It was approaching May, and the Missouri Tigers were still without a commitment. That’s rather odd considering that the Tigers are reigning SEC East champions and have won it two years in a row.
There might have been some concern of how slow the recuiting process was going, but the first domino finally fell Sunday when in-state offensive lineman Trystan Castillo from Webb City pledged to the Tigers.
Castillo anchored the line for Missouri Class 4 champion Cardinals who went undefeated at 15-0. According to MaxPreps, Webb City is 44-1 in Castillo’s time there with three state championships. The lone loss wasn’t even in the state of Missouri, as they took a road trip and lost a close contest to Har-Ber in Arkansas.
Basically, Castillo knows how to win and he doesn’t want that to change once he comes to Columbia next year. He’ll get to watch one of the better o-lines the Tigers have had this year, but after the 2015 season, it’ll be interesting to see how the line shakes out.
Oct 18, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers offensive lineman 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
So what does Castillo bring to the table other than a winning culture? Well a big body at 6-foot-4 280 pounds, and a frame to get even bigger and stronger. His HUDL film showed him playing both sides of the line and enough brute strength to knock a lineman on his rear if he makes the first step.
That frame is awfully similar to Connor McGovern coming out of high school as McGovern was only five pounds lighter. It’s a shame that McGovern won’t be around to mentor and compete against Castillio as he is graduating and likely moving on to the NFL after this season.
I can see o-line coach A.J. Ricker starting him out at tackle, but eventually moving over to guard. If Castillo has the training and work ethic like McGovern did, then he may eventually be a mainstay on the Tigers offensive line for a couple of years.
Most incoming offensive linemen receive a redshirt their first year on campus, and Castillo may be a candidate to get one to learn and lift. However, depending upon how the line plays in 2016, there’s a chance that Castillo will be battling for a chance to play as a redshirt freshman.
I’m sure that was on his mind when he told Gary Pinkel that he was going to be a Missouri Tiger on Sunday, but I’m positive one of his immediate goals is to four-peat and win another state championship at Webb City.
Tiger fans can rest easy now knowing that there will be someone coming to the football program in 2016. It took a while, but they got a good one in Castillo.