Mizzou Football: Multiple Linemen Named to Outland Trophy Watchlist

Every offseason, there's plenty of talk about the skill position players on a football team and the impact they'll have in the upcoming campaign. However, one position group that doesn't get the same kind of attention is the offensive line. These players fight in the trenches season after season, grinding to improve while sacrificing their bodies for the team.

The Outland Trophy is a prestigious award that recognizes the best interior offensive lineman in the country each year. Over the past week, the preseason watchlist for the Outland Trophy was released, and Missouri had two representatives named to this list.

Both Cam'Ron Johnson and Armand Membou played major roles in Missouri's successful 2023. They will be looking to come back even stronger this season, with two new running backs behind them. Both interior offensive linemen have been recognized on the Outland Trophy preseason watchlist.

Cam'Ron Johnson

Johnson has been around the college landscape for quite some time, using this experience to grow tremendously over the years. Coming out of high school in 2018, the native of Houston, Texas, was a consensus three-star recruit and received offers from Arizona, Colorado, SMU, and Texas Tech before committing to the Houston Cougars.

During his time at Houston, Johnson gradually earned more playing time. He didn't appear in any games in 2019 and was granted a redshirt. In 2020, the 6-foot-4 guard played in just one game. By the 2021 season, Johnson was still the backup left guard but appeared in all 13 games, taking a total of 669 snaps.

In 2022, as a redshirt junior, Johnson made an immediate impact by starting all 13 games and allowing just a single sack. He capped off this remarkable year by allowing zero pressures in their bowl game. After a successful season, Johnson sought a change of scenery and transferred to Missouri to continue his career.

As a redshirt senior in 2023, Johnson made an incredible impact at Mizzou. He started 12 of the 13 games for one of the best offensive lines in the country, which was named a semi-finalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive line in the nation. Heading into his final season, Johnson will be looked upon as one of the leaders for this offensive line.

Armand Membou

Membou, a native of Lee's Summit, Missouri, was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of high school. He chose to stay close to home, committing to Mizzou ahead of the 2022 season. In his first year, Membou saw significant action despite his true freshman status. The true freshman played in 11 games, starting the final five.

As a sophomore, Membou started all 13 games for the Tigers, contributing significantly to one of the nation's best offensive lines. The right tackle has been exceptional given his age, and with two years of eligibility remaining, we can expect big things from him heading into 2024.

Membou was a huge part of the offensive unit that rushed for 200 yards on five occasions and broke the century mark in all but one game. It will be interesting to monitor his development, and his future certainly looks bright.