We heard from Eli Drinkwitz and a few of the Tigers’ incoming transfers
The media had an opportunity to speak to head coach Eli Drinkwitz and some of the team’s offseason additions in the transfer portal Tuesday, with topics ranging from the upcoming portal window and the quarterback competition to horse riding.
Eli Drinkwitz | Head coach
- On this season’s goals: “The challenge for us is we want to do something that’s never been done before at the University of Missouri, and that’s win an SEC championship, participate in the playoff, and/or be the first time in school history to have three 10+ win seasons in a row. That’s a challenge that’s going to be hard, but we embrace it. We embrace the chase, embrace the opportunity to do something that’s never been done before.”
- On the quarterback battle, Drinkwitz said that Sam Horn and Beau Pribula will be the two options to start and will compete heading into the fall. While he also mentioned that Matt Zollers impressed the staff, it was clear after roughly a week and a half that Horn and Pribula would be the top two options.
- On Horn: “I thought he took advantage of his rehab reps in bowl practice and really continued that throughout the spring. I thought he managed the offense well, led really well, made solid decisions. We would make a mistake and he didn’t carry it over, and I thought he took the competition with Beau very well.”
- On Pribula: “Beau was every bit of what we expected, and in fact, I think he was a better passer than anticipated.”
- Continued: “I knew Beau would have a little bit of, you know, still learning the offense, but I was impressed with how much he’s already understanding it and grabbed a hold of it. [He’s] an excellent leader, very dynamic with his feet, sound, solid decision maker.”
- On the battle: “Like I told them, from this point on, everything’s judged. How they approach walk through, how they approach the team and the team meeting, how they handle themselves in workouts; all of it is going to help determine who becomes the next starting quarterback.”
- More on the competition: “I told both of them, our team is going to either thrive because of this competition or be divided because of this competition. And that’s going to be reflected on how you two handle it. I think both of them have done a really good job of cheering for each other, challenging each other, but also connecting with each other as teammates, and it’s been fun to watch.”
- On Drew Pyne entering the portal: “We wish him absolutely the best. It was his dream to play a more meaningful role, and that’s understandable. That’s what the portal is for: giving players the freedom to chase what they want. I had several calls about him, several schools reaching out to me, but was happy that he founding Bowling Green – and that’s the right fit for him. ”
- Drinkwitz said the team has had a few portal entries so far, with Drew Pyne’s departure already known. He doesn’t anticipate any more than eight players to enter the portal.
- On the possibility of adding in the portal: “I think we have a very talented football team; I think we’ve got a very cohesive football team. So unless there’s a huge surprise, which I haven’t seen so far, (he knocks on wood) I don’t anticipate that we have to go get this position or that position.”
- However, he didn’t close the door on making any additions, saying they would add players if they felt like it would help them win an SEC championship.
- On the team’s depth: “I’m as confident in each position on our roster right now as I’ve ever been. There’s not any position that I lay my head on my pillow and get nervous about.”
- On the change from Cook to the new quarterbacks: “There was a confidence in Brady that there wasn’t going to be something that he hadn’t seen before, and kind of respond in certain situations. And that’s the challenge with these guys, is we don’t know necessarily how they will respond.”
- Continued: “What I need to see if when you throw an interception in the red zone, that you learn from it, because if you make that mistake again you can’t be the starting quarterback. There’s not any one play that’s going to define you as a starter, but there are going to be plays that say you’re disqualified to be the starting quarterback with your decision making.”
- On the defense’s performance this spring: “[I was] just really impressed with the way this group went about their business. Obviously, you start with the returning starters, and [I was] impressed with the number of returning starters we had. This is really, for them, their fourth year in the system, because every coordinator we’ve had [kept] the same terminology and system in place. They’re now more accustomed to their coordinator, position coaches, so I think they have taken more ownership of the group.”
- On the defensive ends: “That is a group that has an incredible amount of depth and talent, has got the ability to stop the run and rush the passer, and really affect and influence the game at a really, really important level.”
- Drinkwitz said the defense was consistently ahead of the offense during spring ball, which he anticipated with the quarterback battle and lack of continuity on that side
- On continuing to push the defense: “The challenge for them is not to get complacent. Not to compare themselves to our offense, but to compare themselves to what the best version of them could be. And I’ve really challenged our defensive staff to really push these guys every single opportunity that they have.”
- Drinkwitz said that Keagan Trost has solidified himself as the starter at right tackle, while Johnny Williams IV and Jayven Richardson are the main options at left tackle. Dominic Guidice took most of the snaps at center during spring ball with Connor Tollison recovering from injury until last week, when he was switched with Tristan Wilson.
- On the changing college football landscape: “I spent a ton of time trying to figure out the new revenue share system, how you’re going to divide the money and the cap, what are we going to do with NIL, and how do we get to [the roster limit of] 105. And then the judge says we may grandfather in the roster limit. So I don’t know what the crap is going on.”
- Continued: “But we’ll adapt to whatever they say. We’ll find a way, we’ll figure it out. My hope is that we understand this is an unbelievable game. College athletics is a worthwhile fabric of the culture of the of the United States of America. Not just football, not just basketball, not just revenue generating sports, but also the Olympic sports. They all matter.”
- Continued: “And we need to have a sort of governing structure that doesn’t have a lawsuit every single day. I get it, but we can’t have a lawsuit every single day that dramatically shifts the rules. We have to have some sort of protection so we can move forward with a great game.”
- On the possibility of hiring a GM: “This goes back to, I don’t know what the rules are. I don’t know. But that’s the structure that will go down because of the new settlement. I think that’s something that would make a lot of sense if there was a partner that needed to partner with me and handle a little bit more of the business structure side of it.”
Jalen Catalon | Safety
- On returning for a final year in college: “It’s all about doing what’s best for you, and I think it was best for me to come back for one more year and just showcase to the people I need to showcase to that I can still play ball. I can still make the impact on the collegiate level, but still going into the next level when that time comes.”
- On his fit within the system at Mizzou: “I think it allows me to be able to play in several positions, whether I want to play in the boundary, if I can move up to the field.”
- On adapting to a new team: “The best way to adapt somewhere new is to make plays. You make plays, everybody starts noticing you, and after that you kind of start meshing yourself.”
- On returning to the SEC: “At the end of the day, you know the SEC is always going to put out some great players, phenomenal athletes. It’s all about showing that I could be at a good level, I could come back and still do what I can do.”
- On the defense’s progress: “We have the challenge to be as good as we want to be. That’s the question: how good do we want to be? Do we want to be average, do we want to be good or be great? So it’s all about the message and the attitude we bring every single day, whether we’re on the field or in the meeting rooms or we’re just working out. It’s all about attitude, how we come in every single day, and just laying that foundation out that we can be a good defense.”
- On being named an All-American: “I appreciate it, but at the same time, I believe if you’re not first you’re last. And I was third, so I wasn’t first. You can [talk about] individual accolades, but I came in [for] more of a team thing. I came here wanting to win, wanting to play my role and just end my college career on the highest note. Hopefully, wanting to be a champion.”
- On his collegiate journey and leadership: “I’ve went through so much in my career, so much adversity. I can not only just play on the field, I can just give knowledge immensely to my teammates. It’s definitely been a journey, for sure, but I’m just glad it’s my last stop.”
Ahmad Hardy | Running back
- On his relationship with coach Luper: “[He] reminded me of my old coach, a lot like my dad. He wants the best for us, so he doesn’t have to tell anyone to do what we’re supposed to be doing.”
- On his mentality as a running back, gaining yards after contact: “I’m one of those guys that say I want my jersey clean after the game, I don’t like it dirty, so I try to stay off the ground.”
- Hardy said that Cody Schrader’s story stood out to him among the recent starters at the position for Mizzou. He also mentioned that he wants to break Schrader’s single-season rushing yards record.
- On connecting with some of his teammates through riding horses: “I’m from Mississippi, I’m kind of country that these guys haven’t seen like that [being] from the city. So it’s kind of cool to them. But I’ve been doing that my whole life, so I try to introduce those guys too. Kevin [Coleman] has been the only one that’s actually been out there, but half of the team wants to go.”
Josiah Trotter | Linebacker
- On his brother, Super Bowl champion Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.: “The biggest thing he showed me throughout my whole career is just how to work. He doesn’t really talk very much, personality really stays in the same spot all the time. But he’s really showed me how to work, just how to carry [myself] as an athlete.”
- On the portal process: “You have to really make it a business and decide, you know, if it’s the best fit for you, if that’s the conference you want to be in, the team you want to be around or whatever it may be.”
- On the defense: “I think we have a chance to not only be one of the best in the SEC, but one of the best defenses in the country. There’s a lot of talent in that room.”