This is Missouri’s 14th commitment of the 2022 class.

Labor Day. Flipmas. What’s the difference, right?

After a successful first weekend of the 2021 season (albeit not without some anxious moments), Mizzou fans were likely content to bask in the glow of victory Monday falling on what should be an off day for almost everyone (remember, y’all, your labor is valuable.) Eli Drinkwitz, however, is never one to find contentment in taking it easy.

Following up on his first “FLIPMAS” tweet in August, Drinkwitz announced that yet another flip would be taking place on Labor Day afternoon. Not a few minutes later, the news dropped:

Erickson is a Chicago area, high-three-star offensive line recruit who had previously been committed to Nebraska. Think back to 15 years ago — how wild would it have been for a Nebraska commit to flip to Missouri? Strange to think how times have changed.

Anyway, welcome Valen! Can’t wait to see you in black and gold!

Get to know: Valen Erickson

Hometown: Chicago, IL

High School: St. Rita

Position: OL

Ht/Wt: 6’6”

Rivals Ranking: 3-star, 5.7

247Composite Ranking: 3-star

Total announced offers: 0.8588

Offers to note: Nebraska, Tennessee, Cincinnati

Highlights: There’s not any embeddable video that I can find, but he’s got a ton of stuff up on his MaxPreps page if you want to head that way.

If you haven’t noticed, my man Valen is large and his highlights show that he is also in charge. Erickson is just bigger and stronger than almost everyone in his reel, so it’s hard to take too much away. However, he does appear to have some good lateral quickness and a good motor that keeps him engaged in plays even when they break up. That’s a nice trait for a big lineman to have, and Mizzou’s strength and conditioning department should be able to maximize his athletic returns.

What they’re saying: