Did Missouri do enough in portal to make the College Football Playoff? Position breakdown

Run up an 11-2 record with a New Year’s Six Bowl win, and the expectations change on your doorstep.

When that coincides with a change to the college football landscape, the expectations change nationally.

Missouri football is coming off its best season in a decade, as the Tigers went 10-2 through the regular season and defeated Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, where they took the No. 9 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams this year. Last year, Mizzou would have been in had that format been in place.

This year, the schedule seems set up favorably for Eli Drinkwitz’s team. Here’s how:

Missouri, outside of its nonconference slate, either plays a team it beat last season (Vanderbilt; South Carolina; Arkansas), a team with a new coach (Alabama, Texas A&M, Mississippi State) or at Faurot Field (Oklahoma; Auburn) in all 12 games on the schedule.

If the Tigers are ever going to make the all-in call, 2024 shapes up to be the time.

Now, have they got the cards?

The Tribune broke down Missouri’s transfer acquisitions for the 2024 campaign:

Missouri football found capable backup to Brady Cook at QB

Portal additions: Drew Pyne (Arizona State); Harold Blood Jr. (walk-on, Southern)

Missouri did exactly what it needed to do here. Brady Cook is the starter, but when backup Sam Horn was lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery, options got a little light, as Jake Garcia and Gabarri Johnson had transferred out of the program in the winter window.

Drew Pyne has 19 career appearances over four seasons between Arizona State and Notre Dame, which makes him as capable a backup as the Tigers were likely to find. In the event Cook goes down, Missouri’s playoff dreams take a serious hit, but the addition of Pyne at least softens any potential blow.

Offensive line

Portal additions: Cayden Green (Oklahoma); Marcus Bryant (SMU); Jayven Richardson (Hutchinson CC)

This was Missouri’s best work in the transfer portal. It was probably the Tigers’ best work in the winter and spring windows, too.

Marcus Bryant and Cayden Green should be ready-made plug-ins for departed left tackle Javon Foster and left guard Xavier Delgado. Bryant was an All-AAC first-teamer last season at left tackle, and Green was OU’s starter at left guard. Missouri, with what it brings back by returning its starting center, right guard and right tackle, has one of the most promising offensive lines in the SEC.

More: Missouri football bolsters offensive line with SMU, All-AAC 1st-team tackle Marcus Bryant

Running back

Portal additions: Marcus Carroll (Georgia State); Nate Noel (Appalachian State)

The task here was to replace the outgoing 1,627 yards departing with Cody Schrader, who signed an undrafted free agent deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

Marcus Carroll is an All-Sun Belt first-teamer who ran for 1,350 yards and 13 touchdowns. Nate Noel has rushed for at least 500 yards in each of his four seasons in Boone, North Carolina.

The Tigers have the option to go by committee to recoup Schrader’s production, or they’ll have to find a new workhorse. That will be decided in the fall, but MU has done more than enough to feel good about where its run game stands.

More: How new Missouri football running back Marcus Carroll went from bruised to bruiser

Wide receiver, tight end

Portal additions: NA

Missouri didn’t dip into the portal at wide receiver or tight end. But it didn’t need to, either.

The Tigers have their top six wide receivers in terms of production returning. Brett Norfleet will start at tight end, and if MU wants to go to bigger or two-TE sets, it has Tyler Stephens and Jordon Harris who have proven capable as blockers.

More: Projecting Missouri football depth chart for 2024 season after spring transfer portal window

Defensive tackle

Portal additions: Chris McClellan (Florida); Sterling Webb (New Mexico State); Eddie Kelly (Georgia Tech)

Missouri needed three players to round out its two-deep, and it got three. Florida transfer Chris McClellan, at 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, figures to be an instant starter in Columbia. Webb was productive at New Mexico State in 2023, and Kelly has experience between Georgia Tech and USF. But it’s yet to be seen whether that will translate to the SEC level.

Missouri missed on a couple of targets at tackle in the spring in TCU transfer Damonic Williams and Michigan State’s Simeon Barrow, who went to Oklahoma and Miami, respectively. Signing one of those two would have made the room a lot deeper.

Defensive end

Portal additions: Zion Young (Michigan State); Darris Smith (Georgia)

The Tigers added two impact players at defensive end in Zion Young and Darris Smith.

The task here was to replace a first-round NFL Draft pick in Darius Robinson to find rushers to partner Johnny Walker Jr. rushing the edge. Young and Smith have the tools to be key contributors for Missouri next season, which makes this a job well done for the MU staff.

More: ‘Not normal’: Darris Smith brings size, speed to Missouri football defensive end room

Linebacker

Portal additions: Corey Flagg Jr. (Miami); Jeremiah Beasley (Michigan); Brady Hultman (walk-on, Wyoming)

Corey Flagg Jr. was an important addition out of Miami. The Tigers lost Ty’Ron Hopper to the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, team-captain Chad Bailey to eligibility and a slew of backups to the portal.

When it comes to experience, the Tigers still look a little light. Chuck Hicks is back for a seventh season of football. Triston Newson slotted in capably last season when he needed to. Then …

The remainder of Missouri’s linebacker room has four combined collegiate appearances, not including special teams reps. Beasley is a true freshman, enrolling at Michigan and December and transferring to Mizzou in the spring. Another piece at linebacker out of the portal — especially considering the wear and tear — wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Cornerback

Portal additions: Toriano Pride (Clemson); Gerald Lacy Jr. (walk-on, Stephen F. Austin)

Toriano Pride was one of Missouri’s more impressive newcomers in spring camp, which MU needed. Mizzou lost starters Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kris Abrams-Draine to the draft.

Pride will slot in at corner in Game 1 alongside returner Drey Norwood. But the Tigers are light on game time behind those two players. Missouri is one injury away from starting receiver-turned-corner Ja’Mariyon Wayne, near-repless redshirt freshmen Shamar McNeil or Nicholas DeLoach, or a true freshman. The coaching staff likes those players for the future, but running with them into a playoff berth would be risky.

More: How Toriano Pride has made case to start in Missouri football's secondary

Safety

More: Missouri softball: Complete schedule for NCAA Columbia Regional

Portal addition: Caleb Flagg (walk-on, Houston Christian)

In-house talent Marvin Burks Jr. will replace JC Carlies at strong safety. The experienced Joseph Charleston and Daylan Carnell are back to resume their roles at free and star safety, respectively. The Tigers have plenty of depth with Phillip Roche, Sidney Williams Sr. and Tre’Vez Johnson all returning.

Specialist

Portal addition: Orion Phillips (punter, Murray State)

Hopping back on the Aussie punter trend, Mizzou has gone for Murray State transfer Orion Phillips to compete with Luke Bauer for the starting punting duties. It was sometimes a problem area for the Tigers last season, as Bauer and the now-departed Riley Williams swapped shifts frequently. Mizzou needed competition here and got it.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Did Missouri football do enough in transfer portal to make CFP?