Missouri Tigers Offensive Line: Spring Football Position Previews

The Tigers are in the midst of their second week of spring football and finding out who will be big contributors in 2015. Yesterday, we learned who will line up alongside the offensive line at the tight end position, so let’s take a look at who will be the primary blockers up front.

Going into and throughout 2014, one couldn’t say that the Missouri Tigers Offensive Line was a position of stability. That won’t be the case in 2015 as the Tigers return multiple starters or people who have started at left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle.

Those starters include all seniors Taylor Chappell (right tackle), Connor McGovern (right guard and tackle), Evan Boehm (center), Brad McNulty (left guard), and Mitch Hall (both left and right guard). The inital depth chart shows Chappell starting at left tackle, Hall at left guard, Boehm at center, McGovern at right guard, and redshirt sophomore Clay Rhodes at right tackle.

Sep 27, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; Missouri Tigers offensive line man Evan Boehm (77) drops back into pass protection blocking during the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Missouri wins in the final minutes 21-20 over South Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

McNulty is currently sidelined because he is recovering from labrum surgery, but will likely be able to come back in a couple of weeks.

The second unit consists of redshirt freshmen Paul Adams at LT and Kevin Pendelton at LG, redshirt sophomore Alec Abelin at C, senior Jordan Williams at RG, and redshirt sophomore Nate Crawford at RT.

Over the past two years, the Missouri Tigers offensive line had a member get drafted (Justin Britt, second round) and another that will be drafted (Mitch Morse, projected mid-round). I think that Boehm and McGovern will join that group when 2015 is all said and done.

Though he’s currently third on the depth chart, it’s possible that the eventual starter at LT will be JUCO transfer Malik Cueller. Cueller is a true junior, with two years to play two, meaning he didn’t redshirt. The City College of San Francisco took advantage of the 6-foot-5 300 pounder’s athleticism and had him run out and “pull”, or get out and be a lead blocker on run plays.

Current starter at LT Taylor Chappell was the teams’ starter on the right side for the final 10 games after the entire line had to be reshuffled after the Indiana game. There were times when he played okay, but he really struggled with false starts, and was a liability especially in the Arkansas game. Future NFL hopeful Trey Flowers had multiple sacks against Chappell.

McNulty and Hall both are seniors and both have starting experience. If both were healthy, I’d give the edge to McNulty to be the eventual starter, as he was a stable piece after the reshuffling of the group. Hall transfered from Ole Miss, and was the teams’ opening starter at right guard.

Evan Boehm will be a rare four-year starter for Gary Pinkel, as the 6-foot-3, 315 pound center has spent the last two years snapping the ball to the quarterback. In Boehm’s freshman year in 2012, he was a starter at right guard.

The Indiana game was rough for him as he struggled with several high snaps, but that was really his only bad game one could point to. In addition to his stability along the line, he also has a great personality and has and will be a team leader in 2015.

Oct 18, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers offensive line man Connor McGovern (60) blocks Florida Gators defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr. (94) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Connor McGovern is another name that has been around the Missouri program for a while. He started at right guard in 2013 and right tackle in 2014, but moved back inside after, you guessed it: the Indiana game. Once he moved back, the running game dramatically improved. This was particularly noticeable in the Citrus Bowl where he and Boehm dominated Minnesota’s defensive line.

The Fargo, North Dakota native stands at a massive 6-foot-4, 310 pounds and is as strong as an ox. He apparently can squat more than 700 pounds. In addition to his brute strength, he reportedly can run a 4.87 forty yard dash, which would have been the fastest among o-line hopefuls at last month’s NFL Combine.

Clay Rhodes is the only current starter without any starting experience. In fact, I don’t believe that he’s appeared in a game. However, he has impressed in practices dating back to when he arrived in the summer of 2013, he just was too young to usurp Justin Britt or Mitch Morse. The depth chart may change but Rhodes has the potential to be a building block for the line over the next couple of years.

Nothing’s set in stone for this group, and they’ll continue to battle it out over the spring, summer, and fall. This is the one unit that five guys need to play as one. We’ve seen examples of when they have (Citrus Bowl against Minnesota) and when they haven’t (Indiana).

In order for them to make it back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship for a third consecutive year, the Missouri Tigers offensive line has to pave the way for the offense.

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