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Missouri Football 2023 Spring Preview, Checklist

College Football HQ previews what you should watch as Missouri puts a bow on 2023 spring football
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Missouri football opened last season with an impressive win over Louisiana Tech but lost four of its next five games en route to a 6-7 finish in Eli Drinkwitz's third season on the sideline.

This offseason saw Missouri lose some and win some in the college football transfer portal.

Wide receiver Theo Wease steps in from Oklahoma, as does offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson from Eastern Michigan, and notably quarterback Jake Garcia from Miami.

But the team lost edge rusher Trajan Jeffcoat to SEC rival Arkansas and most notably Dominic Lovett, the talented wide receiver who pledged to Georgia.

Here's your look at the biggest items on Missouri's checklist this spring moving into the team's spring game.

Missouri Football 2023 Spring Preview

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1. Decision at quarterback

Who's in the room: Jake Garcia (transfer from Miami), Sam Horn (2022 recruiting class signee), Brady Cook (Missouri's incumbent starter).

Injury troubles: Cook remains out of spring football as he continues to recover from his torn labrum, which he had surgery on late last year. That appeared to open things up for Horn to make an impression, that is before he injured his right arm in a baseball game for Mizzou.

Newcomer: Incoming transfer Jake Garcia now has a chance to earn the starting position. A highly sought-after player back when he was a recruit, Garcia never came on at Miami, but did get almost 900 passing yards a year ago in limited action. Garcia has a battery of intermediate throws but needs to develop his long game and open things up more downfield.

2. Inside protection up front

What to watch: The competition for both guard positions and at center to complement what appears to be two solid fixtures at tackle. Overall, the line struggled last season, in particular after the unit sustained injuries later on.

Center: Connor Tollison played subpar football in the middle of the line and was tied for first on the team with seven penalties. Buffalo transfer Bence Polgar appeared set to play center a year ago but the NCAA ruled him academically ineligible. He should have more than a chance to win the starting job, but Missouri could look to the transfer portal when it opens again if it's not pleased with the progress here.

Guards: Xavier Delgado is the expected starter at left guard with 30 games as starter already at the position, and Armand Membou figures to slide over to right guard from right tackle, but watch for Valen Erickson, Ma'Kyi Lee, and Curtis Peagler to compete for snaps.

3. Generating pressure up front

Lost production: Missouri saw three defensive ends leave the program this offseason, as Isaiah McGuire and DJ Coleman declared for the NFL Draft, and Trajan Jeffcoat moved out via the transfer portal. In all, the Tigers are about to lose almost 100 total combined stops, a quarter of those tackles for loss, and 13 sacks from the front line.

Who's coming in: Keep an eye on Joe Moore to take up one of those starting positions on the defensive line. The transfer from Arizona State hails from Missouri, prepping at Cardinal Ritter, and elected to return home this season.

Moore recorded 24 combined tackles, added six tackles for loss, and notched 3.5 sacks a year ago for the Sun Devils a year ago, and before that recorded 111 of his 149 total snaps as a rusher on expected passing downs.

Depth: Moore's addition may fill one hole, but Missouri still has some real work to do filling the other and building its two-deep depth chart all along the line. Depth is a concern here with limited experience to go around. Josh Landry played at defensive end a year ago.


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