The Morning Commute for Wednesday, January 8th
Welcome to the Morning Commute
Today we’re talking about football, even though Mizzou’s season is in the rearview mirror. Of course, Rock M Nation will have all sorts of off-season coverage of the Tiger program leading up to spring camp, but there’s lots of stuff to keep tabs on going forward.
One exciting aspect is the 2025 NFL Draft, at which we expect to see a handful of Tigers hear their name called. Luther Burden III, even though his statistical production in 2024 didn’t match his output in 2023, is still expected to be a first-round pick by most analysts.
A mock draft done by SBNation has Burden going number seven overall in this year’s draft, going to the New York Jets. For our guys’ sake, I hope he goes to a different organization that has a chance of doing right by him.
Here’s the mock draft for those curious.
In case you didn’t get a chance to catch Mizzou’s official year-end video from the Music City Bowl, it’s a fun watch. Check it out below.
Game 13: Finish #MIZ | #STP pic.twitter.com/S9M7W4Q8Wl
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) January 5, 2025
Yesterday at Rock M and Rock M+
- Quentin Corpuel had coverage for Mizzou’s home win Tuesday night over LSU. Mr. Corpuel also had the game preview here. The live thread had timely updates here.
Behind a balanced scoring effort and an opportunistic defense, the Tigers knocked off LSU 83-67. It was their first SEC win since Mar. 10, 2023, when MU defeated Tennessee in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
Ant Robinson rebounded from a scoreless game at Auburn to help lead the way Tuesday with 16 points, while Tamar Bates chipped in a game-high 20 points for Mizzou, who hosts Vanderbilt this Saturday.
- Tiger Football got a nice win recently in the transfer portal when UNLV safety Jalen Catalon joined the team. Rock M’s Dan Keegan had the analysis here.
Catalon has been on All-America teams twice, as a breakout freshman at Arkansas in 2020, and as a dominant force at UNLV in 2024. In between he was sidelined by shoulder surgeries in Fayetteville, and nagging injuries in Austin. He was a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist twice, and has routinely placed on Dean’s Lists/SEC Honor Roll lists.
Catalon has been at Texas, Arkansas and UNLV before becoming a Tiger, so he’s got a lot of experience. Plus, he intercepted a pass this last season against an alleged QB for an alleged university to the west. Here’s hoping he can re-create that thievery this fall.
- In my musings column, I draw a parallel between Brady Cook and some of the Tiger QB greats of the modern era. Plus, I lament on SEC’s post-season showing, as well as the makeup of the CFP final four.
You just had a feeling that that’s how his career was supposed to end – with an exciting bowl game win to send him off into the sunset. Much like how things ended for other Tiger QB greats of the past quarter century – Brad Smith, Chase Daniel and James Franklin – Cook joined them in walking off the field for the last time as a well-deserved champion.
It was such a satisfying end to a career by a home-state kid who always seemed to be doubted from the outside.
- In Tuesday’s Morning Commute, Sammy Stava previewed what is a big week for men’s hoops.
Bates and Mitchell will simply have to be better, and if Mizzou is an NCAA Tournament team this season, 2-0 this week feels like a must.
I wish we weren’t already considering this to be “must-win” territory, but as tough as the SEC appears to be this season, it would be very wise for the Tigers to successfully defend their home court this week.
Given how the transfer portal has shaken out for the Tigers thus far — losing young players like Williams Nwaneri and Kewan Lacy, but gaining coveted veterans like Kevin Coleman and Beau Pribula — how have you felt about the Tigers’ transfer activity? And based on what we know right now, what are your loose expectations for next season?
I went with the 9-10 win choice. Hoping for this to be the baseline for Drink’s program going forward, but always dreaming for more!
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