Welcome to another edition of “Ask Truman.” This week’s question comes from a fan who is asking a question that most every other Mizzou fan is grappling with right now…
Dear Truman’s Tales,
How badly should Missouri Tigers fans be worried about the wide receiving issues facing the team next season?
–Bryant in Chesterfield, MO
Well, this might be the A-No. 1 concern for all Missouri Tigers fans going into next season. If I had to put a ranking on it on a scale from “1” to “freaking the heck out,” it’d probably much closer to the latter. And let’s put it this way, you know the coaches are kind of worried when they’re calling up a redshirt freshman DEFENSIVE player to come up and play wide receiver.
But everyone take a deep breath. Relax. All will be ok. Why do I say that with so much confidence? Well, there are a couple of reasons. I’ll get to that in moment. But first, I want to remind you that some of the best offenses in college football in the past have had a bunch of nobodies catching passes for them. Ohio State last season had Devin Smith and then youngsters, and that was a seriously dynamic offense.
Oct 25, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Nate Brown (2) warms up before the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Mizzou will have Nate Brown and a bunch of freshman. That’s kind of where we’re headed. Is Nate Brown Devin Smith? Absolutely not. But he can be a wicked weapon as a slot receiver. If he can stay healthy, the Tigers will at least have him as a key asset to keep things afloat.
Here are some other reassuring things to keep in mind.
- The Tigers have been here before
Every year it seems like, Mizzou is put into this situation. The main senior wide receivers graduate, the young guys were few and far between as it was and the best wide receiver from the previous season is gone. 2015 will be no different. And that doesn’t seem to be a huge crutch for this program. Considering the two consecutive SEC Championship appearances, the Tigers are well prepared to do a lot with a little again. If Nate Brown can stay healthy, we should feel confident that Mizzou’s receiving core can get by with some talented youngsters trying to make their way onto the team this spring.
- The Tigers have everything else they need on offense
Why, in a nutshell, can this team still produce on offense without a solid receiving core? Because they’re sitting pretty everywhere else. Outside of wide receiver, there is pretty much little for the Tigers to really worry about. You have a second year starter Maty Mauk—who’s the second most experienced quarterback in the SEC—you have potential record breaking running back Russell Hansbrough leading the charge from the back field, and the offensive line is perhaps the best attribute the team will have next season. Simply put, fans shouldn’t panic about the way the offense is struggling during spring football. That’s normal. That’s growing pains. It will stay like that, probably going into the season. And thankfully, the Tigers have some pretty easy opponents to start 2015 to get their bearings straight.
- The Tigers don’t need to have the most prolific offense anyways
In case you need a refresher, the Missouri Tigers offense was far from prolific a season ago. Plagued by injuries, really bad discipline and mistakes, and the inability to protect the quarterback, the Tigers offense was as anemic as they come at some points during the year. They were mediocre at their best in 2014. And yet they still won the SEC East. Of course, this is in large part due to the defense’s outstanding play. And while the defense is looking to be a little bit thinner next season, we should rest easy knowing that they will still hold their own. If Missouri’s offense can improve even a little—which I think it will—it can cover for some of the lost production on the defensive side.
If you’re still in a frenzy about this offense’s ability to perform, that’s okay. We haven’t really been given a lot of evidence that it will be able to succeed, but that’s all in good time. Be patient, and hope that these wide receivers grow up fast. And know that the rest of the offense is in good position to help carry things in 2015.