Delanie Walker, Dorial Green-Beckham's Post-Week 11 Fantasy Advice
Nov 19, 2015
Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker (82) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars strong safety Johnathan Cyprien after a short gain during the first half of an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
The Tennessee Titans are still a work in progress. There's promise there.
Marcus Mariota played well, but the Titans came up short on Thursday night, losing 19-13 to the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field.
The Titans are now 2-8, but surprisingly, they're not out of the AFC South picture. Fantasy options, however, are scarce. Other than Mariota, the options aren't there—except for one guy, whom we'll talk about right now.
I continue to say it week in and week out. The value of the tight end this year in fantasy football is scarce. If you have a capable tight end who can be a worthy starting option each week, you've struck gold.
Delanie Walker is one of those tight ends who seems to find value when you least expect it. Walker has become Marcus Mariota's favorite target because 1) he's a veteran, and 2) he can catch. Walker had his first 100-plus-yard day of the season on Thursday.
He may not be at the level of a Rob Gronkowski, but Walker is still an option you should consider to start at tight end. Only one time this year has Walker not caught a pass. That was in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns, and he didn't even play.
He's eighth among tight ends in ESPN's fantasy system, but the fact he's Tennessee's leading receiver is what constitutes that value.
Continue to keep Walker in your lineups. There aren't many tight ends who have been this consistent this year.
Dorial Green-Beckham
Catches
Targets
Yards
Touchdowns
Points
3
6
40
0
4
Dorial Green-Beckham has talent that's going to make him a star for Mariota in the next couple of years.
Thursday was another example of why he's going to need that extra year or two before he can become a reliable weapon in the passing game.
DGB caught only three passes and was targeted six times. There were passes thrown behind him and a couple of them he dropped that he should've had.
There's no denying he has the frame to be a true No. 1 weapon for Mariota in the future. He's 6'5", 237 pounds, and can impose his will on any defensive back in the NFL. Normally, because he's so tall, he would be a good flex option in fantasy. But having two touchdowns on the year is not good. That's why Green-Beckham should not even be touched in fantasy going forward.
In a year or two from now, though, it'll be a different story.
The latest job set to be open in what is already shaping up to be a wild coaching carousel is perhaps the most surprising one, as longtime Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel announced ...
Terry Beckner Injury: Updates on Missouri DE's Knee and Return
Nov 14, 2015
Oct 3, 2015; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. (79) reacts after being disqualified from the game for targeting against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Missouri Tigers announced freshman defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 11 against the BYU Cougars and is out for the year.
Continue for updates.
Beckner to Undergo Surgery on Knee
Friday, Nov. 20
David C. Morrison of the Columbia Daily Tribune reported Beckner will undergo surgery in two-to-three weeks, and should be ready for camp next season.
Injury Comes as Beckner Starts to Hit Stride
Saturday, Nov. 14
Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch passed along a photo of the injury:
Trainers putting Beckner in a knee brace. Looks like cart will take him to the locker room
The freshman got off to a slow start earlier in the season but then came on strong, recording a sack in three of his last four games prior to the injury.
Beckner's absence is a blow to the Missouri defense, which has allowed the fewest points among SEC teams this year but was exposed in Week 10 during a 31-13 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Beckner was one of four Missouri players involved in a Sept. 17 car accident. He was treated and released at the scene, though, and recorded two solo tackles in a 9-6 victory against the Connecticut Huskies two days later.
Gary Pinkel Deserves to Be Remembered for Making Missouri Football Relevant
Nov 13, 2015
Missouri head football coach Gary Pinkel speaks to the media Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, in Columbia, Mo. Football will resume at Missouri following the resignation of University of Missouri system president Tim Wolfe after several members of the team, pointing to Wolfe’s inaction in handling of racial tensions at the school, announced over the weekend that they would not play until the president was gone. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Even for Missouri's standards, the past week has been unlike anything the university has experienced in a long time. Maybe ever.
On Monday, university President Tim Wolfe and Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin resigned in the wake of long-standing, on-campus racial tensions culminating in the hunger strike of student Jonathan Butler. The resignation announcements came one day after the university's football team showed support for a student group, #ConcernedStudent1950, protesting Wolfe's inaction toward racial unrest on campus.
The lasting image of that motion of support was a tweet sent out by head coach Gary Pinkel:
Now, five days later, Missouri football is in the headlines again for completely different reasons.
On Friday, Pinkel announced he is retiring at the end of the 2015 season for health reasons. In a statement released by the university, it was revealed Pinkel was diagnosed with lymphoma in May and received treatment during the next two months. Following a scheduled PET scan on Oct. 26, Pinkel and his family came to the decision this would be his last season as a head coach.
"I still feel good physically, but I decided that I want to focus on enjoying my remaining years with my family and friends, and also have proper time to battle the disease and give full attention to that," Pinkel said in the statement. The coach also took to Twitter to express his thanks:
Family and health first. Thx for thinking of me. GP
The news is gut-wrenching, and all thoughts and prayers should be with Pinkel and his family. That's the only relevant thing to do at this time.
Eventually, though, Missouri will have to move forward. The university statement claims Pinkel "will remain as Mizzou's coach through December 31, 2015, or until a new head coach is in place." Whoever succeeds Pinkel will be succeeding a man who single-handedly made Missouri football relevant.
No hyperbole: Gary Pinkel was greatest thing to ever happen to #Mizzou sports. Resurrected fb, made $, earned SEC bid. Did it right way.
Pinkel has been with the Tigers program for 15 seasons and amassed a record of 117-71. His 190 career wins (including his time at Toledo) are 19th all time in Football Bowl Subdivision history. He's won five divisional titles spanning Missouri's time in the Big 12 and SEC (2007, '08, '10, '13 and '14).
To put it another way, he won divisional titles over Nebraska, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee among others. Think about that for a minute.
The teams Mizzou faced in conference championships were often at the top of college football at the time. In '07, the Tigers were one win away from playing for a national championship but fell to a 10-2 Oklahoma team. The following year, Missouri faced a Sooners team in the Big 12 title game that would go on to play for the BCS national championship.
Gary Pinkel
It was a similar story in the SEC in '13 and '14. In Mizzou's first appearance in the SEC title game, the Tigers played an Auburn team that would go on to play for the BCS national championship. Last year, Missouri played against an Alabama squad that would make the first College Football Playoff.
Pinkel may have never been able to defeat college football's best in conference championship games, but he got within striking distance several times. His teams often overachieved.
Pinkel also showed the ability to transition Missouri's style of football. In the Big 12, the Tigers thrived on being a wide-open offense with offensive stars such as quarterback Chase Daniel, receiver Jeremy Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman. In the SEC, however, Missouri became known as a more formidable defensive team. In '13 and '14, the Tigers led the SEC in sacks. Defensive ends Michael Sam and Shane Ray earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in those years, respectively.
Above all else, however, Pinkel is beloved by those he worked with and coached. Dieter Kurtenbach of KNBR summed up Pinkel as well as anyone could have:
Pinkel's legacy will also be tied to his support for minority students at Missouri. Though Pinkel would later distance himself from #ConcernedStudent1950, his connection to his players has resonated with recruits. Speaking to B/R's Damon Sayles, Missouri commit DaRon Davis talked about the Tigers program as a family that sticks together:
Hearing that my old high school teammate Anthony Sherrils and Coach [Gary] Pinkel supported the protest meant a lot, especially Coach Pinkel. That shows that he really cares about his players. It made me want to go to Mizzou even more. You always want to have a coach who supports his players; you want to be with someone who you trust will take care of you.
When I visited, you could tell Coach Pinkel and the other coaches are like father figures for the players. They told me they're always going to be there for me. Seeing them back that up with their actions and how everybody had each other's backs throughout the ordeal, that's what I love about Missouri.
A man's legacy is not defined by only one thing, but Pinkel will be remembered for his time at Missouri for being an outstanding, loyal coach who cared deeply for his players. College football will miss him dearly.
Moving forward, Missouri should have several suitable candidates from which to choose. As B/R colleague Barrett Sallee notes, there are plenty of solid options from the Mid-American Conference. Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com adds Memphis' Justin Fuente, Temple's Matt Rhule and Houston's Tom Herman to the discussion as well:
Missouri seems perfect for one of the MAC hot shots (Babers, Campbell, Fleck)
But there will be time—more than enough of it—for Missouri to decide in what direction it should go next. For now, though, the stunning news of Pinkel's retirement should be a sobering reminder that what's most important in life is how we treat others.
Because, ultimately, it's the others we depend on when we need the most help in our lives. Right now, Gary Pinkel needs that.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.
Gary Pinkel Will Resign Due to Lymphoma: Details, Reaction
Nov 13, 2015
Missouri Athletics Director Mack Rhoades, left, and head football coach Gary Pinkel address the media Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, in Columbia, Mo. Football will resume at Missouri following the resignation of University of Missouri system president Tim Wolfe after several members of the team, pointing to Wolfe’s inaction in handling of racial tensions at the school, announced over the weekend that they would not play until the president was gone. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Missouri head football coach Gary Pinkel is resigning after the season as he continues treatment for lymphoma.
According to an official release from Missouri's athletic website, Pinkel said he was diagnosed with the disease in May but decided to keep coaching as long as his health would allow:
I made the decision in May, after visiting with my family, that I wanted to keep coaching, as long as I felt good and had the energy I needed. I felt great going into the season, but also knew that I would need to re-assess things at some point, and I set our bye week as the time when I would take stock of the future. After we played Vanderbilt [Oct. 24], I had a scheduled PET scan on Oct. 26thfor reassessment, and then visited with my family and came to the decision on October 27th that this would be my last year coaching. I still feel good physically, but I decided that I want to focus on enjoying my remaining years with my family and friends, and also have proper time to battle the disease and give full attention to that.
Pinkel added that he was "not doing poorly" health-wise and the disease is "manageable," though he noted "it's one that will never go away."
Missouri athletic director Mack Rhoades said in the release that Pinkel's impact goes beyond the university.
"Gary is truly a coaching legend as the winningest coach at two Division I institutions while leaving a profound impact on a countless number of young men," Rhoades said. "We are extremely appreciative of all that he has done for Mizzou."
The 63-year-old Pinkel has been a head football coach at the collegiate level since 1991, when he took over at the University of Toledo. In 10 years with the Rockets, he posted a 73-37-3 record, which included an undefeated 1995 campaign. He was hired by Missouri after the 2000 season, leading the Tigers to 10 bowl games and five division titles between the Big 12 and SEC.
Mike Hall of the Big Ten Network shared some impressive numbers underscoring the difference Pinkel made in terms of recruiting and developing talent at Missouri:
Amazing Pinkel stuff - 32 NFL Draft picks, 7 in the first round. Mizzou had 12 first rounders in the previous 64 years combined
The Tigers have gotten off to a rough 4-5 start this season, but that doesn't diminish the totality of Pinkel's accomplishments with the program. He took a school that won a total of seven games in two years before he arrived and turned it into a consistent presence in the Top 25 rankings.
Pinkel's time at Missouri is coming to an end sooner than anyone expected, but he leaves huge shoes to fill.
Mizzou Players Turned a Social Movement into a Business Decision—and Won
Nov 11, 2015
COLUMBIA, MO - NOVEMBER 10: Members of the University of Missouri Tigers football team return to practice at Memorial Stadium at Faurot Field on November 10, 2015 in Columbia, Missouri. The university looks to get things back to normal after the recent protests on campus that lead to the resignation of the school's President and Chancellor on November 9. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The hunger strike was over. Students and alumni were dancing arm in arm, celebrating a victory of activism. The football team had ended its boycott and gone back to work. University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe had resigned.
And football coach Gary Pinkel and athletic director Mack Rhoades were holding a very awkward press conference.
They were proud to have supported the players during the boycott and said they had done the right thing. Pinkel said he did it "because a young man's life was on the line."
Yes, grad student Jonathan Butler apparently was fading after days of his hunger strike. He had refused to eat until Wolfe was out.
"My support," Pinkel said, "had nothing to do with anyone losing their job."
So, it was about Butler's stance? About the university needing to address racism on campus?
Oddly, Pinkel and Rhoades seemed to be avoiding any talk about that.
Finally, I asked directly: Didn't the players' boycott make a statement about the racial climate on campus? "I think there might be some of that," Pinkel said.
Some of that?
Hold on a minute.
The narrative we built, through the media and our own perspectives, was that this was 1960s-style social activism. There were two basic points to it: 1) The racial climate on campus is toxic, and 2) The president had to go.
It was about right beating might. That's what we wanted it to be, anyway.
But then there was no evidence that Pinkel and Rhoades—crucial players in the resolution—had even considered the merits of the cause. There was no evidence that they had been swept up in a social movement and had changed. Why?
Because all around, this was not your father's protest.
The anatomy of a movement looks different now. Maybe Missouri's students defined that over the past few days. Something great happened in Columbia, and that was about students finding their voices, discovering who they are. That's what college is about.
But this wasn't so much of a social movement as a business negotiation. For the students, it was a very successful business negotiation.
The key elements of a social movement were missing here. There was no groundswell of support before Wolfe resigned. Hardly anyone on campus even knew what was happening more than 48 hours before it happened.
That's when 30 or so black members of the football team announced they weren't going to practice or play games until Wolfe was gone.
That could have meant millions of dollars in losses to the school. The balance sheet changed the game, and in short order Wolfe went overboard. He wasn't worth the millions. Simple as that.
No one was guilted into anything. No one was smacked in the face with a realization over doing the right thing for humanity.
That's what it was about from the social end. But the students knew better than to appeal on moral ground. Right as they might be, they knew that they couldn't rely on right against might. They needed might, and the football team was might.
Making it about business doesn't make it any less of a victory.
Sophomore Alayah Abdullah, an African-American biological engineering major from St. Louis, stood in the quad watching the celebration.
"I don't feel uncomfortable here," she said. "But I do feel there is a racial tension."
Do you think the football team made this happen?
"Money was talking," she said. "When they talked, everyone came. It shouldn't play a part, but it does."
Kelsey Thompson, a senior who's white and majoring in fisheries and wildlife, agreed that the cause shouldn't have been money. She also wished it had been more about right and wrong.
"It kind of goes to show what's important," she said. "I hate to say it, but it was about hitting them in the pocketbook. It was fueled by money."
She said the football team didn't deserve full credit, but she also said she was surprised at how quickly Wolfe was gone after the players joined in.
This isn't to lessen what happened. Maybe it's even better this way: The Occupy Wall Street people spent all that time protesting all over the country, and how much did they accomplish? At Missouri, it was done all neat and tidy in two days.
Butler had been starving himself and no one noticed. The football team jumped in, and…
Goodbye Mr. President.
And why does the football team have such power? Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star, who had a copy of the contract Missouri signed for this Saturday's game against Brigham Young in Kansas City, wrote that if Missouri didn't play the game, it would have been obligated to pay BYU $1 million. Not to mention other auxiliary lost revenue.
One game, a million dollars. This is the explosion of money that is happening in college football, especially since the creation of the College Football Playoff last year.
ESPN has forked over more than $5 billion to show the first 12 years of the College Football Playoff and the big bowls connected to it. According to Palmer, Missouri's football team brought in $17.5 million last year in ticket revenue alone.
What might be the most surprising takeaway from this is that the players wielded so much might. Northwestern players tried to form a union recently, but that fell through.
It's nothing new to point out the importance of money in, well, pretty much anything. But it's a measure of where things are that when the school didn't blink at an appeal made on the basis of conscience, the group that started the protest knew where to turn.
And when it went to the football team, it was a dagger right the university's beating wallet.
"We knew from the start that change would happen," Missouri receiver J'Mon Moore told Bleacher Report during a rally in the quad Monday afternoon. "The future is to let players know all around the world that they need to stand by whatever they believe in."
Moore was walking with teammate Charles Harris, a defensive end in an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt, who said, "Let this be a testament to all of the athletes across the country that you do have power."
COLUMBIA, MO - NOVEMBER 9: University of Missouri-Columbia Athletic Director Mack Rhoades (L) speaks to the media during a news conference on the campus of University of Missouri - Columbia on November 9, 2015 in Columbia, Missouri. University of Missouri
With Pinkel and Rhoades, it seemed the negotiation was continuing.
Pinkel said that this was a one-time thing, that he had been coaching for decades and hadn't seen anything like this before. He made it clear that the players had asked him for permission before joining the movement. He thinks there will be no next time.
But there will be. Times are changing. Athletes and other students are learning.
This isn't a cynical message, because the goals of the students weren't any less pure. When the students celebrated on campus, they chanted, "It's our duty to fight for our freedom. It's our duty to love each other…Power, power, power, power, power."
Power. They have learned how to get things done. It isn't about right vs. might anymore.
It's about becoming the might.
Greg Couch covers college football for Bleacher Report.
What It Was Like to Witness Change on the University of Missouri Campus
Nov 11, 2015
Students gathered on Carnahan Quad on the University of Missouri campus Monday to call for president Tim Wolfe's resignation.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Mornings are usually pretty quiet on Carnahan Quad, the open field separating the Missouri School of Law and the Trulaske College of Business. Monday morning, the tiger statue at the south end of the quad watched as a crowd of hundreds roared. They wanted action, and answers.
Saturday, players on the Mizzou football team announced via Twitter that they were standing in solidarity with graduate student Jonathan Butler and his hunger strike against UM System President Tim Wolfe. The team would not be participating in any football-related activities until Butler was able to eat again.
Sunday, head coach Gary Pinkel tweeted his support. There would be no more practices for his Tigers. The noise—on the quad and throughout campus—got louder and louder.
It was the most tension-filled moment on a campus where tensions have been steadily rising for weeks.
On October 5, the Legion of Black Collegians was rehearsing for a homecoming celebration when a man talking loudly on his phone approached the members and was politely asked to leave. As he was leaving, the group said, he used a racial slur. The group released a letter via its Twitter account, detailing the events and calling for action from the University of Missouri.
On October 21, Concerned Student 1950—named after the year the first African American student was admitted to the University of Missouri—released a list of eight demands for change, per Ruth Serven of the Missourian. Among those demands was a call for a change in the school administration, specifically requesting Wolfe's resignation over feelings of insufficient action on issues of racial equality.
The conflict between MU and Concerned Student 1950 finally reached its apex Monday morning. Shortly before 10 a.m., I was walking along the quad, where members of Concerned Student 1950 had set up their camp. It looked like there were at least 500 students there, chanting, cheering and calling for answers.
Then, all of a sudden, came the announcement that Wolfe was resigning.
Cheers erupted from the crowd that had gathered steadily throughout the morning. I watched as the 11 original leaders of Concerned Student 1950, who were at the center of it all, immediately broke down in tears, entered into prayer and joined together to sing hymns.
Among those 11 original leaders was Butler, the grad student whose hunger strike grabbed national headlines. One week into his hunger strike, he needed people on either side of him to help him stand. He raised his right fist up in the air and mouthed "thank you" to the members of the crowd.
That moment was roaring with emotion. What they had been fighting for had happened. They got their answer.
A feeling of relief seemed to overcome the crowd. They hugged one another and wiped away each other's tears—tears of joy.
Then a chant broke out: "I believe that we will win. I believe that we will win."
Students flocked to the quad from every direction, joining their fellow classmates arm in arm to support the change that is occurring on this campus. It wasn't just African-American students. It was white students, African-American faculty, white faculty, Latinos, Asians.
Current and former Mizzou football players, including Michael Sam, came to join in the celebration on the quad.
Student leaders ran around inside the circle of students who had linked arms around them, singing and dancing.
This was the moment the campus came together in support of the quest for change largely inspired by Butler, Concerned Student 1950 and the players on the Mizzou football team.
MU had been pushing this idea of "One Mizzou" since it mobilized to help victims of the Joplin tornado in 2011. Monday, it felt like it really was one Mizzou in Columbia.
But the reality is Wolfe's resignation is only one step in the march toward change.
There is much more work to be done.
Jason Boatright is a junior at the University of Missouri, majoring in convergence journalism and minoring in political science.
Tim Wolfe Resigns as Missouri President Amid Protests, Boycott by Football Team
Nov 9, 2015
University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe participates in a news conference Friday, April 11, 2014, in Rolla, Mo. The news conference was held to discuss an outside legal review of the university's response to a case involving school swimmer Sasha Menu Courey, who killed herself 16 months after an alleged off-campus rape by as many as three football players in February 2010. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) hs after an alleged off-campus rape by as many as three football players in February 2010. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
A day after saying he would not resign amid racial tensions on campus, Missouri President Tim Wolfe has had a change of heart.
According to David Morrison of the Columbia Daily Tribune, Wolfe announced his resignation Monday, effective immediately, after days of protests and the threat of a boycott from the Missouri football team.
"My motivation in making this decision comes from love," Wolfe said in a statement, per Morrison. "I love MU and the state of Missouri, where I grew up."
Later on Monday, Missouri Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin also announced his resignation, effective the end of this year, per KOMU 8 News.
After Wolfe and Loftin's resignations, Missouri athletic director Mack Rhoades said the boycott was "in no way an ideal way to evoke change," per Brett McMurphy of ESPN.
However, a group of Missouri football players addressed the media, saying, "This should be a testament to athletes across the country; you do have power," per Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com.
Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared the scene from campus in the immediate aftermath of the announcement:
The students at Mizzou have built a human shield to block reporters from interviewing peaceful protesters pic.twitter.com/YCZjuvIZDL
The university has not said who will take over on an interim basis. Wolfe came under fire in recent days after student Jonathan Butler began a hunger strike on Nov. 2 aimed at getting the school president removed. Butler was motivated by multiple instances of racism on campus he felt were not properly handled by university administration.
"I already feel like campus is an unlivable space," Butler told Michael E. Miller of the Washington Post. "So it's worth sacrificing something of this grave amount, because I'm already not wanted here. I'm already not treated like I'm a human."
Emma Vandelinder of the Missourian posted a timeline that depicts a Missouri campus with ever-increasing racial tensions. Incidents this fall alone included multiple students posting about being called racial slurs on campus and an unknown person painting a swastika in human feces on a bathroom wall.
A student group, Concerned Student 1950, has been protesting the incidents with increased fervor over the past month. In October, the group blocked a car carrying Wolfe on homecoming weekend. There have also been near-constant demonstrations on campus without much action from administration.
The situation crested over the weekend when the Missouri football team pledged solidarity and was planning to boycott all activities until Wolfe resigned or was removed from his post.
"The athletes of color on the University of Missouri football team truly believe 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,'" a statement from the Legion of Black Collegians read. "We will no longer participate in any football-related activities until President Tim Wolfe resigns or is removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students' experience."
When asked about his team's stance, head coach Gary Pinkel said, per SportsCenter, "I didn't look at consequences. It was about supporting my players. ... I did the right thing."
Some faculty members joined the cause Monday by boycotting their own classes before news of Wolfe's resignation became public. A group called Concerned Faculty released a statement, per Kelly Stevenson of ABC News:
We, the concerned faculty of the University of Missouri, stand in solidarity with the Mizzou student activists who are advocating for racial justice on our campus and urge all MU faculty to demonstrate their support by walking out on Monday November 9 and Tuesday November 10, 2015 along with other allies such as the Forum on Graduate Rights.
Missouri running back Trevon Walters confirmed the team will resume football activities immediately, per Morrison. The Tigers host BYU on Saturday. Pinkel also said the team will meet Monday night and then go back to "business as usual," via Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
DaRon Davis to Missouri: Tigers Land 4-Star Athlete Prospect
Nov 6, 2015
Class of 2017 4-star athlete DaRon Davis has verbally committed to the Missouri Tigers, according to Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star.
Davis had offers from only two teams, according to 247Sports. Along with Missouri, the Kansas Jayhawks also offered the No. 2-ranked prospect in the state of Missouri. Florida State and Minnesota were among other teams who visited him.
Davis becomes the Tigers' first commitment for 2017, and it's a solid get for head coach Gary Pinkel. The 6'2", 190-pound athlete from Kansas City has had a solid junior year for Hogan Preparatory Academy.
Davis has the height to be a quality receiver in Missouri's passing game, but he also could be a bruising running back out of the spread formation. Palmer noted that he would more likely be a receiver based on Pinkel's history with recruiting.
"Davis’ build—6'2" and 185 pounds—suggest more of a wide receiver based historically on the Tigers’ recruiting profile," Palmer wrote. "He boasts a 42-inch vertical and also had a scholarship offer from Kansas."
With one more year of high school football under his belt, Davis could still put on 10-20 more pounds before starting his college career.
Also, that No. 2 state ranking may not stay that way for long. If he's putting up numbers like that in his junior year, Davis could have a number-shattering senior year.
Is Missouri Doomed vs. South Carolina Without QB Maty Mauk?
Sep 30, 2015
LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 26: Maty Mauk #7 of the Missouri Tigers passes against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on September 26, 2015 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Losing an experienced starter ahead of a conference game is usually bad news.
But the feeling around Missouri seems different this week as junior quarterback Maty Mauk will miss the Tigers' home matchup this Saturday against South Carolina.
According to Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri announced on Tuesday that it has suspended Mauk and backup left tackle Malik Cuellar for the South Carolina game "for disciplinary reasons related to a violation of team policies."
Mauk & Cuellar suspended for violation of undisclosed team policy. Status going forward "will be evaluated after the game," per MU statement
The Missouri quarterback's suspension comes during a time of great frustration for the entire Tigers offense.
Through the first four games of the season, Missouri is ranked near the bottom nationally in several major categories and is coming off a 21-13 loss to division foe Kentucky.
Category
Statistic
FBS Rank
SEC Rank
Total Yards per Game
328.3
119th
14th
Points per Game
20.8
115th
14th
Passing Yards per Attempt
6.5
94th
11th
Pass Efficiency Rating
117.7
99th
12th
Rushing Yards per Play
3.2
118th
14th
Mauk has been at the center of that offensive inefficiency for Missouri, which had to replace its top four wide receivers heading into 2015. The junior has only completed 51.8 percent of his passes for 654 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.
According to Matter, Mauk's completion percentage and efficiency rating (112.5) are the lowest for a Missouri quarterback in a four-game stretch since the 2001 season.
By comparison, those two figures for Mauk are both worse than those of Auburn's Jeremy Johnson, who was benched after three games in favor of redshirt freshman Sean White.
Missouri QB Drew Lock
While Missouri's situation is different because of Mauk's suspension, these Tigers will also have to go with a freshman at quarterback for their SEC home opener.
True freshman Drew Lock has played in all four games this season for Missouri, getting at least one second-quarter series in each. Lock also played in the fourth quarter against Southeast Missouri State and Connecticut.
According to Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel opted not to use Lock in the second half of road games against Arkansas State and Kentucky. Against Kentucky, Lock's only drive pushed the Tigers into field-goal range before a 15-yard sack on third down.
So far this season, Lock has completed 15 of 25 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and one interception, giving him a pass efficiency rating of 140.8.
While Lock will presumably be forced into his first career start this weekend against South Carolina, the new blood should be a good thing for the Tigers offense.
"When you are devoid of proven playmakers, you look first for consistency, then for potential," Connelly wrote. "Even in his best days, Maty Mauk isn't particularly consistent ... At this point, there's no question that the player with the most potential on this offense is Drew Lock. Or, more specifically, Lock's right arm."
LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 26: Drew Lock #3 of the Missouri Tigers winds up for a pass against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on September 26, 2015 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Before the news of Mauk's suspension broke on Tuesday, former defensive star Michael Sam voiced his opinion on Missouri's quarterback situation on Monday, favoring Lock because of what he's showcased through the first few games of the season.
"I think you start Drew Lock in (this week’s South Carolina game)," Sam said, per Brendan Marks of InsideSTL.com. "See how he does, then he might be the guy. ... I played against Maty. He’s a great talented quarterback. But I don’t know where his mind is right now."
Michael Sam tells @CBSSports920 that he thinks they need to get rid of the two quarterback rotation, pick Maty Mauk or Drew Lock
Lock will be in a tough situation on Saturday, as Missouri is looking to stay alive in the SEC East race and avoid the 0-2 start in the conference.
But Missouri is far from doomed without Mauk because South Carolina's defense will give Lock plenty of opportunities to show what he's capable of doing with a full workload.
After all, these are the same Gamecocks who allowed Georgia's Greyson Lambert to bounce back from a rough start against Vanderbilt and break an all-time completion percentage record in a 330-yard, three-touchdown performance.
Kentucky's Patrick Towles completed 72.4 percent of his passes against South Carolina, while North Carolina's Marquise Williams broke the 60 percent mark despite three bad interceptions in the Gamecocks' season opener.
If there's any ideal SEC East opponent against which to break in a first-time starting quarterback, it's probably South Carolina.
While Missouri hopes to improve through the air with this change, a major question mark will be how the Tigers replace the rushing talents of their former starting signal-caller.
Through his passing struggles, Mauk is Missouri's second-leading rusher with 145 yards on 36 carries, and he's the only Tiger to find the end zone on the ground this season.
A former 4-star, pro-style quarterback, Lock hasn't had the chance to run the ball yet this season for Missouri. However, he's not completely stationary in the pocket.
According to 247Sports, Lock rushed for 282 yards and six touchdowns in his senior season of high school. Those numbers aren't outstanding, but they should give the Tigers some confidence as they try to figure things out with a rushing attack that is among the worst in the FBS this season.
If Lock can continue to be a more precise arm for Missouri and help open things up in the running game, he might be exactly what the Tigers need to snap out of this cold start to 2015.
As the numbers show, things can only go up from here for this Missouri offense.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
