2018 Missouri Projections on the Hour Glass
By John Luke McCord
The first big win of the 2018 came for Missouri and Barry Odom when star quarterback Drew Lock elected to forgo the NFL Draft and return to school for his senior season. With that, and the SEC easiest schedule according to Hour Glass analytics, the Tigers finally appear to have momentum heading into year three under Odom thanks to a 6-1 finish in 2017. Sure, the season ended with a 33-16 bowl loss to Texas, but in the six consecutive wins prior to that the Tigers scored at least 45 points in each game.
Lock is considered far and away the top returning signal caller in the SEC, with an HourGlass analytics stamp of 35. Last season he finished just below the 4,000-yard mark in passing yardage and tossed 44 touchdowns. The arrival of new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley is also sure to provide aid.
In fact, offense isn’t likely to be an issue at all in for the Tigers in 2018. Last year the unit averaged 38 points and just over 500 yards of total offense per game. Even with their leading receiver and rusher from 2017 returning this season, Mizzou should set off offensive fireworks in Columbia this fall.
Damarea Crockett led the Tigers on the ground, with over 1,000 yards, as a freshman in 2016. Last year he was limited to just seven games, which allowed Larry Roundtree III to emerge in his first season in Columbia. Merging Lock alongside that tailback tandem should put the Mizzou backfield in good hands this coming season. Additionally, returning pass catchers Emanuel Hall, Johnathon Johnson and Albert Okwuegbunam each tallied at least 400 yards and six touchdowns through the air in 2017. Okwuegbunam hauled in a team high 11 touchdowns.
The return of defensive tackle Terry Beckner for his senior campaign is equally as big a win for the defense as Lock’s return for the offense. Becker, a former five-star prospect, is sure to be a coveted draft prospect after another season under defensive line coach Brick Haley. In 2017 he led the Tigers with seven sacks, while also registering 11 tackles for loss and an interceptions.
However, the defensive side of the ball for Missouri will be under the microscope in 2018. The quarterback position is good enough for the Tigers to be good on offense, but when you consider that the Tigers rank 13th in the SEC with a 3-year HourGlass recruiting stamp of 67. And further, Odom, the leader of that defense, is has a coaching stamp of -6, which also ranks 13th in the SEC. Seven of the top 11 tacklers return from last season, including linebackers Cale Garrett and Terez Hall, the first and second leading tackler for the Tigers in 2017, respectively. Cale, plus Adam Sparks, were also tied for the team lead with two interceptions last season and both are back. Lastly, Beckner is the returning sack man after registering seven last season.
HG analytics pick: 7-5, 4th in SEC East
My pick: 8-4, 4th in SEC East
Last Year’ Analytics Pick 5-7; Actual Record 7-5 (83 percent accuracy)
Hour Glass National Recruiting Ranking: 41st – Outside our College Football Playoff Bust Line on Talent.
National Coaching Rank for Bary Odom on HG Scale: 100th (Odom Stamp at -6) – Average coaching value for 2018 set at 3.75.
Returning Missouri quarterback play rated 1st in the country out of 130 teams. Average quarterback stamp nationally for 2018 is 8.3. Missouri has a stamp of 35.
