Mizzou Defense: New year, same mission
· Yahoo Sports
Coming into the offseason following 2025, Mizzou knew that it had some gaps to sort out: the entire defense was gone.
Visit forestarrow.help for more information.
From the defensive line all the way back to the safety position, the Tigers got pretty much wiped clean of all their starters from just a year ago. That left plenty of work for defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, who has emphasized the importance of Spring practices being used to lay down the fundamentals for players to grow on.
“You always got to go back foundational,” Batoon said. “You don’t assume anything and you start from ground zero. There’s a lot of new faces so Spring has been really cool in regards to seeing these guys (from the transfer portal), you see them on tape and now you get to work with them.”
Similar to Batoon’s mindset coming into the season, the STAR position doesn’t change despite Daylan Carnell, who played the role to a tee, being out of eligibility.
“Same expectations,” Batoon said. “The schematics haven’t really changed. … There will be some great competition (at the STAR position). We brought some good bodies in as well as some returners.”
Batoon mentioned the importance of replacing seniors with players that are ready to come in with the same mentality.
“Creating the buy-in. Last year’s transfer group did a great job of that,” Batoon said. “This is the Mizzou way. This is how we do things. I think that this group has been the same. Very eager to learn, very eager to please.”
Redshirt senior Marquis Gracial and junior Nicholas Rodriguez have stepped in leadership roles with the latter being named Spring captain last week.
Rodriguez expressed the importance of working as a unit as the team develops through Spring practices.
“We’re all just building the team together. Trying to establish the identity of Death Row again,” Rodriguez said. “We’re just building it together from the ground up.”
Rodriguez also shared his excitement for the new faces in the room. “We have new people coming in that are Alphas.”
I followed up by asking which new faces have shown the Alpha trait.
#Mizzou linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez mentioned in the press conference that the new guys have been coming in with a “Alpha” mentality. I asked him which specific new guys carry the “Alpha” trait: pic.twitter.com/oIR2Y6576n
— True Deck (@ByTrueDeck) March 6, 2026
As for Gracial, he’s starting to feel old. But with age comes wisdom and he has taken a strong step forward in becoming a leader on the new-look offense.
“I’m the old head in the room now,” Gracial said. “Being that leader in the room and leading the way for the other guys in the room (has been important).”
Gracial totaled 222 defensive snaps last season which ranks third among returners behind Rodriguez and defensive end Darris Smith. None of those three cracked the top 12 with Smith leading the returners-pack at 311 snaps. Marvin Burks Jr. — who entered the portal this offseason and committed to Wisconsin — led Mizzou in defensive snaps last season with 532. Gracial will look to take on a bigger leadership role and workload as the Tigers continue replacing veteran players.