Mizzou football turns the page from a successful 2023 season, as spring camp begins
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou football team put itself in the history books in 2023. The Tigers finished 11-2 with a win in the Cotton Bowl and also recorded some of the program's highest College Football Playoff rankings to date, including a Top-10 finish to the year. However, with the start of spring camp, that all goes in the rearview mirror.
MU will start spring camp practices on Tuesday, but head coach Eli Drinkwitz kicked it all off with a press conference on Monday afternoon.
"If you get caught around patting yourself on the back for last year, then you're going to be really disappointed," Drinkwitz said when asked about balancing turning the page and building off of the 2023 momentum. "I don't think anybody is sitting around and staring at the Cotton Bowl trophy."
You can watch the full press conference with Drinkwitz in the video player below.
Drinkwitz said the spring camp will all be about individual development for his players, while also pinpointing the areas his team needs to improve in in the next five months before the season.
Defensive back Isaac Thompson and quarterback Sam Horn will not get to participate in spring camp in 2024. Thompson has been recovering from an injury he sustained before the 2023 season began, meanwhile Horn will be recovering from Tommy John surgery. Drinkwitz was doubtful that he'd be able play at any point in 2024, but emphasized the only focus is getting him back to full health in both baseball and football.
The offense will be coming in with quite a bit of continuity, with quarterback Brady Cook returning, as well as a slew of talented receivers and offensive coordinator Kirby Moore. There will be a new look on the defensive side, with some of the team's top corners and defensive lineman leaving for the NFL Draft. In addition, Mizzou also has a new defensive coordinator in Corey Batoon.
Drinkwitz said that Batoon fit into the staff well and will look to build upon the growth that the defense, known as the 'Death Row Defense,' has seen in recent years.
"Everybody has their own fingerprints when they paint, right? So, Corey's going to call the game the way he stylistically sees it and has always seen it...Really similar to what I asked Kirby [Moore] to do. There's gonna be some changes, naturally...but there's going to be a whole lot of carryover. I want them to be uniquely them, but I want them to make sure that our players' learning is prioritized. We talk about it a lot, preference over performance. What's best for our players' and our team's performance?"
A big emphasis in spring camp will also be leadership. The Tigers lost five of their 16 captains from 2023 and will look for others to step up. Drinkwitz said that is the biggest loss his team has had headed into 2024: leadership. However, he does feel good about the positive leadership he sees in the locker room, already.
In the offseason, Drinkwitz brought on quite a few midyear transfers including offensive lineman Cayden Green, a couple of running backs and an important addition at the corner position. MU will look to work them in right away, as spring camp practices begin on Tuesday.
