ethan Adkins (Jr) Blake Behrens (Jr)	CB	Jimmy Smith (Sr) ?
C	Keenan Stevens (Sr) Mike Iltis (Jr)	CB	Jalil Brown (Sr) Arthur Jaffee (Jr)
RG	Matthew Bahr (Jr) Max Tuioti-Mariner? (So)	FS	Ray Polk (So) Anthony Perkins (Jr)
RT	Ryan Miller (Jr) Bryce Givens (So)	SS	Travis Sandersfeld (Jr) ?

K	Aric Goodman (Sr)	P	Aric Goodman (Sr)
PR	Jason Espinoza (Jr)	KR	Brian Lockridge (Jr)

I mentioned this past offseason that while Colorado was going to stink in 2009, they might actually be positioning themselves to actually fulfill the role of sleeper that has been foisted upon them for most of the last half-decade. Ironically, they might actually emerge as a sleeper just as everybody finally gives up on them.
Of course, there will still be some major question marks. You know I'm not at all impressed with Rodney "Another Short Gain By" Stewart, and while Scotty McKnight (how is he still an underclassman???) is a great possession guy, he'd be a helluva lot better as a #2 or #3 threat than a #1. Unless Markques Simas finally starts to live up to the potential everybody says he has, this team is still severely lacking at WR, and they're losing both of their top tight ends. (I'm going out of my way not to mention Darrell Scott here, as he...whatever. I have no expectations whatsoever for him at this point, and I'm going to let him surprise me.)
I really like Jimmy Smith at CB, but CU's going to be searching for some replacements in the secondary. Jalil Brown has potential, and Ray Polk is young, but depth could be an issue.
Same can be said for the LB corps. Luckily for CU, they should have a strong D-line to maybe deflect some of the concerns.
If CU really does live up to its annual sleeper reputation, it will be in the trenches, where a struggling O-line will at least have experience on its side, and the D-line could be strong. Then again, after watching CU's O-line attempt to handle MU's improving-but-not-amazing D-line, maybe returning a bunch of these guys might not be a good thing.

Iowa State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Austen Arnaud (Sr) Jerome Tiller (So)	DE	Patrick Neal (Jr) ?
RB	Alexander Robinson (Sr) Beau Blankenship (So)	DT	Bailey Johnson (Jr) Stephen Ruempolhamer (Jr)
WR	Jake Williams (Sr) ?	DT	Austin Alburtis (Sr) ?
WR	Sedrick Johnson (Jr) ?	DE	Roosevelt Maggitt (So) Cleyon Lang (So)
WR	Josh Lenz (So) Darius Darks (Jr)	SLB	Jacob Lattimer (Jr) ?
TE	Collin Franklin (Sr) ?	MLB	Matt Tau'fo'ou (Sr) A.J. Klein (So)
LT	Kelechi Osmele (Jr) Brayden Burris (So)	WLB	Jake Knott (So) ?
LG	Alex Alvarez (Sr) Mike Bangston (So)	CB	Leonard Johnson (Jr) Jeremy Reeves (So)
C	Sean Smith (Sr) ?	CB	Jacques Washington (So) ?
RG	Ben Lamaak (Sr) Trey Baysinger (Jr)	FS	Michael O'Connell (Sr) ?
RT	Scott Haughton (Jr) Zack Spears (Jr)	SS	David Sims (Sr) Zac Sandvig (Sr)

K	Grant Mahoney (Jr)	P	?
PR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)	KR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)

So Paul Rhoads' second year in Ames will potentially see a downright strong offense and a thin, depleted, inexperienced defense. I don't want to overstate the offensive potential (the WR situation is iffy, to say the least), but ISU might have the best O-line in the North blocking for what is at least decent skill position talent.
Arnaud vs Tiller. Could be interesting to watch this competition.
Really, if ISU returned just a couple more decent playmakers on defense, I could talk myself into them being a darkhorse contender. But while I do like what Rhoads has done with the talent on hand this year, I just can't figure they'll be that great next year. They will need another year or two of Rhoads developing his own recruits before I feel a lot more comfortable about the potential of their program.

Kansas

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Kale Pick (So) ?	DE	Jake Laptad (Sr) ?
RB	Toben Opurum (So) ?	DT	Jamal Greene (Sr) ?
WR	Dezmon Briscoe?? (Sr) ?	DT	John Williams (So) Richard Johnson (Jr)
WR	Johnathan Wilson (Sr) Tertavian Ingram (Sr)	DE	Quintin Woods (Sr) ?
WR	Bradley McDougald (So) Chris Omigie (So)	SLB	Justin Springer (Sr) ?
TE	Tim Biere (Jr) Ted McNulty (Jr)	MLB	Drew Dudley (Sr) ?
LT	Tanner Hawkinson (So) Ian Wolfe (Sr)	WLB	Huldon Tharp (So) ?
LG	Brad Thorson (Sr) Carl Wilson (Sr)	CB	D.J. Beshears (So) Daymond Patterson (Jr)
C	Jeremiah Hatch (Jr) Brad Thorson (Sr)	CB	Chris Harris (Sr) Calvin Rubles (Sr)
RG	Sal Capra (Sr) Trevor Marrongelli (So)	FS	Lubbock Smith (So) ?
RT	Jeff Spikes (Jr) Michael Martinovich (Jr)	SS	Phil Strozier (Sr) ?

K	Jacob Branstetter (Sr)	P	Alonso Rojas (Sr)
PR	Daymond Patterson (Jr)	KR	Bradley McDougald (So)

So KU's biggest question mark (offensive line) will return completely intact next year, while most of the known skill position talent disappears. I listed Dez Briscoe on the two-deep above, but I've got to be honest: I'm about 92% sure he's going pro this year. His stats are ridiculous, he's got decent NFL size, he's been suspended for academic reasons, and supposedly he was tied to those football-vs-basketball brawls earlier in the year. That's not a recipe for someone who's going to go out of his way to stick around campus for another season.
Without Briscoe, I have to figure this is going to be a run-heavy offense next year. Kale Pick's got a lot to prove, but with Toben Opurum and an experienced line, they might (might) be able to rely on the run. Then again, they'll still need some sort of passing attack, and...who will be the #1 receiver? Johnathan Wilson, I guess? Color me unafraid.
I'm not even going to try to figure out if KU's D is going to be any good. They've improved recently, but they lose Darrell Stuckey and two linemen, and the depth from LB corps vanishes. I assume this will be a decent unit, and really you can start to maybe see the identity KU might be going with--defense first, run-heavy, grind it out.

Kansas State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Carson Coffman (Sr) ?	DE	Brandon Harold (Jr) ?
RB	Daniel Thomas (Sr) ?	DT	Prizell Brown (Sr) ?
FB	Braden Wilson (So) Lucas Hamm (Sr)	DT	Raphael Guidry (Jr) ?
WR	Lamark Brown (Sr) ?	DE	Antonio Felder (Sr) Joseph Kassanavoid (So)
WR	Collin Klein (So) Chris Harper (So)	LB	Kevin Rohleder (Sr) ?
TE	Travis Tannahill (So) ?	LB	Alex Hrebec (Jr) ?
LT	Zach Hanson (Jr) ?	LB	Troy Butler (Sr) Thomas Ferguson (So)
LG	Zach Kendall (Sr) Trevor Viers (Sr)	CB	Joshua Moore (Sr) Darious Thomas (So)
C	Wade Weibert (Sr) ?	CB	Stephen Harrison (Sr) David Garrett (Jr)
RG	Kenneth Mayfield (Sr) Colten Freeze (Jr)	FS	Emmanuel Lamur (Jr) ?
RT	Clyde Aufner (Jr) Ethan Douglas (So)	SS	Tysyn Hartman (Jr) Torrell Miller (So)

K	Josh Cherry (Sr)	P	Ryan Doerr (So)
PR	Tysyn Hartman (Jr)	KR	Daniel Thomas (Sr)

Like Kansas, this looks to be a pretty run-heavy, can't-pass-on-them team, with Daniel Thomas running behind a super-experienced line and a well-coached defense that is iffy in the front seven but stout in the secondary. In other words, this looks like a Bill Snyder team (sans the All-American linebackers). We've made a big deal out of the fact that they're losing about 35 seniors this year (and that's only a slight exaggeration), and that will absolutely murder their depth, but if they stay reasonably healthy, the Snyder identity might be able to take shape a bit more.
Now, I say they'll have a good secondary...I'm still unsure about how good the secondary is now, but returning all four current starters certainly suggests decent improvement for next year.
I believe I heard that Chris Harper is moving to WR instead of competing at QB, right?

Nebraska

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Cody Green (So) Zac Lee (Sr)	DE	Cameron Meredith (So) Josh Williams (So)
RB	Roy Helu, Jr. (Sr) Rex Burkhead (So)	DT	Baker Steinkuhler (So) Terrence Moore (Jr)
FB	Tyler Legate (So) Mike Hays (Jr)	DT	Jared Crick (Jr) ?
WR	Niles Paul (Sr) Antonio Bell (So)	DE	Pierre Allen (Sr) ?
WR	Curenski Gilleylen (Jr) Khiry Cooper (So)	Will	Blake Lawrence (Sr) Matthew May (Jr)
TE	Mike McNeill (Sr) Dreu Young (Sr)	Mike	Will Compton (So) Micah Kreikemeier (So)
LT	Mike Smith (Sr) ?	Buck	Sean Fisher (So) Eric Martin (So)
LG	Keith Williams (Sr) ?	CB	Prince Amukamara (Sr) Dejon Gomes (Sr)
C	Mike Caputo (Jr) ?	CB	Anthony West (Sr) Alfonzo Dennard (Jr)
RG	Ricky Henry (Sr) ?	FS	Eric Hagg (Sr) Austin Cassidy (Jr)
RT	Marcel Jones (Jr) D.J. Jones (Sr)	SS	P.J. Smith (So) Courtney Osborne (So)

K	Alex Henery (Sr)	P	Alex Henery (Sr)
PR	Niles Paul (Sr)	KR	Niles Paul (Sr)

How the hell is Pierre Allen still an underclassman? I was completely convinced that both he and Barry Turner were seniors, but I guess not.
Next question: how much of Nebraska's defensive identity is grounded in Ndamukong Suh? He and Turner depart, but will Allen and the stout Jared Crick be able to keep the great D-line play coming? And how much of Crick's success is due to offenses' fear of Suh?
The shine is quickly wearing off of Roy Helu, Jr., but he does return next year (lord knows he's not going pro), and with yet another experienced O-line, NU should be able to run the ball pretty well. That will obviously take some pressure off of Cody Green if Green is not, after all, ready to be NU's savior.
I really like what NU has returning at CB, but...safety? I think I like their second-string CBs more than their first string safeties. Will be interesting to see if there's some position shifting when all is said and done.

As a Missouri fan, I look at this information and quickly conclude that Missouri will be the 2010 favorite, and really I'd say I have pretty good basis in fact for that opinion. That said, Nebraska is intriguing, and even though K-State is not a stat-friendly team (I've already accepted that they're better than the stats say--I just can't figure out how much better), Bill Snyder really might get them back into the hunt despite the youth and lack of depth. Colorado could be interesting depending on who the head coach is (ahem), Kansas has recruited well and will see plenty of talented-but-young players hitting the field, and Iowa State might have the best offensive line in the division. I'd like to think Missouri might run away with this thing, and I'm sure it could happen (the trip to Lincoln aside), but with five of six North teams (all but Kansas) looking potentially better next year than this year, we might have another fun race on our hands.

2009-2010 Wrestling Preview

Bill C. — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:30:29 -0000

Rock M Nation is blocked from The Beef's current location, so he asked me to post this for him on this lovely(ish) Friday afternoon.

A.P. Photo (Tom Gannam) via The Trib

With the Black and Gold meet (Saturday at 1:00 p.m. for FREE at the Hearnes Center) around the corner, we are going to take a somewhat abbreviated look at the team. I had some thought which I put on the site back over the summer in the Reviewin’ and Previewin’ piece (please link) and needless to say, some things have changed since I wrote that piece. Let’s go weight by weight and see Coach Smith has lined up for Saturday afternoon.

125

Back over the summer, I based a lot of my hopes around the healthy return of Tony Pescaglia. However, the roster on MUTigers.com does not reflect Pescaglia as currently being on the team. As such, Brian Smith will trot out sophomore Troy Dolan and true freshman Brad Wisdom from Farmington, MO. I expect Dolan, who had some ups and mostly downs last year, to be the winner of this match, but Wisdom should not be discounted as he was the state champ this past year in Missouri.

133

Todd Schavrien will return for the Tigers…just not at this weight class (which came to me as a bit of a surprise). Schavrien will move up to 141 (more on that in the next paragraph), leaving Taylor (don’t call me Tyler) Crane, who did see some action last year while Schavrien was on the shelf. He will take on Nathan McCormick, younger brother of former Tiger standout Tyler McCormick. Crane has the experience here, but I will say I am a tad down about the hope I had of our lighter weights improving over last season.

141

So, color me surprised at this weight class. Back in the summer, I talked about how I believed RS Frosh Nick Hucke would be the owner of this class for Mizzou, and I suppose he may still be. However, NCAA participant Todd Schavrien makes the surprising move up, and will challenge Hucke on Saturday. I don’t really know what to expect. The Tigers are loaded numbers-wise at this weight, as there will also be an exhibition match at this class featuring Cody Farinella and Kyle Bradley. Farinella is a RS frosh, while Bradley is a true frosh.

149

In the summer, I talked about Daniel Hewitt or Kellen Bounous as names to replace departing senior Andrew Sherry. Well, I got neither of those correct. Instead, we will be seeing UVA transfer Scott O’Donnell and Brandon Weist take to the mat. O’Donnell had a couple of injury-plagued years at UVA, but comes from a hugely strong, national program in Oak Park from KC. Once again, I offer little in terms of thoughts or knowledge on either of these wrestlers.

157

Alright, finally to some weights where I at least know what is going on, and had a clue about what I was saying back in the summer. Patrick Wright saw a lot of time last year at both 157 and 165 and with Marable still in place, 157 is a great spot for him. Nick Gregoris (another ACC transfer, this one from UNC) will oppose Wright and while I hope Gregoris shows well (since I can see him taking this spot next season), I still think Wright will win here and do well for the Tigers this season.

165

Nick Marable is the alpha and omega here for the Tigers, plain and simple. Zach Toal is an up and comer from Ohio and is an interesting choice here because he was a three-time state champ at 174, but it will be Marable and the only interesting part to watch will be to see if Marable is putting more than a 3-1 win on people this season.

174

Here is where it gets a little interesting in terms of weight class movement. Last season, Raymond Jordan completed a very successful Tiger career with a 3rd place national finish. He departs, and it was thought he would be leaving quite a hole. However, it appears Dorian Henderson, who spent last season doing decent work at 184, is actually a 174 pounder. Henderson showed great speed last season, and should now be competing with people his own size. He will start his campaign against Todd Porter who is listed on his page as 157, but competed at 165 and will move up to 174.

184

The weight shifting continues with a move I was hoping the Tigers would do two seasons ago, but only now has fully come to fruition. After the end of the Max Askren’s freshman season, I was hoping he would move to 184, moving Raymond Jordan down to 174. Jordan moved down last season, and now Askren will compete in his senior campaign at 184, being pre-season ranked #2. He will take on Weston Keleher, who must be so new to the program as he does not have a bio linked.

197

So with all that weight movement, one of the weight classes had to feel the brunt of it and that class is 197. We will have two RS frosh step out, as Jake Glore and Brent Haynes (formally at 184) will compete for this spot. I could see this as a big matchup, if only for the fact the winner might have this class for some time to come at Mizzou.

HWY

Mark Ellis vs. Dom Bradley. Last time around, Bradley won a multiple-OT match against Ellis, and then Ellis went on to win the National Title. Draw your own conclusions and just enjoy the battle.

Overall Thoughts

Love what we have done at 174 and 184. A bit of a head scratcher at 141. Sad to see 125 starting this way, if only for how Dolan finished last season. In the end, I think we are still quite strong at HWY and 165, and have probably become a bit stronger at 174 and 184. I honestly don’t know what to think about 133 and 141, probably because I have a bit of an RMN-crush on Nick Hucke. Will see how Saturday shakes out and where they go from there when they open the season on November 12 against Illinois.

Mizzou 2009, Part Fourteen: 2010 and Beyond

Bill C. — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:00:10 -0000

UPDATE: Depth Chart updated after news of Blaine Dalton's dismissal.

The season is barely over a week away, and it is impossible not to be intrigued and excited by the completely unexpected nature of 2009. We think we know what to expect from Blaine Gabbert, Danario Alexander, Andrew Jones, Andrew Gachkar, Kenji Jackson, Kevin Rutland, the lawfirm of Smith, Smith, and Coulter, and all the other guys who will be playing new roles this season, but we don't really know.

But there's an added variable of interest, at least for me, when it comes to the 2009 season: the 2010 season. We want to win another North title--as I was saying this time last year, if Mizzou wins the North in 2009, it's over ("it" being competition in the North division) for a while, thanks for playing, everybody go home. We want to win the division, make a nice bowl, prove that Mizzou is to "reload, not rebuild" stage, et cetera. But really, the single most prevalent, overriding goal of 2009 is simply to not mess up 2010 and beyond. In a major rebuilding/reloading season, Oklahoma went 7-5 in 2005, which would be like about 4-8 for Missouri, and then they won three straight Big 12 titles. It didn't matter whether OU went 5-6 or 7-5 or 10-2 that season--what mattered was that, even with the proceeding Rhett Bomar drama, they got experience, stuck together, and improved as the season progressed, and they were ready to go on a major winning streak when 2006 came around.

With that in mind, let's take a look at 2010 and 2011, and what could be in store if 2009 doesn't, in one way or another (catastrophic injuries, unexpected defection, damaged chemistry, etc.), derail the gameplan. For this exercise, we will more or less assume that the depth charts I've been projecting over the last couple of weeks come true, and we will use that assumption for the projected 2010 and 2011 depth charts.

2010

Boldface = returning (projected) starter
Asterisk = proj. number of years having started
x = no current scholarship player or known walk-on to fill the position

I'm intentionally leaving off any currently-committed recruits because Missouri has proven time and again that, while they'll almost certainly play some true freshmen, trying to figure out which ones ahead of time is a fool's game. A 2-star is almost as likely to come in and earn PT as a 4-star.

Pos.	Player	Pos	Player
QB	Blaine Gabbert (Jr.)* Jimmy Costello (Jr.) Ashton Glaser (RSFr.)	DE	Aldon Smith (So.)* Brad Madison (So.) Brayden Burnett (RSFr.)
RB	Derrick Washington (Sr.)** De'Vion Moore (Jr.) Kendial Lawrence (So.)	DT	Terrell Resonno (Jr.)* Jimmy Burge (So.) George White (So.)
WR	Jerrell Jackson (Jr.) T.J. Moe (So.) Kerwin Stricker (RSFr.)	DT	Dominique Hamilton (Jr.) Marvin Foster (RSFr.) Chris Earnhardt (Jr.)
WR	L'Damian Washington (So.) Rolandis Woodland (So.) Jaleel Clark (RSFr.)	DE	Jacquies Smith (Jr.)* Michael Sam (So./RSFr.) Marcus Malbrough (So.)
WR	Wes Kemp (Jr.)* Gahn McGaffie (So.) Brandon Gerau (Jr.)	SLB	Andrew Gachkar (Sr.)* Zaviar Gooden (So.) x
TE	Andrew Jones (Jr.)* Michael Egnew (Jr.) Alex Sanders (RSFr.)	MLB	Luke Lambert (Sr.)** Donovan Bonner (So.) Andrew Wilson (RSFr.)
LT	Elvis Fisher (Jr.)** Justin Britt (So./RSFr.) Kirk Lakebrink (Sr.)	WLB	Will Ebner (Jr.) Josh Tatum (Jr.) Tyler Crane (Jr.)
LG	Austin Wuebbels (Jr.)* Jayson Palmgren (Jr.) Mike Prince (Sr.)	CB	Carl Gettis (Sr.)*** Trey Hobson (Jr.) Kip Edwards (So.)
C	Tim Barnes (Sr.)** Travis Ruth (So.) x	CB	Kevin Rutland (Sr.)* Robert Steeples (So.) Munir Prince (Sr.)
RG	J.T. Beasley (Jr.) Daniel Jenkins (So.) Mark Hill (RSFr.)	FS	Kenji Jackson (Jr.)** Jarrell Harrison (Sr.) Tavon Bolden (RSFr.)
RT	Dan Hoch (Jr.)* Jack Meiners (So.) Chris Freeman (RSFr.)	SS	Jasper Simmons (Sr.)* Matt White (RSFr.) Randy Ponder (RSFr.)

K	Grant Ressel (Jr.)* Trey Barrow (So.)	P	Matt Grabner (Jr.) Grant Ressel (Jr.)
PR	T.J. Moe (So.)* Carl Gettis (Sr.)	KR	Jasper Simmons (Sr.)* Kendial Lawrence (So.)

This year, we enter the season with a combined seven seasons of starting experience on offense and six on defense. Next year, it looks like about 11 on offense and 13 on defense.

Notes about the depth chart:

It bears mentioning that there's no way in hell somebody doesn't transfer or quit (UPDATE: or get thrown off the team for driving while intoxicated...on campus, ahem) between now and 12 months from now. Look at some of the younger guys on the third-string, trapped behind guys just as young or younger (i.e. look at the defensive line), if you want to get some pretty good red flags in that regard.
There will also be some position changes, offense-to-defense switches, etc. I have my own ideas about who or what those changes will be, but I tried to stay as close as possible to current positions (OL and LB aside). I wanted to make as few assumptions as possible here.
THREE senior scholarship players on the offensive three-deep, and only seven on defense. This team will still be ridiculously young NEXT year.
Missouri currently has commitments from four defensive backs (five if Jimmie Hunt switches to defense), so it will be quite interesting to see how many (if any) are worked into the rotation, being that DB is about the only senior-dominated unit for 2010. I mean, that's a pretty stout rotation right there. I guess there's a potential slot available at SS, but otherwise a true freshman would have to come in and truly dominated to pass some of those experienced guys.
I can't tell you how curious I am to see L'Damian Washington and T.J. Moe in action this year (I'm just going to assume that neither redshirt). If one or both can play to at least the level that Jared Perry and Danario Alexander did as true freshmen, then this WR corps should be quite stout with Kemp and Jackson as the veterans, Washington/Moe as the third starter, and a host of other guys who will get a shot to show potential this year.
Good god, how good is the offensive line going to be in 2010 (and 2011)??

Now the schedule:

Date	Team	Comments
9/4	vs Illinois	No Juice or (probably) Benn, but...Eddie McGee!!!1!!! Mizzou will probably be favored in this one.
9/11	McNeese State	Yawn.
9/18	?	I'm curious who we aim for with this spot. Clearly it will be a home game, since it's Mizzou's turn to "host" Kansas at Arrowhead, and you have to figure it will be a non-BCS team as well (duh), but no idea whether we're aiming for a Nevada type or an Idaho type.
9/25	Miami-OH	They really haven't been very good for since Big Ben left.
10/9	Colorado	As down as I am about CU in 2009, they should be pretty experienced and potentially solid in the trenches next year. It looks like they'll still have Cody Hawkins at QB, of course, but they should be decent.
10/16	at Texas A&M	Never fun going to College Station, but this one's winnable.
10/23	Oklahoma	As Lou Brown would say, one of these days we're gonna figure out how to beat those guys.
10/30	at Nebraska	The 2009 NU offense will dictate what I think about the 2010 Huskers. No idea right now, but a trip to Lincoln is a trip to Lincoln.
11/6	at Texas Tech	Are you noticing something about the 2010 schedule yet? Only one game in Columbia after 10/23. Yikes.
11/13	Kansas State	Until Bill Snyder proves something the second time around, this is a win.
11/20	at Iowa State	Until Paul Rhoads proves something, anything at all, this is a win.
11/27	vs Kansas	Kansas loses Reesing, Meier, Briscoe (probably), Sharp, Stuckey, Thornton...pretty much every player you can name, they will be gone in 2010. KU has recruited well and looks to be in a "Mizzou 2009" situation next year (hoping to prove they reload instead of rebuild), but Mizzou will definitely have the experienced advantage in this one.

Knowing what we know, it's safe to assume that, even if Missouri wins the North in 2009, people will be picking Nebraska in 2010 (with Colorado as the sleeper), so we should just prepare for it now! Mizzou will clearly have a major role to play in the 2010 race, but a) a million things, good or bad, could happen between now and then, and b) the "almost everything on the road" home stretch is a little intimidating, even if Mizzou will potentially be favored in at least three of the five road trips.

2011

Clearly it's silly to get too worked up, one way or the other, about something that will begin 24 months into the future. But if people stay healthy and develop like Mizzou tends to develop players, then WOW is this team loaded, especially on an offensive line that will have at least three multi-year starters and return four starters overall, and on a defensive line that will be stacked and experienced...and this is without even considering Sheldon Richardson's presence.

Of course, the key to 2011 expectations will be Blaine Gabbert. At 6'5, 240, with a cannon attached to his right arm, he is exactly what pro scouts look for in a quarterback, and if he has any success at all in 2009 and 2010, people will be assuming he's going pro. If he comes back like Colt McCoy, or if he leaves like Josh Freeman, it will have a tremendous impact on expectations. There will be plenty of options if he leaves--~~Blaine Dalton,~~ maybe 2010 commit James Franklin, or of course Jimmy Costello or Ashton Glaser--but obviously the overall outlook will be clouded in part by Gabbert's decision*.

* The more I talk about this, the more I feel like I'm unleashing a monster jinx regarding Gabbert's health, so I'm goign to shut up about it now.

Pos.	Player	Pos	Player
QB	Blaine Gabbert (Sr.)** Jimmy Costello (Sr.) Ashton Glaser (So.)	DE	Aldon Smith (Jr.)** Brad Madison (Jr.) Brayden Burnett (So.)
RB	De'Vion Moore (Sr.) Kendial Lawrence (Jr.) Gilbert Moye (Sr.)	DT	Terrell Resonno (Sr.)** Jimmy Burge (Jr.) George White (Jr.)
WR	Jerrell Jackson (Sr.)* T.J. Moe (Jr.) Kerwin Stricker (So.)	DT	Dominique Hamilton (Sr.)* Marvin Foster (So.) Chris Earnhardt (Sr.)
WR	L'Damian Washington (Jr.)* Rolandis Woodland (Jr.) Jaleel Clark (So.)	DE	Jacquies Smith (Sr.)** Michael Sam (Jr./So.) Adam Burton (So.)
WR	Wes Kemp (Sr.)** Gahn McGaffie (Jr.) Brandon Gerau (Sr.)	SLB	Zaviar Gooden (Jr.) x x
TE	Andrew Jones (Sr.)** Michael Egnew (Sr.) Alex Sanders (So.)	MLB	Donovan Bonner (Jr.) Andrew Wilson (So.) x
LT	Elvis Fisher (Sr.)*** Justin Britt (Jr./So.) x	WLB	Will Ebner (Sr.)* Josh Tatum (Sr.) x
LG	Austin Wuebbels (Sr.)** Jayson Palmgren (Sr.) x	CB	Trey Hobson (Sr.) Kip Edwards (Jr.) x
C	Travis Ruth (Jr.) x x	CB	Robert Steeples (Jr.) x x
RG	J.T. Beasley (Sr.)* Daniel Jenkins (Jr.) Mark Hill (So.)	FS	Kenji Jackson (Sr.)*** Tavon Bolden (So.) x
RT	Dan Hoch (Sr.)** Jack Meiners (Jr.) Chris Freeman (So.)	SS	Matt White (So.) Randy Ponder (So.) Tony Randolph (Sr.)

K	Grant Ressel (Sr.)** Trey Barrow (Jr.)	P	Matt Grabner (Sr.)* Grant Ressel (Sr.)
PR	T.J. Moe (Jr.)* x	KR	Kendial Lawrence (Jr.) x

Sixteen seasons of starting experience on offense, 12 on defense. Solid experience everywhere, but just ridiculous experience in the trenches. Gabbert or no Gabbert, there's reason to be optimistic about the future just because of that.
As mentioned earlier, the secondary is really the only unit looking at taking a decent-sized hit this season. Same with linebackers, really, but we're all so excited about guys like Ebner, Bonner, Gooden, etc., that it seems like at least a bit less of a concern.

Date	Team	Comments
9/3	?	We can just assume that the three ?'s on the schedule will likely be filled with the usual: a BCS conference team, a decent non-BCS team, and a craptastic non-BCS team. Who those are is obviously up in the air, though I'll say this: I think ESPN and other networks will start trying harder and harder to manufacture good non-conference matchups by offering to pay both participants a decent amount of money. At some point, that will become a cost-effective thing to do, and I think you'll start seeing more matchups coming about in that way. No idea who Missouri might get paired with in such a scenario, but it might do us well to assume that it's possible to be anybody between Oregon and Miami, not just a regional matchup like Arkansas or Iowa.
9/10	?
9/17	?
9/24	Western Illinois	Yawn.
10/1	at Colorado	At the very least, CU should have a very good offensive line in 2011, whether Dan Hawkins is still there or not.
10/15	Texas A&M	All the sophomores currently on their two-deep will be seniors, so they could be pretty decent, whether Mike Sherman is still there or not (and with his ridiculously lengthy contract, he probably will be).
10/22	at Oklahoma	I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Missouri will not be favored in this one.
10/29	Nebraska	2011 is the anti-2010. Three of five down the stretch are at home, and they don't give up the home game against Kansas. Obviously we have no idea about any of the final five teams two years out, but it's certainly possible that Mizzou will be favored in all five, or at least four of them.
11/5	Texas Tech
11/12	at Kansas State
11/19	Iowa State
11/26	vs Kansas

Summary

The point of this exercise was simply to hammer home the point that Missouri will not only be playing for 2009 this year, but 2010 and 2011 as well. If recruiting continues to improve, or if a spate of injuries completely changes the outlook of the program, then these depth charts are about as far from realistic as possible, but the take-home point is simply this: if Missouri does disappoint in 2009, and clearly it's possible, it really will not affect the long-term prognosis of the program as long as the chemistry stays tight, the players stay healthy, and the players continue to improve. I really want Mizzou to shut everybody up and win another North title (and hey, throw in 10 wins for good measure), but Mizzou will likely survive long-term no matter what happens in 2009, and that's a pretty exciting thought to fall back on if things don't go as planned over the next four months.

Mizzou 2009, Part Eleven: Linebackers

Bill C. — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:00:10 -0000

After a few days of talking about some other team, it's back to Mizzou we go.

Linebackers

2008 Unit Ranking: #14 in the nation (#3 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Sean Weatherspoon (6'2, 250, Sr.)
Luke Lambert (6'3, 235, Jr.)
Andrew Gachkar (6'3, 235, Jr.)
Will Ebner (6'1, 230, So.)
Zaviar Gooden (6'2, 225, RSFr.)
Donavan Bonner (6'2, 230, Fr.)
Tyler Crane (6'3, 230, So.)
Jeff Gettys (6'3, 235, Jr.)
Josh Tatum (6'1, 235, Jr.)

Here at RMN, we've proven very excitable in terms of the running back situation, the defensive ends, and especially the offensive line (oh yeah, and the quarterback). But is there any more exciting aposition on the Mizzou team than linebacker?

1. Is this Gary Pinkel's best linebacker corps? It's certainly the deepest. Mizzou isn't exactly Linebacker U. by any means, but for a while now, they have had at least one stellar LB. Barry Odom made every tackle in the late-'90s, followed by Jamonte Robinson, then Sean Doyle. James Kinney wreaked occasional havoc from 2001 to 2004, and Dedrick Harrington and Marcus Bacon were solid and serviceable through 2006. But here's the deal: there are a couple of backups in this current unit who might be at least as good as Bacon and Deke were as underclassmen.

This unit has a nice combination of size and speed. First, you've got The Man, Sean Weatherspoon, a tackling and play-making machine who was told he was a third-round pick at the end of 2008 and decided to come back for his senior season. He was told he needed to learn how to better shake off blocks, so he put on ten pounds and supposedly hasn't lost a step. It's hard to imagine how 'Spoon will be better in 2009, but as long as he's as good, the rest of the unit will make everybody look better.

Beyond 'Spoon, you've got Luke Lambert, a starter in his last 15 games, moving to his natural spot in the middle. You've got Andrew Gachkar, a speed demon and two-year special teams missile, seeing his stock rising with each day. You've got Will Ebner, a stocky, mean sophomore with speed. You've got Zaviar Gooden, good and respected enough to become the first recipient of the #25 jersey, barely able to find room on the second string. You've got Donovan "'Spoon Jr." Bonner, seemingly forcing a turnover a day in practice as a true freshman. You've got Tyler Crane, athletic enough and with enough potential that the coaches played him as a true freshman at DE in 2007.

And let's face it...even Jeff Gettys would have probably started on that last Larry Smith team.

I've said it before, but there could not possibly be a better time to make the switch to Dave Steckel at defensive coordinator. While there likely won't be many strategic changes from when Matt Eberflus was manning the position, Steckel seems to coach with a linebacker's mindset. This unit will pursue, pursue, pursue, and if defensive improvement is found despite all the lost starters, look to the linebackers for the main reason why.

2. How good is Luke Lambert? Good question. Very good question. While supposedly Andrew Gachkar has had to fight to hold onto his starting position, Lambert is apparently safe, and his move to the middle might be a great thing. I worry, though, simply because he's not a playmaker. While Sean Weatherspoon made 65.0 "successful" tackles (second-highest in the country among linebackers), and Brock Christopher made a solid 40.5 (75th), Lambert made only 12.0 of 22.5 overall tackles.

Now, the average S&P for his tackles was 0.760, putting him directly between 'Spoon (0.736) and Christopher (0.772). Plus, his run-pass split of tackles also fell between the two; 62.2% of his stops came against the run ('Spoon 61.6%, Christopher 65.7%). Looking at ratios and the quality of his tackles, it seems he's got pretty good potential. It's just that, well, he didn't make that many tackles for a full-time starter. Of course, with how much Mizzou played nickel last year, he might not have truly gotten a starter's number of plays.

With Ebner, Gooden, and Bonner all potentially making a solid threat for playing time, we'll see pretty quickly if Lambert is facing a challenge or if he's still a step ahead of all of them, but if he can maintain a controlling force in the middle while 'Spoon is 'Spoon on one side and Gachkar/Ebner/Gooden/Bonner are flying around like headless chickens on the other side, this defense will have no choice but to be pretty serviceable.

3. Will Ebner: Category 5 hurricane...or Category 32? Yes.

Reviewin' & Previewin' - Wrestling

The Beef — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:00:14 -0000

The Musings trudges through another summer week (and changes names for the summer time) and brings us to another program high in the national rankings. July is my least favorite month of the entire year, and the only positive thing I have to say about it at this juncture is I am glad it is almost half over. We will get to some Random Thoughts in a bit, but let's get immediately to the matter at hand, which is going to be an extensive look at the Mizzou Tiger wrestling program.

The 2008-2009 wrestling squad, like gymnastics from the week before, saw a great number of personal and team achievements. First and foremost, it saw the crowning of the second NCAA Champion ever in junior Heavyweight Mark Ellis. The Tigers placed half of their squad as All-Americans (top 8 national). It also saw a 7th place overall finish, one of the best in school history. However, as our gaze turns toward 2009-2010, it will see a number of key seniors departing the ranks. How good has recruiting been since the program has become a perennial top-10 program? Will it be good enough to fill in the possibly large holes in the lineup? Before we take a look ahead, let us cue the soft music and fairy dust as we take a look back...

But wait! Don't know much about wrestling you say? Well, let's cure that problem first. Take a look at the Wrestling Primer which I wrote back in November. You will only need to read the first half, though the second half does provide some predictions on the season we are about to review, so you are welcome to hold my feet to the fire if you care to. Now, back to the fairy dust...

The 2008-2009 Season

Final National Ranking: 7th
Final Conference Ranking: 3rd
Final Record: 18-4 (most dual wins in program history)
Big XII Champions: 2 (Marcus Hoehn at 141, Nick Marable at 165)
NCAA Participants: 8 (133, 141, 157, 165, 174, 184, 197 and HWY)
NCAA All-American Honors: 5 (Michael Chandler (5th) at 157, Nick Marable (7th) at 165, Raymond Jordan (3rd) at 174, Max Askren (5th) at 197 and Mark Ellis (NCAA CHAMPION) at HWY)

Seniors Lost: 6 (out of 30)
Starters Lost: 4 (out of 10)
2009 Roster Breakdown by Year: 3 seniors, 6 juniors, 15 sophomores, 4 freshmen

I am guessing the easiest way to go about doing this is to just look at each of the weight classes and circle back from there. Let's start with the lightweights. Any rankings are quoted from TheMat.com (I used to use intermat, but their year-end rankings are just the top 8 and in order of finish at the NCAA's, so not enough help. However, their site is newly expanded and will be a nice resource once the season gets going. For instance, here are there recruiting rankings for the coming season. A macro look shows a lot of Big XII schools in the top 15. A micro look shows a good number of MO kids going to other schools...)

125:
Going back to 2007-2008, Tony Pescaglia was showing some tremendous promise as a true freshman for the Tigers at a weight where they had not had much success in recent years (since Austin Devoe made the NCAA's as a senior in 2005-2006) However, Pescaglia suffered a severe knee injury mid-way through the season, ending it. He took the entire year of 2008-2009 to rehab, leaving RS Frosh Troy Dolan to hold down the fort. Dolan was OK at times, but outclassed at others, finishing the season with a 15-23 record. If both are returning (and I only say "if" because there is a good deal of turnover and transferring on NCAA wrestling squads and I am working off of an old roster), then I expect Pescaglia (now RS junior, but I suppose he might get a sixth year eventually since he RS'ed as a freshman then lost a season to injury last year) to be healthy and ready to start contributing again. If the Tigers can start getting some quality out of 125, it would greatly help their goal of a conference and national title. If not Pescaglia, I imagine Dolan is still available, as well as incoming frosh Brad Wisdom, a 2009 MO state champion at 125. I expect a healthy Pescaglia to do well in a down 125 class in the Big XII (only two returning ranked in the top 20 out of five) and be around the top 20 all season.

133:
The Tigers will have a number of options this season at 133, mostly because Todd Schavrien (now junior) was hurt for stretches of the season. However, he did get it back together in time for the end of the season, which saw him take a surprise run to third in the Big XII Championships, which earned him an automatic bid to the NCAA's. Once there, Schavrien lost his first match to eventual national champion #1 Franklin Gomez of Michigan State. He did collect a win before being eliminated by #12 Grey of Cornell, finishing his season at an unspectacular 15-13. In his absence, Luke Cherep (now junior) and Taylor Crane (now sophomore and not to be confused with football LB Tyler Crane) saw some action and were nothing to write home about. If Schavrien can last the season healthy, there is no reason to believe he will not be able to repeat his performance from last season and be in and out of the top 20 for most of the season. This is another weight class in the Big XII with some space for growth, with only two wrestlers ranked in the top 20 at the end of last season.

141:
What a bonus the Tigers received from departing senior Marcus Hoehn. All he did was pretty much come out of nowhere to win the Big XII Championships, move all the way up the rankings into the top 10 and finish with a 30-win season. The only slight disappointment for Hoehn had to be his 1-2 exit from the NCAA's after falling to two wrestlers ranked lower than he. But Tiger fans will always remember his OT win against Nick Gallick of Iowa State in the Big XII's, and perhaps his pretty damn funny videos.

Where does this leave the Tigers for 2009-2010? I personally believe they will be in good hands if they are planning on sending RS Frosh Nick Hucke to the mat. Hucke was a multi-time state champion from the state of Wisconsin, wrestling for the same coach who produced the Askren brothers. I actually happened to see Hucke wrestle his final high school match on some obscure cable sports channel, and he was dominant in his victory. Hucke is a beast at this weight, both with good scrambling abilities and good power. The conference could be there for the taking as well, with only one wrestler returning from the top-10. Mizzou will have some other options at this weight, including RS Frosh Cody Farinella, or perhaps true frosh Kyle Bradley. In the end though, I expect this to be Hucke's spot. Now, I am not saying I expect Hucke to defend this class title for Mizzou at the Big XII's, but I think Tiger fans are going to be excited for the next (hopefully) four years with his output.

149:
Another weight class, another senior departing. This time, Andrew Sherry has completed his eligibility with the Tigers after a season which saw him finish 13-15. Sherry had a coulpe of big wins, but was never able to really replace the shoes of former 149'er Josh Wagner. In fact, it was this class and 125 which were the only two classes Mizzou was not represented in at the NCAA's.

So, coming into this season, it is likely a case of addition by subtraction. However, the question of who that addition will be is a curious one. The roster only shows Daniel Hewitt (a RS Soph from St. Charles, MO) listed at 149. I suppose Hucke or Farinella are possibilities here depending on off-season maturation. Also a possibilty could be incoming frosh Kellen Bounous, who recently just won his third Missouri State title, this time at 145 pounds. He is expected to wrestle at either 149 or 157, but the opportunity might exist for him to step right in. As far as the conference goes, the strength of the Big XII must certainly be elsewhere, as they will only return one wrestler to the top 20. Given what the Tigers got from this weight last year, they can only expect to get more in 2009-2010.

157:
A third straight weight class with a departing senior, though Michael Chandler will be missed perhaps the most of the previous two. Chandler earned his first All-American honor this past season, a 5th place finish after winning his last collegiate match for his 100th career win. Chandler was a four-time NCAA participant for the Tigers (three times by virtue of his finish at the Big XII's and he earned a wild card his freshman season). He placed second twice at the Big XII's, including this past season. Chandler is known as a tremendous worker, and he will certainly be missed in the room

However, I believe all is not lost for the Tigers. Soon to be sophomore Patrick Wright saw a good amount of time last season at both 157 and 165, and impressed at both. With 165 still closed for another year, I see Wright stepping right in for the Tigers. There are a number of other options if Wright has grown out of this weight, with future junior Brad McCarter, along with soon to be sophomores Todd Porter, Jacob Guerrant and Nick Gregoris. Gregoris comes to the Tigers from North Carolina and I believe is seen as the primary competition (though Todd Porter went to the same high school as Chandler and reminds Coach Smith of a "young Michael Chandler"). However, I still feel the future is with Wright. The conference will be a tough one, as the NCAA Champ returns in the form of NU's Jordan Burroughs, as well as the three others landing inside the top 18.

165:
I will admit that I felt it was a pretty maddening season for future senior Nick Marable at this weight. The preseason #1 wrestler entered 2008-2009 off of a 3rd place finish at the previous NCAA's where some felt he was jobbed out of a spot in the finals. But Marable would struggle at times last season, as his style does not have him sticking or tech'ing a lot of wrestlers. The master of the 3-1 win, Marable took some early losses and fell down the rankings a bit. He recovered in time to win his second Big XII Championship, defeating two ranked wrestlers to do so. He got to the NCAA's and immediately lost his first match to an unranked opponent. However, he became one of only four wrestlers (out of 80 possible) who would lose his first match and wrestle all the way back to All-American status. This season, Marable will once again enter the season ranked highly (likely in the top 5), and he will have to contend with two other Big XII wrestlers IN THE TOP 10! Marable will look to become only the second Mizzou wrestler all time to win three Big XII Championships and should certainly be a favorite to at least All-American once again for the Tigers.

174:
This is the last weight class with potential question marks coming into the season. Last year, departing senior Raymond Jordan moved down from his previous class of 184 to really take it to the nation. Jordan completed his career with a 3rd place finish at the NCAA's while also getting a chance to avenge his Big XII Championship loss in the process. Jordan had his best season ever, wracking up a team-high 35 wins against only 4 losses. He closes his career with 123 wins, two All-American honors and a Big XII Championship to his name.

Now, who follows him? Leaving as well is Joey Garrity, so there is not much for depth here. Highly acclaimed Ohio wrestling product Zach Toal is a three-time state champion, but only competed at 160 and is likely seen as the heir apparent to Marable. However, the Tigers do have RS Frosh Brent Haynes, who was one of the top wrestlers in the nation for one of the top programs in the nation (Oak Park, MO). He ranked second in the nation at the weight, and should be ready to hit the mat. If not, then beyond POTENTIALLY being Andrew Wood (should be a RS Soph or junior), I dont really know who will try to fill the void. The conference takes a break, as three highly ranked seniors are graduating, leaving only one wrestler returning to the top-20. If Haynes hits the ground running, he could start a nice streak of NCAA appearances.

184:
Once Jordan moved down from 184, a void was created behind him. I was excited to see it filled by now RS sophomore Dorian Henderson, who is still pretty new to wrestling as a whole. Henderson flirted in and out of the top 20 at times during the season, and was able to earn a wild card berth into the NCAA's after finishing 5th at the Big XII's. Henderson lost a couple of decisions once in St. Louis and ended his season with a 20-15 record. This weight class is not too strong, and the top of it from the Big XII is graduating, leaving only two behind ranked in the second half of the top 20. The door will be open for Henderson to come through it and pass up some folks to get back to the NCAA's and start working on a better placing.

197:
Mizzou does not have a lot in the way of seniors wrestling this coming season, but here is one of them. Max Askren will look to put a bow on an already VERY successful Mizzou career. This past season, Askren earned his second All-American honor and lost the Big XII Championships for the first time after winning his previous two. He compiled a 30-6 record, giving him 84 wins and an almost shoe-in for the 100 win club this coming season. He took big wins and is always capable of winning against anyone he steps out against, including both Varner of ISU and Brester of NU. The only thing working against Askren is the fact that I expect 80 percent of the national top FIVE to be from the Big XII, including the big boys just mentioned. Askren will have his work cut out for him in his quest to tie his brother for most Big XII Championships, but it would be quite surprising not to see him All-American for the third time and help lead this team.

HWY:
It really does not get more confusing in wrestling than Mizzou's HWY division. To start the season, man-child Dom Bradley was completing a red-shirt season and would be hitting the mat to compete for the spot with returning All-American junior Mark Ellis. The two met at the Black and Gold meet to start the season, with Bradley coming out on top after a number of OT's. They split time during the season, as both compiled impressive records, combining to finish an amazing 47-6 over all the tournaments and duals wrestled. Bradley would knock off then #1 David Zabriskie of ISU in the Midlands Tournament, which Ellis would win. When it came down to it, Ellis took second place at the Big XII's (where Bradley did not wrestle, and behind Zabriskie) and moved on to the NCAA's. Ellis would get through to the finals to take on Dudziak of Duke, who had upset Zabriskie in the semis. Ellis took the win and became the second champion in program history.

But then the off-season started. Ellis started his by going out for the football team, and leaving his last year of wrestling eligibility in question (as to whether or not he will return). In the meantime, Bradley has dominated the summer tournaments like he did the year before, winning the FILA Junior title and ascending as high as 4th nationally in the US Freestyle rankings (behind graduated wrestlers). And he will only be a RS sophomore.

So what does 2009-2010 have to offer? You have to expect that Ellis will be back to defend his title. He should start the season in the top two or three nationally (with three others from the Big XII appearing in the top 10-15). As for Bradley, he never got ranked at any point last season, but knocked off many ranked opponents during the season. If for whatever reason Ellis does not return, I expect Bradley to be right there in the top 10-15 range, and perhaps higher once the season completes.

2009-2010 Projected Lineup

125 - (RS Junior) Tony Pescaglia

133 - (Junior) Todd Schavrien

141 - (RS Frosh) Nick Hucke

149 - (Frosh) Kellen Bounous

157 - (RS Soph) Patrick Wright

165 - (Senior) Nick Marable

174 - (RS Frosh) Brent Haynes

184 - (RS Soph) Dorian Henderson

197 - (Senior) Max Askren

HWY - (Senior) Mark Ellis

WOW...that is a really pretty young team when you line it up like that. Only three seniors departing, with one (Ellis) to be replaced pretty seemlessly. Even more returning in 2011-2012 (especially if Pescaglia gets his medical sixth season). Can Mizzou improve upon their 7th place finish at the NCAA's? Probably not, as I really only see three solid predictions at All-Americans at this point in Marable, Askren and Ellis. I think potential is there for a healthy and returned-to-form Pescaglia, and we will certainly send others to the NCAA's like Schavrien, Henderson and probably another one or two. But with Bradley replacing Ellis in 2010-2011, Toal likely stepping in for Marable and everyone else coming back, there wont be many holes to fill going into next season and we could see some special stuff down the road.

Random Thoughts:

The Boy already mentioned this yesterday, but sad stuff for the world of boxing with the passing of Arturo Gatti. Few I can remember seeing ever displayed the heart and determination Gatti did, especially after breaking his hand during the 3rd Gatti/Ward fight, only to let it go numb and use it to beat and defeat Ward in the tie-breaking bout.
I may just have to watch the Home Run Derby tonight on mute, as I just do not know if I can stand to listen to the auditory stylings provided by the World Wide Leader
I have started to watch "Dexter" and am through the first season. Pretty good stuff, and thankfully all of it is currently on Video on Demand in these parts
Worst sports day of the year coming up, being Wednesday of this week.

Spring Football Update: Linebackers

Bill C. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:00:10 -0000

The switch has been flipped from basketball to football, and I figure the best way to dip our toes back in the water is to revisit my 2009 Walkthrough series from January and see what has or hasn't changed since then. We move now to LBs, which could be the anchor of Dave Steckel's first defense.

Linebackers

Photo from The Trib's Parker Eshelman--I tried to use a different one than the go-to 'Spoon photo.

[A]s with the defensive ends, I'm really optimistic about this group of linebackers. There's no guarantee that Luke Lambert will be anything more than average to above-average over the next two seasons, and there's no guarantee that any of the others will amount to much, but in a young team looking for a new identity, you want two things: 1) potential, and 2) options. This unit has both, and if any of a number of players can come close to duplicating Brock Christopher's stat line, this unit could be as good or maybe better than that of the 2008 unit.

What's changed? Andrew Gachkar has seized a starting job and isn't letting it go, for starters. Gachkar, an "only knows one speed" kind of guy who has served primarily as a special teams missile the last two years (with a blood clot battle and rib removal in between), has thrived with Dave Steckel's aggressive mindset so far this spring, and if he turns into a nice weapon opposite Sean Weatherspoon, Mizzou will have the best, fastest LB corps in the Big 12 North.

Outside of Gachkar (who I'm having fun calling "GACK!" in my head) and everybody's All-American (or at least All-Conference) 'Spoon, it's all about finding the right combination. Luke Lambert has been steady in the spring, and he looks like the likely starter, but two other big names are still lurking. Will Ebner, likely the hardest hitter on the team not named Sean Weatherspoon, is still fighting it out on the second string but has a VERY bright future, and four-star JUCO recruit ~~Josh~~ Dreaderick Tatum was doing some pretty good things before coming down with some back issues last week. Any time somebody's hobbling around, the last word you want to hear is "back" (unless preceded by "Tatum is" and proceeded by "on the field"), but we'll see what happens with him. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

When all is said and done, Lambert might be the best choice to man the middle, as he plays pretty controlled overall. Gachkar, as much as we've seen him so far, does not. Having two wild men on the outside with a steady, Brock Christopher-like force in the middle, is probably a good thing.

And for that matter, it does appear that recruiting is setting us up with a few years' worth of this type of combination. You've got 'Spoon and Gachkar, plus potentially Ebner and a couple of fast incoming freshmen (converted DB Tavon Bolden and potentially-soon-to-be-converted-DB Donavan Bonner), to man the outside positions, and bigger guys like Tatum and former Ray-Pec LB Andrew Wilson to potentially man the middle. Who knows--maybe I'm making all that up and it won't happen that way, but that's the way it's shaping up to my eyes.

In all, this could be the perfect unit for Steckel to play with in his first year as defensive coordinator. Never mind the potential All-American in 'Spoon--it's the depth of options and speed that makes this unit exciting. That, and the fact that once again underclassmen dominate the two-deep, as with just about every other unit on the roster.

Expected Spring Finish - First String

1. Sean Weatherspoon (Sr)
2. Luke Lambert (Jr)
3. Andrew Gachkar (Jr)

Expected Spring Finish - Second String

1. Will Ebner (So)
2. Josh Tatum (Jr)
3. Tyler Crane (So)

I would look for at least one true freshman to maybe crack the second string in the fall, if Crane isn't doing well or if Tatum's injury troubles continue. I LOVE the top four names on this list, however, and I'm excited about guys like Tatum and Andrew Wilson.

A 2009 Walkthrough: Linebackers

Bill C. — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:00:08 -0000

Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Offensive Line
Defensive Ends
Defensive Tackles

Returnees

Sean Weatherspoon (6'1, 235, senior)
2008: 155 tackles, 18.5 TFL, 5 sacks, 3 INTs (2 for TD), 2 FF, 7 PBR, 6 QBH
2007: 130 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR, 8 PBR
2006: 17 tackles, 1.0 TFL

Missouri lost four games in 2008, about two more than expected. But it could have been six losses if not for Sean Weatherspoon, who plays like a Butkus Award winner against Big Ten teams. 'Spoon was amazing against Illinois to start the season and Northwestern to end it, racking up a combined 9 solo tackles, 17 assists, 3.5 TFL, 3 QBH's, 0.5 sacks (the one that effectively ended the Alamo Bowl), a pass breakup, and 2 INTs (including a pick six that effectively ended the Illinois game). For all of Mizzou's offensive success over the last two seasons, the heart and soul of the team has been a linebacker, and he will return to lead a newer, younger team in 2009. He is a 100% lock to be a captain.

'Spoon came to Mizzou underrated (two stars) and undersized (195 pounds), with offers only from Iowa State and Conference USA teams. He is the gold standard for all future diamonds in the rough.

His game is a perfect combination of brains, speed and power. And honestly, I don't know what else to say about him--it's all been said. He will lead a LB corps with as much athletic potential as a Mizzou LB unit has ever had...but will that potential translate into success?

Luke Lambert (6'3, 225, junior)
2008: 58 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PBR
2007: 32 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF

A junior-to-be from Brookfield, Lambert was one of the first commits of the 2007 recruiting class, and it was immediately impossible to keep him off the field. He was a backup most of his freshman year and even got to start the Cotton Bowl after Van Alexander had an equipment malfunction. He spent 2008 as basically a part-time starter--he was the third linebacker when Mizzou was in its base 4-3, but they spent a lot of time in a nickel defense with William Moore basically serving as the third LB.

There is nothing particularly amazing or overpowering about Lambert's game, and while that's probably causing me to underrate him a bit, he's really about where Brock Christopher was after two seasons in black and gold. Other LBs in this unit have all sorts of speed and aggression, but control is a bit of a problem. Lambert, on the other hand, reads, reacts, and doesn't get caught out of position. It's good to have that mix.

Will Ebner (6'1, 225, sophomore)
2008: 21 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 QBH

WOW are my expectations high for this guy. Will Ebner didn't play a single meaningful down in 2008, but he could not possibly have looked better in junk time. It's probably best to scale back the expectations until we know if he actually plays smart and fast against real players instead of third-stringers, but it's hard to do. He plays with his hair on fire and found himself in the backfield on just about every snap he played. But at the same time, he never got out of position and didn't (that I saw) miss a tackle.

I've already named Jacquies Smith the Next 'Spoon (i.e. the next "junk time to bigtime" freshman to sophomore transition guy), but really Ebner has as much claim to that title as anybody. If it turns out that he really is a smart, heady, fast-as-hell player ready to start for a major conference team, then this defense could be pretty good (though he can't play cornerback). If it turns out that he runs faster than he thinks, and he's out of position a lot, it could be more of a feast-or-famine unit. We'll see.

Andrew Gachkar (6'3, 220, junior)
2008: 28 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 PBR, 1 Missing Rib
2007: 16 tackles, 1 FF

First of all, I'd like to say that I really hope Ebner and Gachkar both turn into bigtime LBs, just so we can revisit the Velodrome nickname and set it into stone. Gachkar is faster than Ebner and seems to play a little more out-of-control (which has made him a fantastic guided missile on special teams the last two years), but he is the definition of perseverance and will be very easy to root for in '09 and beyond. As high as I am on Ebner, I should say that as long as he or Gach break through in '09, this LB corps could be great.

Jeff Gettys (6'3, 225, junior)
2008: 6 tackles, 1 INT for TD

Gettys is a walk-on-turned-scholarship-player who made the most of his major moment in the sun: he got himself a pick six in Q4 against Nevada. The junior from Houston, MO, likely won't see much PT in '09, but he's a good story, and I wanted to add him here.

Redshirts

Tyler Crane (6'3, 220, sophomore)
2007: 2 tackles at defensive end

I'll be honest--Crane is a total mystery. Missouri offered him early in the recruiting process, and he even played as a true freshman defensive end. But he couldn't put on any weight and was way too undersized to stay at DE, so he moved to LB and redshirted to learn the position.

What happens now? No idea. He could make a seamless transition and challenge for the third starting position behind 'Spoon and Lambert...or he could never quite grasp the position and end up transferring. Nothing's going to surprise me with him, but there's just no need to make a predicion. Instead I'll just admit that, while the kid looks like a stud athlete, I have absolutely no idea what to expect from him.

Incoming

Joshua Tatum (6'0, 240, Junior, Oakland, CA)

So we've got two proven starters and at least two returnees fighting for the third starting spot. Where does Josh "Drederick" Tatum fit in? Good question. Tatum, the former USC Trojan and current 4-star JUCO transfer, has said all the right things about fighting for PT and making this defense better, could win the third starting spot or even steal away Lambert's starting spot if he's good enough...or he could fizzle out like other JUCO transfers. You never know what you're getting with JUCO guys, but...watch the film below and tell me you're not optimistic about his potential. There have been random, relatively anonymous questions about his heart and his work ethic, but we're not going there. If he is what he says he is, there's a chance that he takes this defense to a new level. If he's not, we've got better depth here than we have in previous years, so no big deal. No pressure, really, but it really would be a little disappointing to see things fail to work out for this kid.

Andrew Wilson (6'4, 230, Freshman, Peculiar, MO)

The latest Ray-Pec product to put on black & gold, Wilson is an interesting athlete who, as far as we know, could put on 15 pounds and become a DE, or fall into the Luke Lambert/Brock Christopher model of tall LB. That's really all I know about him, but we'll just say that Ray-Pec has been very good to us (Chase Coffman and Derrick Washington, anyone?), so just considering his high school alone, I'm optimistic about this guy.

Adam Burton (6'2, 225, Freshman, Lee's Summit, MO)

An relatively unknown quantity after tearing his ACL as a junior and missing 1/3 of his senior season to relatively unexplained suspension, Burton is a good-sized kid from a successful school...and that's about all I know.

Potential Incoming

Ronnie Wingo (6'3, 215, St. Louis, MO)

Maybe you've heard of him?

2008 vs 2009

Again, I really don't want to paint too rose-colored a picture here, but as with the defensive ends, I'm really optimistic about this group of linebackers. There's no guarantee that Luke Lambert will be anything more than average to above-average over the next two seasons, and there's no guarantee that any of the others will amount to much, but in a young team looking for a new identity, you want two things: 1) potential, and 2) options. This unit has both, and if any of a number of players can come close to duplicating Brock Christopher's stat line, this unit could be as good or maybe better than that of the 2008 unit.

2009 Mizzou LBs on the YouTubes

Sean Weatherspoon is a man

A 'Spoon Interview

Another 'Spoon Interview

'Spoon dominates Q4 against Illinois

Back when Will Ebner was just a Youtube sensation...

Josh Tatum in action

Poll

Which LB has the brightest future at Mizzou?

Will Ebner

40 votes

Andrew Gachkar

7 votes

Tyler Crane

1 votes

Jeff Gettys

1 votes

Joshua Tatum

18 votes

Andrew Wilson

5 votes

Adam Burton

2 votes

74 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation - Tyler Crane

The North in 2010

Missouri

Colorado

Iowa State

Kansas

Kansas State

Nebraska

2009-2010 Wrestling Preview

125

133

141

149

157

165

174

184

197

HWY

Overall Thoughts

Mizzou 2009, Part Fourteen: 2010 and Beyond

2010

2011

Summary

2009 Mizzou Football Preview Series

Mizzou 2009, Part Eleven: Linebackers

Linebackers

2009 Mizzou Football Preview Series

Reviewin' & Previewin' - Wrestling

The 2008-2009 Season

2009-2010 Projected Lineup

Spring Football Update: Linebackers

Linebackers

A 2009 Walkthrough: Linebackers

Returnees

Redshirts

Incoming

Potential Incoming

2008 vs 2009

2009 Mizzou LBs on the YouTubes

Which LB has the brightest future at Mizzou?

Will Ebner

Andrew Gachkar

Tyler Crane

Jeff Gettys

Joshua Tatum

Andrew Wilson

Adam Burton