Mizzou football talks new-look offense at 2026 edition of SEC Media Days

TAMPA, Fla. (KMIZ)

The unofficial kickoff to the college football season has arrived.

Mizzou took the main stage at SEC Media Days in Tampa, on Monday, as the group fielded questions from national and local media members, alike, tackling some of the biggest storylines of the 2026 season.

The Tigers' new-look offense has been grabbing lots of attention around the nation, as head coach Eli Drinkwitz brings in first-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and first-year starting quarterback Austin Simmons.

"I have a lot of confidence and have seen his confidence grow in our offense," Drinkwitz told local media members. "But, watching him throughout spring just develop that rapport with the wide receivers, understanding his role and how we do things here. I think it's been a little bit new for him to learn. Coach Lindsay, Coach Riley, myself, what our expectations are, we're different than where he came from, but I think now that he's kind of in a rhythm and a routine, you can really see his confidence grow with the offense and with the offensive of."

You can watch the full local media session with Coach Eli in the video player below.

With the running back duo of Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts in the backfield, the ground game will always be a focus for this Tiger offense. However, Drinkwitz emphasized the importance of dialing up the pass game, as well.

Over the course of the past few seasons, he said that he believes that not being able to be quite as explosive in the passing game, as they would like, has held this team back from some big-time wins.

"Just being explosive," Drinkwitz said, when asked about what his message to Coach Lindsey was about turning up the passing game. "I think we have done a really good job in the past of really being proficient on the run game, but in games of need, we weren't able to complete passes and create explosives the way we needed to. Whether it was the bowl game, whether it's the Vanderbilt game, whether it's the Alabama game, you look at some of the tough losses that we've had in the last two years, we weren't able to push the ball down the field when we needed to. That's something that's got to change. You got to run to win, but you got to throw to be explosive. When the game's on the line, you got to be able to execute. That's a combination of wideouts, protection, quarterback play calling."

As Drinkwitz alluded to, pass protection is a massive part of being successful through the air. However, the Tigers took a big blow in that department, as Coach Eli gave an update on right tackle Josh Atkins injury, on Monday.

He said that Atkins, who suspected to be the starting right tackle, suffered a set-back in the recovery process and now his return is more questionable.

"He's still attacking [rehab], but it's not going to be as hopeful as we had hoped that he might be able to be back midseason," Drinkwitz said. "We'll see how that goes. But, [he] had a little bit of a setback in the in the early part of June and so we'll have to wait and see how that goes."

The right tackle position will be a key area to watch in fall camp, as Simmons is a left-handed quarterback, meaning the right-side is his blind side. So, whoever steps into that starting job, now, will have a large task at hand.

However, Drinkwitz emphasized that he is very confident in the other pieces on his offensive line that could step into that role, including Mississippi State transfer Zach Owens and returners Logan Reichert and Jack Lange.

"I will say this, I've been around a lot of football in several years now as the head coach here, I've never seen an offensive line work as hard as our offensive line works right now. Dominick Giudice has been an incredible leader and moving him over to the center position and letting his leadership really take over our football team has been awesome. The offensive line sets the mentality for intolerance and the standard for your football team and the way he has commanded that group, the work they put in has been excellent. You've got guys with returning starter experience with Curtis Peagler and Cayden Green, you've got Tristan Wilson, you know, and then I think Luke Work has had as good a offseason as I've ever seen an offensive lineman have."

In the midst of so much newness on the offense, there are some key returning veterans, including running back Jamal Roberts, who came with Mizzou to SEC Media Days, in Tampa.

Roberts, a St. Louis native, is entering year four in Columbia. As he's set to be a leader on this Tiger squad, maturity is where he told ABC 17 Sports Director Nathalie Jones in a one-on-one interview that he's grown most over the years.

"I came in, obviously, as a young adult and I feel like I'm growing into adulthood and my more adult-self and just helping the guys out," Roberts said. "A lot of something that I really improved is just bringing a lot of guys with me and...worrying about myself more of a team player...No selfishness, holding people accountable and holding people to the standards...I've been here for four years and we always and embrace some roles and the leadership roles to the guys, and even the guys that pour the leadership roles into me and help me become mature and become a leader to this team."

You can watch the full one-on-one with Roberts in the video player below.

Watch out for more SEC Media Days coverage on our website, as well as on air on ABC 17 News at five, six and 10 pm.