Missouri football preseason preview: Can the Tigers play spoiler vs. post-Saban Alabama?

One of the — if not the — headline games on Missouri football’s 2024 season schedule sends the Tigers to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for a matchup against a Crimson Tide team entering a tough-to-picture new era.

Mizzou enters the season with what appears to be a realistic opportunity to reach the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff, with a roster that returns plenty of returning offensive production, an 11-2 season and Cotton Bowl win in the bank, and a schedule that seemingly sets up favorably for coach Eli Drinkwitz in his fifth season at MU.

A recent tear on the recruiting trail that saw five commitments in the space of a week has not hurt the good preseason mood in Columbia.

Looking ahead, the eighth game on the Tigers’ schedule — at a wildly different looking Alabama team on Oct. 26 — makes for a mouthwatering matchup.

Here’s what to know about Alabama’s hectic offseason, including key additions, coaching changes and potential playmakers to watch for:

More: Missouri football gets 5th commit in a week, lands 4-star East St. Louis safety Charles Bass

Who are the opposing names to know when Missouri football visits Alabama?

Quarterback: Jalen Milroe is back for a second full season as Alabama’s starter. His development under new coach Kalen DeBoer, who helped Michael Penix Jr. become a top-10 pick in this year’s draft between Indiana and Washington, will be an intriguing subplot to the Tide’s season.

Offensive playmakers: The next in a long line of talented Alabama running backs appears to be sophomore Justice Haynes, a former five-star recruit who took 25 carries for an average of 6.7 yards for 168 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season.

Wide receiver Germie Bernard followed his coach, Kalen DeBoer, from Washington to Alabama this offseason, and with knowledge of the scheme figures to be a…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/missouri-football-preseason-preview-tigers-091735501.html

Author : Columbia Daily Tribune

Publish date : 2024-07-12 09:17:35

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