The Tigers are one-third of the way through the 2025 slate, passing their first test against South Carolina (kansas counts as a quiz) with what we’ll call an overall B performance in that game. Mizzou
played well enough to dominate the stat sheet, but ultimately the scoreboard is the only thing that matters. The Tigers won there, too, but not quite as definitively enough to bump that grade up higher.
Speaking of grades, let’s take the time now to grade out how each position group has performed thus far in the 2025 campaign. I thought about waiting until the bye week to do this, but to be honest, we aren’t going to learn anything new about this team against a winless UMASS squad that has been UMASSacred by every FBS team they’ve played thus far (and they even lost to some guy named Bryant, too.)
Quarterbacks
Grade: A-
It’s the Beau Show at Faurot. As much as it sucks that Sam Horn was injured on his first snap in two years, the ostensible quarterback competition seemed to have already been decided seeing as Beau Pribula was named the starter for the Central Arkansas game anyway. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. Beau has performed better in his first four games in the Black and Gold than any Tiger fan had any reason to expect, or even hope for. He’s 84/116 (72%) for 962 yards and eight touchdowns to two interceptions through four games.
Had he played even three full quarters against Central Arkansas and Louisiana he’d have cleared 1,000 yards through the air, easily. He’s also added 148 yards and three touchdowns with his legs, showing off his true dual threat nature. The only thing bringing Pribula’s grade down is his three turnovers (two picks and a fumble) in four games. If he protects the ball a bit better there isn’t a defense on the schedule that Mizzou can’t move the ball against.
Running backs
Grade: A+
Like Pribula, the Ahmad Hardy Show has been better than any Mizzou fan could have possibly dreamed. Hardy has 79 carries for 600 yards and six touchdowns through four games (really just 10 quarters). That’s insane, especially considering more than 400 of those yards have come AFTER contact. Just silly. What elevates the running back grade from A to an A+ however is how great Jamal Roberts has played as well. Roberts ranks sixth in the SEC in rushing yards in his own right with 298 yards on 42 carries and two touchdowns. It’s crazy that those numbers are less than HALF of what Hardy on his own team has put up thus far. Add to that production a really strong freshman start for Marquis Davis, who already has a 100-yard rushing performance of his own and you’d be hard-pressed to find any running back room in the country that is better.
Wide Receivers
Grade: A-
The wide receiver room is a tough one to grade, just because so much of their production is dependent on the quarterback and the offensive line blocking for the quarterback. Overall, I landed on an A- because this unit hasn’t had many (if any?) drops all season. They catch the ball when it hits their hands, which is about all you can ask of them.
Marquis Johnson has continued his development into a fully rounded receiver, not just a deep threat. Kevin Coleman has become the number one third down target for Pribula when he has to move the sticks, and freshman Donovan Olugbode has an incredibly high ceiling and bright future. Top it off with a solid start from Josh Manning and this unit is performing really well so far this year.
Offensive Line
Grade: B
By far the biggest question mark of the season coming in, this unit has been a little bit of a mixed bag so far this year. Based on the massive amount of rushing yards the Tigers have accrued through four games, the unit is doing something right, however the vast majority of the yards Hardy and Roberts have gained have been after contact. Lesser backs would be tackled after only a few yards each time, which means I’m giving the backs much of the credit for the 1,100 rushing yards the Tigers have racked up in four games.
Pass blocking has been mixed as well. The unit has given up eight sacks on Pribula through four games, which, while not awful, is not great when you’re back up is a true freshman with five career pass attempts. Keeping Pribula upright has to be the top priority for the unit and they’ve done *okay* at that so far. I will give props to Keagen Trost, who has been the biggest positive surprise for this unit. He’s an amazing run blocker on the right side and held up against future pro Dylan Stewart last week really well.
Tight Ends
Grade: A
It’s amazing what a difference a healthy Brett Norfleet can make for this Tiger offense. Through four games, Norfleet is third on the team in catches and receiving yards with 14 for 122. He also leads the Tigers in receiving touchdowns with three. For an Eli Drinkwitz team that historically avoids throwing it to tight ends, those are really impressive numbers.
What’s more, Norfleet has become a vicious run blocker, laying out linebackers and safeties as a lead blocker for many of Kirby Moore’s run calls. Jordon Harris has continued his excellent run blocking as well. With starting tackle Cayden Green out for at least a few weeks, both Norfleet and Harris played well when Moore increased the number of two-tight end sets last week to help back up tackle Jayven Richardson in pass protection. That will continue until Green returns, and I expect the duo to continue to perform well in that arena.
Defensive Line
Grade: A
We knew coming into the season that the Tiger defensive ends would be a strength of the team and that has certainly turned out to be the case. Georgia transfers Damon Wilson and Darris Smith have harrassed all four quarterbacks they’ve faced, with Wilson racking up 3.5 sacks. Smith hasn’t gotten one yet, but he has double-digit pressures to his name and it’s only a matter of time until get gets one. Zion Young has proven he is a future NFL talent as well, not just with his pass rush (two sacks) but with his utter domination on the edge in the run game.
One of the bigger questions I had coming into the year was how well the interior defensive tackles would handle the reduced depth this season and thus far, they haven’t missed a beat. Chris McClellan is an absolute force up the middle while Sterling Webb and Marquis Gracial have played their part in stuffing the middle in the run game, resulting in one of the best run defenses in the country.
Linebackers
Grade: A
Another strength of the team going into the season, this deep unit has not disappointed. Josiah Trotter has been a revelation after transferring from West Virginia in the off-season. The 2024 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year has been a complete menace, leading the team with 26 total tackles including six tackles for loss. Khalil Jacobs has picked up where he left off last year before an injury shortened his season. He has two sacks and is a havoc-inducer every snap he’s on the field. Sixth-year senior Triston Newson has seen reduced playing time this year but has been effective when he’s on the field. Finally, sophomore Nick Rodriguez looks to be the next dude, with impact plays both in special teams and on defense. This unit, along with the defensive line, has created a truly formidable front seven that will prove difficult for any offense to run on all season.
Cornerbacks
Grade: C–
For a unit that returned a ton of experience, including returning starters Drey Norwood and Toriano Pride, along with senior transfer Stephen Hall from Washington State, the cornerbacks have underproduced so far in 2025. It isn’t just one weak link that has caused problems for the Mizzou defense; this group has been an equal opportunity torch unit, with all three of the primary players getting burned more than once throughout the first four games. Corey Batoon has often had to resort to zone coverage to prevent deep balls, but even then, the secondary ends up guarding air more often than the guys who are breathing it. I’m not sure what the answer is here for the Tiger coaching staff, but this unit will need to improve quickly if Mizzou is going to reach its ceiling this season.
Safeties
Grade: C-
This grade is really a combo grade with the cornerbacks, as the entire secondary has been problematic this season. The only reason this isn’t a failing grade is because the team is 4-0. The safeties might be the most disappointing position group on the team to begin the year. For a unit returning starters Daylan Carnell and Marvin Burks Jr. and adding experience in Jalen Catalon and Santana Banner, their performance has been lackluster thus far. While the cornerbacks have often been toasted over the top, the safeties’ biggest problem has been communication and determining who is responsible for covering which parts of the field. Add that to a propensity to quarterback watch and get sucked up on play action, and the result has been explosive passing plays too numerous to count through four games. Thank heavens the front seven have controlled the run game and pressured the quarterback as well as they have or this season’s 4-0 record could look very different.
