Mizzou fans are gearing up for what should be an exciting round of new transfer recruiting when the portal officially reopens on April 15th, with the news that at least three current Tigers will soon be former Tigers. is already included.tight end Ryan Helstkampdefensive lineman key montgomery and running back Michael Cox have all announced they will enter the portal and aim to play football elsewhere next fall.
Will these departures impact how Eli Drinkwitz and his staff approach the upcoming transfer window? Let's take a look at each departing player and the roster holes they leave behind and see if coaches need to address those areas in light of their departure.
Horse
Former four-star tight end Ryan Horstkamp is Eli Drinkwitz's first high school recruiting contribution in his first full recruiting class of 2021. The Washington, Missouri, native played in four games as a true freshman and nine games as a redshirt freshman in 2022. , the former blue-chip player was never a serious pass-catching threat, recording only two catches on two targets during his career.
Last year, Horstkamp never saw the field, falling behind the blocks of two promising freshmen in Brett Norfleet and tight end Jordon Harris. With Norfleet and Harris only getting better, and fellow tight end Tyler Stevens returning for a fifth year of eligibility, Helstkamp finds himself No. 4 on the depth chart and is looking to get even better. He decided to transfer to another program where he could find more playing time.
Horstkamp's departure makes him the second tight end to leave Mizzou recently, after Max Wisner went to Akron in the winter transfer window. This leaves five tight ends on the roster, including Norfleet, Harris and Stevens, as well as walk-on Tucker Miller and freshman Whit Hafer. Norfleet has established himself as a starter and has at least two proven, experienced backups, so there's a lot to be desired for Mizzou's coaching staff to take the portal for another tight end. I don't think I'll spend any time on it. This position is not at a depth disadvantage, and it would be difficult (and probably unwise) to hire more than Norfleet. Norfleet showed athleticism and playmaking ability as a freshman, but Mizzou probably hasn't seen a game from a tight end since Michael Egnew. Ten years ago.
empty monty
There are a lot of what-ifs for Kai Montgomery, who was the Tigers' second portal loss this spring. Like Horstkamp, Montgomery was also highlighted as a member of Drinkwitz's 2021 recruiting class as a top recruiting candidate in the SEC. Unfortunately, the four-star player from Indianapolis suffered injury after injury during his three years at Columbia and never stepped foot on the field.
Recruited to play for EDGE, Montgomery gained more than 50 pounds and spent time recovering from an injury. On his already large body. The first time Tiger fans saw the real Montgomery was in March against the Black and Gold, when he saw Kai lined up inside the defensive line. Sadly, this is the last Mizzou fans will see of Montgomery in black and gold now that he's hit the portal.
The staff acquired two transfer portal players on the Interior defensive line in Sterling Webb and Chris McClellan to join the stalwart Christian Williams, so it was unlikely Montgomery would see the field unless there was a major injury. . Unfortunately, injuries occur frequently, especially among trench players, and the loss of Montgomery weakens Al Davis' depth in the defensive line room. Even before the news of Montgomery's departure broke, I had been advocating for more defensive linemen in the transfer portal. This loss further revealed the need for deeper defensive trenches. I imagine Drinkwitz, Davis, and Co. will be making a lot of calls on defensive linemen as soon as they hit the portal on Monday.
cox block
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Like Montgomery, former walk-on running back Michael Cox was another victim of the portal addition. Cox had a surprising year as a redshirt freshman for the Tigers in 2021, rushing 18 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns. His large frame, which served as the “thunder” to Tyler Budde's “Lightning Bolt,” made him a serviceable short yardage that year. However, his usage decreased dramatically in subsequent seasons, with just nine carries in 2022 and zero carries in 2023.
Despite losing Cody Schrader and Nathaniel Peat to graduation, Mizzou's running back room is still full as Drinkwitz brought in transfers Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll over the winter. . With his playing time drastically reduced to zero last year, it was unlikely that Cox would compete for playing time in 2024. Especially since talented backs Jamal Roberts, Tavorus Jones, and freshman Kiwan Lacy are also likely to earn a spot in the depth above Cox.
The running back room is stocked with talented and productive backs at all levels of development, so barring additional portal losses, this position group is the most likely to be added this spring. It may be low. It would be strange to bring in two productive senior running backs in January and then continue to recruit additional backs in April.
Ultimately, these three transfer portal losses are not surprising for Mizzou and do not negatively impact the prospects for a successful 2024 campaign. I wish all three players the best in their future endeavors, but it is unlikely that any of them will compete for serious playing time, and their departure will result in scholarships being given to positions that need additional reinforcements. become. This includes the defensive and offensive lines, and perhaps the linebacking corps as well (and who wouldn't want another fixed cornerback to giggle and grin at?). Folks, portal time is approaching and things are about to get wild.
