Mizzou snagged a young, productive lineman out of the Big 12, the type of commitment that builds programs.
It’s rare that you see young, talented offensive linemen make a splash at the Division I level. It’s even rarer to see it at the Power Four. And it’s even rarer to see those guys move schools. And yet for the second consecutive season, Mizzou has scooped up an underclassman with lots of promise for their line.
Johnny Williams IV out of West Virginia, committed to the Tigers between Christmas and the Music City Bowl, giving Eli Drinkwitz and Brandon Jones their third addition of the offseason. That tracks with what we expected the staff to do in the portal, though I’m not sure we expected a redshirt freshman with lots of snaps to his name to be a part of the incoming group.
We’re not complaining, though! While it’s nice to bring in ringers like Marcus Bryant, the bulk of a competitive offensive line is far more likely to be built of program players, the types who are around for 2 and 3 years at a time. You only do that through high school recruiting or picking young guys out of the portal. And while the latter is probably more difficult, it also gives you a chance to quickly rebuild a starting line that can be a foundational piece of your next run at the College Football Playoff.
By landing Johnny Williams IV, Mizzou signals that it has no intentions of building from the ground up. This isn’t a rebuild, it’s a reload.
Where He Fits: I mentioned this in the commitment piece, but Williams IV earned more and more play time as the 2024 season progressed. And he did it at one of the most important positions on the field – left tackle. Williams grades out as a very good pass blocker (important for a left tackle, I’d say!) and an average-to-below run blocker at this point in his career. Given his age, however, one would expect him to improve on his overall game as he gets older.
The real question is how he fits in the current group of Tiger linemen. Cayden Green played left guard this season, but it’s an open secret that he came to Mizzou with an eye on the long-term left tackle job. Maybe he’s had a change of heart, maybe the staff are challenging him to really earn it… or maybe there’s another plan for Williams entirely! Regardless, it seems like he’s the primary option to partner with Green on the left side of the line.
When He’ll Play: He’ll play next year. You’ve read these pieces. You know the score.
What It All Means: It means that, barring any unforeseen roster movement or surprise comitments, Mizzou’s portal work on the offensive line is complete. Williams IV joins Dominick Giudice and Keagen Trost as the bodies in for Armand Membou, Cam’Ron Johnson and Marcus Bryant. There’s plenty of young, talented depth to fill out the two-deep, and the foundation of Connor Tollison and Cayden Green is in place. We’ll have to wait for spring to see what the staff has in mind, but the trenches are stocked.