After taking the opportunity to look at the quarterback room, we now get the opportunity to take a gander at the men behind them, the running backs. Unlike the quarterback room, the running backs bolster a fair amount of experience, as well as showcasing top-end talent in the 24’ season. However, before we break that down, let’s take a look at what the Tigers lost last season.

Missouri saw men heading out in droves after last season, with Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll running out of eligibility.  Nate Noel, who transferred from App State for his final year of eligibility, led the Tiger rushing attack with 818 yards and 3 touchdowns. His season was highlighted by an excellent game against Boston College, where he would run for 121 yards on 22 carries. 

Marcus Carroll was RB2, but had to often insert himself into the starting role due to injuries. Carroll showed a knack for being a physical runner, with respectable speed to go alongside it. Carroll ran for 595 yards on 140 carries, which left him at 4.3 yards per carry. While that may not burst the eye open, where Carroll saw his value was at the goal line. Due to his in-between-the-tackles running style, Carroll saw himself into the endzone 12 times. 

Lastly, true freshman Kewan Lacy, who ran for 104 yards last season and saw a plethora of meaningful snaps, made his way back to Oxford this offseason. Lacy showed impressive agility and bursts of speed that had fans drooling at the potential, but due to an overcrowded room, Lacy departed to go to Ole Miss, which was alongside Missouri in the initial top 2.

That covers all that Eli and company lost, but what was returned? Junior Jamal Roberts returns after a season where he featured in the 3rd down halfback role. Roberts was known as the best pass-blocking back on the team and provided great efficiency in short-yardage situations. Roberts touched the ball 53 times and accumulated 216 yards, which resulted in an impressive 4.3 yards per carry. Roberts will likely be running back two this season, and I would expect him to receive an extended role in the offense.

Junior Tavorus Jones also returns and looks to give a solid depth piece to the room. Unlike Roberts, Jones hasn’t had the opportunity to see the field much in his time as a Tiger, as he has found himself in the fourth-string role. Jones was a heralded 4-star prospect out of Texas and was one of Eli’s first big prospects.

Now we get into what makes this room exciting and potentially one of the best position groups on the team. Missouri is receiving two newcomers who are expected to make quite the impact, the first of which is freshman Marquise Davis. Davis is a high-end four-star from Cleveland, who displays great speed, and despite being just 5’11, runs with all of his 215 lb frame. In his senior season, Davis ran for just shy of 1,700 yards on 180 carries, with 23 touchdowns to add to that stellar season. Davis originally was committed to Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats, but a visit to Mizzou flipped a switch. After decommitting, Davis would commit to the Tigers on the same day.  Davis is referred to as an “NFL caliber body” by running back coach Curtis Luper, and can possibly contend for the backup position to a name we are about to mention.

Now we get to the gem of the room, transfer from UL-Monroe, Ahmad Hardy. Hardy had an immaculate freshman year for the Warhawks, winning freshman of the year for the Sun Belt Conference, due to his 1,351 yards on the ground on 262 carries, adding 13 touchdowns. The most impressive stat is that 1,000 of those yards came after contact, proving himself to be nearly impossible to bring down on the first hit. Hardy ranked 12th in the country in total rushing, and when Hardy entered the portal, Drink and his staff knew they had their guy. Hardy will by far be the most worked running back, with the expectation of receiving 70-80% of the team’s carries. Hardy will look to carry on a lengthy list of Missouri running backs who saw themselves in the NFL, with the likes of Larry Rountree, Tyler Badie, and Cody Schraeder. 

Overall, Mizzou replaced their losses with more production and top-end potential, and with the team being led by an inexperienced QB (no matter who starts), this will likely be a very run-dominant team. It’s easy to imagine that Hardy will break the 1,000-yard mark, Roberts will pitch in a few hundred, and the wild card is Marquise Davis.

Final letter prediction: A-