There was a moment of concern in Corey Flagg’s mind.
Flagg’s recruitment to Missouri football began with a connection to Blake Baker. The then-MU defensive coordinator recruited and coached Flagg while he was an assistant at Miami. The linebacker and the coach both hail from Houston, Texas.
So, after entering the transfer portal and hearing from Missouri, Flagg opted to reunite with a familiar face and committed to the Tigers on Dec. 21, 2023.
On the same day, reports emerged that Baker had signed a lucrative new contract with Missouri, and Corey’s younger brother, safety Caleb Flagg, committed to Mizzou as a preferred walk-on from Houston Christian. Soon after, the Tigers beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and finished the season as a consensus top-10 team.
And then, a surprise …
Baker left Missouri to take the open DC gig on Brian Kelly’s staff at LSU on Jan. 5.
Flagg had no hard feelings toward the coach. He knew about Baker’s family connection to the area, and appreciated everything he had done for him during their time together in Miami, he said.
But he did, he told local media Friday, have some questions and concerns about his recent portal choice.
“I mean, (there) definitely was some uncertainty,” Flagg said, “because that was the guy I was talking to in the portal process.”
That was, until Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz and linebackers coach DJ Smith, who helped with Flagg’s recruitment, stepped in with a story.
The story of Cody Schrader.
“They (Drinkwitz and Smith) just told me they were given the opportunity to compete. That’s just their culture. I mean, the biggest example he gave me was Cody — Cody Schrader,” Flagg said, referencing the storied MU running back. … “He came in as a walk on, he left as one of the best SEC running backs, you know?
“So, he just gave everybody an…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-linebacker-corey-flagg-stuck-091539604.html
Author : Columbia Daily Tribune
Publish date : 2024-08-11 09:15:39
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