Newcomers find their roles during Mizzou fall camp
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou football team brought on a lot of talented freshmen in the offseason, but also found more depth in the transfer portal. As those new faces integrate into the team, it's all about finding their role on a squad that will look to follow up 2023's success.
Cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. and defensive end Zion Young, who both transferred to Columbia ahead of the 2024 season, both spoke to the media on Tuesday. Young said that, after coming from Michigan State, even practicing in the SEC feels faster.
It'll be an adjustment, but Young said he chose to come to Columbia because of his relationships with all the coaches.
"They were just consistent," he said. "It was a family feeling and I love what they have going here and the opportunity."
You can watch the full press conference with Young, as well as safety Tre'vez Johnson, in the video players below.
Pride Jr. transferred in after spending two years at Clemson to start his collegiate career. He said he's gotten used to finding his role in these new situations, after bouncing around a bit in high school.
"It's easy for me to adapt to really anywhere," he said. "I think that's just the type of person I am. Like, I'm not the loudest in the room, I'm coachable, I feel like I'm a quick learner, I study my plays, so it's like I feel like I'll fit in anywhere."
You can watch the full press conference with Pride Jr. in the video players below.
By the sounds of it, the East St. Louis native is already finding his groove in the black and gold. Multiple players said that Pride Jr. is the king of trash talk.
When asked about that title, Pride Jr. said he is a quiet person, but when he's on the field he loves to talk and get in wide receivers' heads. He's even testing out his abilities at this year's fall camp.
"If you drop a ball, that's all you're going to hear from me. Or if you're not getting the ball, if Brady's not throwing the ball, I'm just staying little stuff to throw you off. Like, 'oh, Brady don't even want to give you the ball,'" he said. "There's a lot of dudes that I know I can get in their head easily, but some dudes that just look at me and are just like, 'oh, okay'...You can only talk trash to people that'll entertain it."
It helps that transferring to Mizzou felt like a homecoming for Pride Jr., who grew up playing with and against Mizzou stars Luther Burden, Brady Cook and Mookie Cooper.
The Tigers found quite a bit of success in 2023, in the best season head coach Eli Drinkwitz has seen in his time in Columbia. After an 11-2 finish and a Cotton Bowl win, lots of players who hit the transfer portal took notice, but Pride Jr. new long before that finish that he wanted to come home. In fact, he said he knew by about week six last season.
"Mizzou has a lot coming. Watching them while I was at another program, I could just see it. They got a lot of momentum, Coach Drink has got a lot of good things coming, he's on the right track. I just wanted to be a part of it," he said.
Veteran wide receiver Mookie Cooper has taken it upon himself to help the newcomers and freshmen along, ahead of the 2024 campaign. The role of being a vocal leader is something that's new to him, but he's taking it head-on.
"I got to speak up a lot more," Cooper said. "I used to just sit back and it was up to guys like Keke [Chism] or Barrett [Banister], but now I've got to be that guy....It's just good to see other guys grow. I like experiencing that moment, just being the older guy in the room."
You can watch the full press conference with Cooper in the video player below.
Sophomore wide receiver Joshua Manning said learning from guys like Cooper, Burden and Theo Wease Jr. during his freshman campaign was critical, with all the success they've brought to the program.
"Not a lot of people zoom in on the details as much as they should have," Manning said when asked what the biggest lesson he learned from those guys was."
You can watch the full press conference with Manning in the video player below.
Mizzou will continue fall camp up until Tuesday, Aug. 20. Then, preparation from the season opener against Murray State will begin.
