Four returning Tigers spoke to our True Deck and the press
Four returning players from last season, two on each side, spoke to the media (including our own True Deck) after Mizzou Football’s fourth practice of the fall session. Here’s what the quartet had to say:
Joshua Manning | Wide Receiver
- On the change in the wide receiver room after the graduation last year’s starters: “There’s definitely a different vibe in the room, but it gives room for the next man to step up.”
- On the “vibe” in the receiver room: “At first, we’re cracking a lot of jokes and all that stuff, but now we’re more locked in. But we’re also still able to have fun, though.”
- On the leaders emerging in the receiver room right now; “Kevin, for sure, Marquis, and Daniel Blood.”
- On his one sentence review of what he wants to improve on: “I want to improve on my YAC, my yards after catch.”
- On how to improve in that area: “Stronger hands, running back to the ball, and two arm finishing through the play.”
- On true freshman Donovan Olugbode: “Great player: very strong hands, and he’s a playmaker.”
- On Luther Burden making waves at Chicago Bears training camp: “Very cool to see Luther getting his spotlight, he definitely deserves it. So yeah, [I’m] very happy for him.”
- On Sam Horn and Beau Pribula: “They’re both great players, you know? They’re both playing great right now; they’re both making the right reads.”
Cayden Green | Offensive Guard
- On earning preseason accolades: “I don’t even see it. I’m trying to focus on getting better and winning.”
- On getting Connor Tollison back from injury and the experience on the line: “Connor knows what he’s doing at all times, and he helps us all get on the same page. And have a guy like Dom [Giudice] and Keagan [Trost], they all help us get on the same page, they’re all super experienced.”
- On Dom Giudice: “He’s a natural born leader, you know? He’s super smart, he knows ball, so he kind of helps us in all aspects.”
- On the adjustment to a new left tackle: “It’s supposed to be [an adjustment process], but we’ve kind of just been able to pick up where Marcus left off last year. Like I said, they’re both (Richardson and Johnny Williams IV) doing really well, so it hasn’t been much of an adjustment.”
- On Jayven Richardson: “He’s night and day better. I think his pass pro[tection] has really improved. He’s always been a good run blocker, but he’s really improved his pass pro; he put an emphasis on that this offseason, so he looks nice.”
- On Johnny Williams IV: “Johnny looks great; he’s really good at pass pro. You know, he’s starting to understand the scheme a lot more than he was in the spring.”
- On building chemistry as an offensive line: “We spent a lot of time together, and we put a lot of work in together over the summer and over the spring, because this is the same squad we had in the spring. So I think the chemistry kind of just came naturally as we hang out together, as we put in work together.”
- On improving on his run blocking: “I’ve been working on my first steps. My first and second steps, I feel like it’s where it all starts. And I feel like if you can be in a good position from your first and second steps, you’re in a lot better position to win the block.”
- On the incoming freshmen: “There’s some studs. Keiton [Jones], he’s a freak; he’s as strong as an ox, maybe even two of them. He’s got length like nobody else.”
- On his role as a returning player: “I’m just trying to help people know what they’re doing, really. I’ve been in this scheme, in this playbook, for a year now, so I know a little bit more what I’m doing now, so I’m just trying to help guys.”
- On the running backs room: “They’re shown some pretty positive flashes, and I’m excited when we get to start hitting to see what they could do.”
Triston Newson | Linebacker
- On his roles on and off the field: “I just want to be more vocal, lead the younger guys, get them into the right direction. For myself, I’ll just say investing into myself, trying to get better every day, focusing every day.”
- On the talent in the linebacker room: “I feel like every day, each of us gets each other better. No matter [who’s] starting or none of that, all of us, we work off each other and get better every day.”
- On the depth in that room: “We want to go out there and give everything we’ve got each rep. If I do that, I know somebody, they’re gonna come in behind me and be just as good as me; he’s gonna come in, go 100% on his rep. So he gets tired, he starts tapping his helmet, and somebody else comes in: fresh lungs, fresh legs.”
- On new linebackers coach Derrick Nicholson: “He brings a lot with us: he brings the truth, he holds us to a standard. And he’s going to be the reason why I’m going to be better this year, so I love what he’s doing with us.”
- On Khalil Jacobs: “He’s going to be a great player. He’s one of the guys that does extra; every chance he gets, he’s doing extra.”
- On what he’s seen and liked from Josiah Trotter: “Work ethic, same as Khalil. That’s something we’re trying to work on, doing extra film, extra after practice.”
- On his bond with Ahmad Hardy, who is also from Mississippi: “He’s one of my guys. I got to meet him when he first got up here, found out about his story; he’s a cool dude. We’re always ready to compete against each other.”
- On if they’re gone fishing and horse riding: “Yeah, most definitely. Well, I ain’t got no horse, but I’m gonna ride with him one day, though.”
- On the energy at practice: “Our last practice, we had the competition offense versus defense, whoever wins gets to move out of the dorm. And I think that’s when it really started, right here.”
- On who won the competition: “The offense won it, but we’re coming back. That’s just something small, you know: it’s good for us, it’s good for the competition.”
Chris McClellan | Defensive Tackle
- On what went into his career year last season: “Just kind of getting out of my own head, playing for the success of others.”
- Continued: “I feel like team success brings individual success, so I’m relying on my teammates to make plays out there with me. And a big part of my game is going out there and just being vocal, being a leader, helping everybody out.”
- On where he wants to improve individually: “My pad level and pass rush, just being more of a dominant force on those third downs, and being able to have that dominance in this conference, in the SEC. So that’s one thing I’ve been working on, alongside being a better leader for my team and my teammates.”
- On the change in playing for a second-year defensive coordinator: “We feel more comfortable. We’ve got a lot of guys communicating with urgency, being more vocal. We’ve got more guys that are sure of the playbook and sure of themselves and their ability to make plays within the playbook. So that’s been awesome to go out there and have that urgency of communication.”
- On what the identity of the defense will be: “On thing we always pride ourselves on that’s different is being aggressive, tough, fast and physical.”
- On the competition early in practice: “Iron sharpens iron, so it’s good to go out there every day and have that competition. Everybody’s on their toes every day, because you never know who can go out there and make a big play, whether it’s the offense or the defense. Or even on special teams, we’ve got guys out there competing. So it’s always good to have that high level of urgency and competition.”
- On Marquis Gracial: “He’s starting to emerge as a guy. We always compete in our room, so he’s a good player, man. He pushes me to be better, I push him to be better, and we work off of each other.”
- On Darris Smith’s recovery from injury and getting him back on the field: “He loves the game very, very deeply. So it’s been awesome for him to come out there and recover, get back to being healthy and to be out there with us. Because that’s all he talks about every day, even of the field. He talked about, like, how could he make his pass rush steps better, or where can he be better with his hands, and stuff.”
- On his connection with Sterling Webb: “I know his game pretty well; he knows my game pretty well. So we know how to feed off each other.”
- On Bralen Henderson: “He’s a fifth year guy, so he just brings that extra bit of experience in for us. He’s been a great player so far and he’s been out there every day with us, competing. He tells me stuff that I don’t see, I tell him stuff that he maybe [doesn’t] see.”
- On the emerging leaders on the defense: “Returning starters like Daylan Carnell; Josiah Trotter has emerged. Obviously, Zion Young has been there. Myself, and Toriano [Pride], he’s been awesome.”