Remember when I was talking about what a shady piece of shit Stacey Elliott, Ezekiel Elliott's father, was?

Read this

Article mentions that he's only allowed to have contact when recruits are in Ohio for official visits, but I know he's not limiting it to that.

I saw that last night, what a shady tPOS. It's one thing for your kid to go to school somewhere else but its another thing for you to help recruit against your former school. You know he's in Beckners ear right now, not good.

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view5/406...en-scene-o.gif GIFSoup

Wooohooo

Mommas boys LOL

Kind of sucks. I think they will be solid players, and it would have helped build a pipeline with Blue Springs.

They were always secondary to getting Beckner. If we get him, we missed out on some frosting. If we don't, we're eating shit instead of cake.

Ss Coach (and Pinkel nephew) Alex Grinch is the new DC at Washington State.

Leaves an assistant spot for Mizzou to fill... seems like the perfect time to bring Demontie Cross back.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>East St. Louis head coach Darren Sunkett believes that Mizzou is definitely the front runner for Terry Beckner Jr. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mizzou?src=hash">#mizzou</a></p>&mdash; Frank Cusumano (@Frank_Cusumano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Frank_Cusumano/status/555407752756211713">January 14, 2015</a></blockquote>
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That really stinks. Grinch opened the door to GA.

According to Mama Davis in the OMaha paper, the Twins are visiting 01/30 after all.

Can't imagine she'd share that if she was trying to shut it down or wasn't OK with them visiting that day.

May not be as over as it has looked in the past few weeks.

Wow. I completely wrote them off. Hopefully they visit. When is NSD?

Per Google: Feb. 4 is signing day.

Five days after they visit. Mizzou gets the last official one, and Nebraska has used its in-home visit already.

http://coloringpagesjos.com/wp-conte...inch-smile.png

This is most excellent

Of course RT @todpalmer: Per @SamMcDowell11, Blue Springs' Carlos and Khalil Davis have re-committed to Nebraska. Won't visit #Mizzou.

That husker reporter could be wrong :shrug:

****ing attention whores.

Someone needs to put a bullet in that Jayhawk loving scum coach at Blue Springs.

Pinkel already losing recruiting battles to Riley. Nice.

If anything it was the mothers love

I wouldn't exactly put this one on level ground, but that's what Pinkel does.

Elliot's post champ,game mizzou snub blast doesn't help either LMAO

So spoon is a free agent this year.

Could he play inside here for the chiefs? Big talent would come cheapish

These kids cancelled twice now.

Wouldn't waste anymore time on them.

If they don't want to play in the NFL that's their problem.

Apparently Jim Harbaugh got a hold of Drew Lock and wanted to know if he was interested in Michigan? Drew declined.

https://31.media.tumblr.com/cf19a376...9Sm1qf8v63.gif

I don't want us begging anyone...if they don't want to play for us, or are looking for someone to beg them, let them go to NU.

Opens up spots for guys who really want to play for the Tigers.

Let's just hope we land Beckner.....

I'll bet Michigan isn't the only team that will take one last run at asking him to de-commit to MU.

Let's just say I think you're right and so far so good.

Mizzou with 2 new commitments today. 3 star WR and a 0 star OLB (before anybody wets themselves with rage, he's only been playing football for 2 years. But...he runs a 4.5 40 and have a 40+" vertical).

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>3-star TN WR Johnathon Johnson committed to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mizzou?src=hash">#Mizzou</a> today <a href="http://t.co/rXifRXuxfV">http://t.co/rXifRXuxfV</a> -- could be serious sleeper <a href="http://t.co/liGdxu46se">pic.twitter.com/liGdxu46se</a></p>&mdash; Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) <a href="https://twitter.com/rivalsmike/status/556920416158367744">January 18, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Here is video of Franklin Agbasimere in action. Typical <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mizzou?src=hash">#Mizzou</a> find IMO. Freak athlete, under recruited: <a href="http://t.co/xn6BD4v4BJ">http://t.co/xn6BD4v4BJ</a></p>&mdash; Gabe DeArmond (@GabeDeArmond) <a href="https://twitter.com/GabeDeArmond/status/556990138157252609">January 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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I really wish they would get back to targeting bigger WRs instead of guys like Johnson. 5'8 175.

Hopefully this doesn't mean that Justin Smith's visit went poorly (I know he said it went well). He's the kind of big bodied target we sorely need.

The Johnson kid is undersized but has a ton of speed and is very explosive in the open field. Great returner who looks a lot like a certain No. 6 (size, full-speed cutting ability, incredibly strong lower half).

He also had offers from Tennessee and Ole Miss. Not sure how commitable those were, but if Missouri truly won the battle over those schools, a nice bit of work.

I wonder if he's going to be used in more of a Marcus Murphy/DAT type role. No true position, just get him the ball.

It went really well, from what I heard earlier. One of the guys who was one-on-one with him today is very confident he goes to Mizzou, and is almost never wrong about that.

They always wanted to use Murphy more in the slot/more on sweeps this year, but Steward's injury left their RB depth too thin to use him as intended. Wouldn't be a shocker to see some of that rolled over for this kid.

Plus, having a badass returner is always a good thing, and I think this kid can be that, at least.

Excellent. Now the rest hinges on Beckner.

Haven't been paying much attention for the last few hours...are the twins still in play?

I'm sure a lot have made inquiries.

He might commit tonight too.

Watch ESPN on NSD.

Pretty good night:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Tweet from Mizzou recruiting director indicates Dublin, Ga., recruit has committed. That would be WR Justin Smith, who just visited MU</p>&mdash; Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dave_Matter/status/557001282779496448">January 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Holy cow.. 6'7, 200 lbs.

He claims 6-8. Guess he grew an inch.

Looks shiftier than you'd expect at that size and appears to have pretty good deep speed on his HS film. Not sure about comp. level.

Man, really nice day in recruiting.

There are a lot of ways you can use a guy with that kind of size. If he has any jumping ability he'll be a great redzone weapon. Probably needs to add strength, but they all do.

Smith's highlight film is really impressive.

MU completes commit trifecta with Georgia wideout Justin Smith

http://m.columbiatribune.com/blogs/b...2e7f4751a.html

A busy Sunday in Missouri recruiting came to a close with the Tigers' third commitment of the day: West Laurens High School wideout Justin Smith.

PowerMizzou.com first reported Smith's commitment, and West Laurens Coach Stacy Nobles confirmed it to the Tribune.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pound Smith has not been assigned a star rating on ESPN.com or Rivals.com. He also has an offer from North Carolina State, according to Rivals.

Smith's main recruiter was safeties coach Alex Grinch, who left the Tigers this week to become defensive coordinator at Washington State.

According to his MaxPreps.com page, Smith caught 65 passes for 1,038 yards and 13 touchdowns for the 9-4 Raiders this past season. He's also averaging 10.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 blocks a game for the basketball team this winter and has an offer to play basketball at Georgia, according to 247Sports.com.

Smith is the Tigers' 18th commit for the class of 2015, their fifth wide receiver pledge and their second from Georgia, after cornerback T.J. Warren from Rockdale County High School in Conyers.

Check out Smith's Hudl.com highlights here.

And read on for Nobles' impressions of Smith:

"He's just got God-given ability running out his ears. He's 6-7, runs a 4.5 40, great hands. He power cleans 300 pounds. People have a hard time grasping that. That's a lot of weight for anybody, especially a kid at that height. He's got tremendous strength and great work ethic. I think Missouri got a good one."

When did he devote himself to football full-time?

"I got the head job his freshman year (2011) and he started for us as a receiver as a freshman. He was a big-time basketball player all throughout. He's played AAU basketball with one of those big teams up in Atlanta, and he's put all his time into that. His sophomore year, he didn't play football. He came back out last year as a junior and it took him about half the year to get acclimated to football again.

"By the end of the season last year, we saw how dominant he could be. Then this summer, he was with us the whole summer and, for a little while, he almost went to Hargrave Military just to do basketball. He worked it all out. I tried to encourage Justin all along. We could see the potential he had. A 6-7 basketball player, there's a lot of them. A 6-7 receiver with his skill set, they don't come around very often.

"I'm glad he came back out with us. He led us to our first region championship in almost 20 years. We went to the third round of the state playoffs, he had more than 1,000 yards receiving. It was a blessing. It's been neat to see him grow up, and his leadership. He's got a tremendous ceiling because he's got so much to learn football-wise. He just hasn't put a lot of time into it. If he gets in there and just focuses on football, I think he can be scary good."

How did MU assuage any fears he had after Grinch left?

"Going into the visit this weekend, I don't know how excited Justin was, honestly, about it. But getting up there and seeing it, he talked a lot about the facilities, the school in general, the success they've had and how well they do academically. Justin wants to be successful. I think he realized he was dealing with champions up there.

"The coaching staff did a great job of convincing him of that this weekend and making him feel at home. I think that was one of the biggest things with Justin. N.C. State had been on him real heavy and showed him a lot of love. That's important for a high school kid. They want to be wanted, and I think Missouri really showed him this weekend that they wanted him as bad as anybody."

Why have DI schools been so slow to come calling for him?

"He had the opportunity, he was invited to the Under Armour or Rivals, one of those big invitation-only combines last spring and he didn't get to go to that because of AAU basketball. I think that turned a lot of folks off. And he didn't really fully commit to football until, actually, he told me the Friday night after Thanksgiving, when we played our last football game, he told me that night after the game, 'Coach, I want to play college football. I think that's what I'm supposed to do.'

"I guess, with him getting into it this late in the game and really committing to it, he's picked up offers from (Appalachian) State, Georgia Southern has offered him, some more folks. I think Justin's going to be one of those kids that, in several years, there's going to be a lot of these schools that look back and I think they'll realize they made a big mistake.

"You look at a lot of these stars beside a lot of these recruits' names, there's no way you can tell me a kid that's 6-7, can run like he can, jump and do all that, he doesn't have all that. I can tell you he's got the intangibles to be a really, really good player."

© 2015 Columbia Daily Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

He does appear to have really special quickness and speed for a guy that big.

Couldn't quite believe it when I started watching his senior highlights and the first 5-6 plays were bubble screens. To a guy who claims he is 6-8.

Nasty.

Also had an offer from Georgia in hoops?

Shit, he and Drew Lock may be better hoops prospects than anyone Mizzou has committed to play hoops next year.

Sounds like he's pretty damned strong, actually.

The story on him illustrates some of the inefficiencies in the recruiting process. He doesn't attend the UA camp in the summer, so colleges stray away from offering him.

These are the kinds of kids that allow Pinkel's teams to compete. If they can just lock down the state better, this can be a perennial top 12-15 program.

Wow. That guy moves for a 6'7 guy.

So Duncan.....are there any good prospects on the present roster to step up and fill the WR shoes? This years WR crew didn't really make defenses worry and if those on the roster already couldn't beat out this crew is the cupboard bare?

Tyler Howell commits to Mizzou. Big OL JUCO addition.

6'9 300+ pounds big.

Do these additions from the JUCO ranks make any of you worry about what guys like Rhodes and Bauer have shown in practice?

No. Bauer is a Guard. Chappell is the one most affected by this signing.

I know Bauer is a guard, but there is a significant amount of flex in the number of lower level tackles that get moved to guard, just like how many NFL guards were college tackles.

Also, Rhodes is a tackle.

This move is about a possible replacement for Chappell and simply adding an extremely talented player.

No worries about either. Clay is coming back from surgery and will be fine.

The best of the bunch is Nate Brown, who flashed at times last year. J'Mon Moore is there athletically but needs to grasp the offense better mentally.

Keyon Dilosa, who redshirted because he ruptured his Achilles', is apparently an absolute freak of nature (and could have played in the bowl game) on Danario Alexander levels (Huge, fast, strong, crazy vertical leap).

They're also going to need a freshman or two to flash, I think. I could see the Johnson kid earning some immediate PT as a kick returner/slot weapon (he's very good in the open field). Smith and Emmanuel Hall are both freshman WRs I'm very high on. Smith has great size and good speed to pair with it. Hall is more 6-2/6-3 but has good speed and seems polished.

I worry more about what Taylor Chappell and the tackles not named Mitch Morse showed in games. The offense clearly was better off playing McGovern at G and letting he and Boehm dominate the interior side-by-side. They can probably limp by with Chappell at RT again (he wasn't completely unplayable there, though he wasn't good) if they can find a more reliable LT.

I still like Rhodes' potential and upside, but he's only got two years in the program. It's more common for guys to need 3-4 to be solid contributors on the OL in college, especially skinny HS tackles like Clay who must add significant strength while improving technique, too.

Howell and Cuellar are, to me, a comment on the staff's comfort level with Chappell and the LT spot in general. In years past, if they were comfortable with Chappell, he'd be the guy sliding over to LT (like Morse did this year and Britt the year before).

I think this year's LT is one of Cuellar, Howell or Rhodes. With the losers pushing for time at RT, hopefully. Michael Fairchild also had a great redshirt season as a spring enrollee and might be in the mix.

Bauer had a solid redshirt year but not an enormously great one due to his hip injury as a HS senior. He's not in Nick Demien "He's never coming all the way back" territory or anything, but expectations for Bauer as a redshirt freshman should probably be tempered a little. He lost a lot of strength and development time to that injury and needs to catch back up.

A few things:

1) Thoughts on the probability of a Hale Hentges flip?
2) Is Lawrence Lee gone gone, like Levi Copelin, or is there a chance he could come back?
3) How do you know Bauer had a solid year last year? Not disagreeing, I just never heard anything at all other then he needed time to recover.

1) Near zero (I suspect we'll hear he is done with recruiting after his trip to Alabama this weekend)

2) Completely zero. He stole shit from teammates and got caught. Even Shawn Kemp gets irrevocably bounced for that type of behavior. And Shawn Kemp was a hell of a lot better player than Lawrence Lee.

3) The father of a current OL posts on another board I read and has talked about Bauer being in a recovery/rebuild mode this season, as a redshirt. In reports from camps the past year, you also sometimes hear tidbits about players, and Bauer was mentioned as being solid but not spectacular due to his injury recovery. Fairchild, however, was mentioned as standing out numerous times and almost made the two deep as a true freshman.

Thank you sir.

1) Was hoping that his father's comments had some legitimacy.
2) I hadn't heard he stole shit.
3) Unlike our basketball team, the OL seemed to improve as the season went on. Excited to hear this about Bauer.

It'd have been interesting to be a fly on the wall during Hentges recruiting.

Obviously, Bama is Bama. That's a great opportunity for the young man - but rumors have been around for awhile that Hentges' dad holds ill will toward Mizzou based on HIS recruting experience there back in the day.

Regardless, Bama is recruting 2 OTHER 4 Star TE's and Saban is notorious for over-signing and then pulling offers or "grey shirting" players at the last minute. It should be interesting to see how this plays out......

words.

I think it's more a matter of Bama being Bama than his dad being upset or anything. And if he's holding a grudge 30 years later, that seems petty and weak-minded.

General:

I was just looking at recruiting commit lists and comparing ESPN, Rivals and 247. ESPN is much higher on this class than the other two, but it still is Missouri's best class since 2010.

If Missouri closes in a best-case scenario over the next two weekends, which actually seems decently possible, it is going to add DT Terry Beckner, WR Brandon Martin (who is on campus today), DE Nate Howard (flipping him from Wisconsin), DT Tyrell Jacobs, and LB Quarter Sapp.

This would give Missouri 11 4-stars or better according to ESPN (Beckner, Lock, AJ Harris, Nate Strong, WRs Richaud Floyd, Brandon Martin, and Ronnell Perkins, JUCO DE Marcell Frazier, JUCO OT Tyler Howell, GA ATH T.J. Warren and GA LB Quarte Sapp).

ESPN obviously is higher on this class than anyone else. Which may not say anything about the actual talent in the class, but it does say something about what their talking heads are going to say about Mizzou.

On 247 Spots, they would still have 7 4-stars or better (Beckner, Lock, Strong, JUCO RB Chase Abbington, ATH Marquise Doherty, WR Justin Smith, and LB Sapp).

On Rivals, it would be 7 4-stars or better (Beckner, Lock, Strong, Abbington, Doherty, Sapp, Harris)

Stars aren't the end-all, be-all, but the recruiting services like this recruiting class more than any other Mizzou has had of late. And I do, too.

I think Lock and Beckner are true stars at the college level. Especially Lock. They're going to get at least one playmaker out of the RB group (though Strong is already enrolled at JUCO and not making it to Columbia until 2016), I actually love this WR group (size and speed combos in Smith and Hall, and a dynamite open-field/slot/multiple purpose guy in Johnson) and think it produces at least one star, and they're adding a bunch of high caliber athletes on the back end of the defense (Doherty, Warren, Sapp/Terez Hall).

Wow. Good riddance.

****Official 2015 Missouri Tigers Football Thread****
 

Tyrell Jacobs the DT from Louisiana who decommitted from Oklahoma has committed to Mizzou.

****Official 2015 Missouri Tigers Football Thread****
 

Under Armor All-American WR Brandon Martin from Dallas TX has committed too.

Awesome finish to this class.

Over/Under on when the decent players get arrested and then kicked off?

From Bleacher Report:

Terry Beckner Jr

It is very scary to watch a defensive tackle run the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds.

Terry Beckner Jr. is a 5-star DT for a reason. For a guy who stands at 6'4" and weighs 293 pounds, it's almost poetic watching him run like a linebacker-or, in some cases, like a safety. His combination of size, speed, athleticism and explosiveness off the line has made him a wanted man for quite some time.

So, where is the East St. Louis, Illinois, star leaning?

After a productive visit to Auburn, you have to think the Tigers have moved into a position of being considered strong contenders in the Beckner sweepstakes. Florida State, Missouri and Ohio State are three other major players as we inch closer to national signing day.

If you're an Auburn fan, you have to like your odds-more so now than a couple of weeks ago. In fact, why not have some fun and throw out some percentages for the four teams thought to be in the lead?


Odds for Auburn: 3-1

Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports chatted with East St. Louis assistant coach Harith Mitchom following Beckner's visit to Auburn. The visit was a game-changer in Beckner's process.

"If you would've asked me last week, I would've said Mizzou strong and FSU edging in, but after coming back from this Auburn visit, he was more excited than I ever saw after a visit," Mitchom told Wiltfong. "Whatever they did down there really, really caught his eye."

Great news for Auburn, but there are still two official visits left for Beckner. He visits Ohio State this weekend and Missouri next weekend.


Terry Beckner Jr. Will Commit to Which School?


Auburn Ohio State Missouri Florida State Other Submit Vote vote to see results

Odds for Ohio State: 4-1

Earlier in the process, many thought Ohio State was a legitimate leader for Beckner. For whatever reason, the flame fizzled, and the Buckeyes were considered but not necessarily a lock, according to those following his recruiting.

Let's be honest: Championships talk-and they are loud when they talk. The Buckeyes are the first College Football Playoff champion, and there is room for Beckner on that defensive unit.

Don't forget about Urban Meyer. Beckner is in Columbus for an official visit this weekend-and Meyer is one of the best closers in 11th-hour recruiting. See Dontre Wilson and Ezekiel Elliott as examples.

Odds for Missouri: 5-1

Missouri is less than two hours away from East St. Louis, so proximity advantages go to the Tigers. And we must give credit where credit is due: Missouri has been a key player in the SEC East. The Tigers definitely would welcome a player of Beckner's caliber, as he could help put Missouri in national conversations.

Here's another big advantage for Missouri: The program has Beckner's last scheduled official visit. Those who know recruiting know that oftentimes, the last visit is the most memorable, and the most memorable visit could be the visit that puts a program over the top.

Missouri once was considered a front-runner. As January continues, other programs have caught the Tigers. But that doesn't mean they can't win in the end.

Odds for Florida State: 6-1

Florida State is a team that's been a program to keep an eye on. Beckner visited the campus back in November, and he's always considered the Seminoles a contender.

You've got to give credit to Florida State assistant coach Tim Brewster, who has done an outstanding job recruiting Beckner. The main disadvantage with Florida State is that, from an official visit standpoint, they won't be fresh in Beckner's mind. A positive, however, is that every visit after Florida State will have to be compared to the experience in Tallahassee.

Beckner said during the Under Armour All-America Game that Florida State was still high on his list. Seminoles fans will be paying attention from now until his decision.

Seriously, nobody is dumb enough to think you're a mizzou fan. Just stop.

Hey Duncan (or anyone else in the know), where is Marquise Doherty projecting for the Tigers? I know he's coming in without a set position, but I assumed he'd be a defensive backfield guy. This article seems to think he would help at receiver...

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec...eshmen-impact/

Thanks....now a second question:

Is there any scenario in which you see Lock coming in and adapting so well that Pinkel is left with no option but to start him and put Mauk either on the bench or at slot receiver/possession receiver?

From Rock M:

Brandon Martin is a 6'3, 185 lbs wide receiver from Dallas, Texas (Rivals: *** | 247: *** | ESPN: ****).

There is a lot to like about this commit so check out his film. He chose Mizzou over Louisville, West Virginia. Despite concerns, Mizzou will not be shut out of Texas.

Brandon Martin joins Richaud Floyd, Emanuel Hall, Johnathan Johnson, Justin Smith and Ronnell Perkins with reservations at the wide receiver position for the 2015 class. Mizzou may not have a lot of returning experience at the wide receiver position next year, but they will have a talented pool of athletes competing for playing time for the next few years.

From yesterday:

Martin was selected to play in the Under Armour All-American game. He is a receiver, and while Mizzou appears mostly set at this position -- to the point where other prospects recently canceled visits because of lack of availability -- Mizzou likes him enough to keep an offer on the table. (It's not hard to see why. He's only listed at 6'3, 185, but he carries himself like he's 6'5, 220 on film.) ESPN likes him quite a bit (which is the case for quite a few Mizzou prospects, actually), and Rivals lists him as the No. 100 senior in the state of Texas.

Welcome to the family Brandon Martin.

#MizzouMade

****Official 2015 Missouri Tigers Football Thread****
 

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/col...le8078868.html

Stop reading Bleacher Report unless it is to laugh at it. Auburn is not the front runner. Florida State is not the front runner. Missouri is still ahead. Darren Sunkett is the authority from that team to listen to, and he said this week Missouri is still in front. Sunkett is also a big ally for the Missouri program, and he is on the trip with Beckner.

Ohio State is the most dangerous competition. If Beckner makes it past the weekend without committing

I think Doherty is slated for RB or the defensive backfield. SDS is, as usual, off base about how a recruit fits in for Mizzou. The Tigers got a commit from Brandon Martin, a WR who participated in the Under Armor game but has qualification questions, this weekend, to pair with jumbo WR Justin Smith and open-field guy Jonathan Johnson, as well as Ronnell Perkins, Richaud Floyd and Emmannuel Hall.

I don't think Missouri takes 6 pure WRs if the plan is to use Doherty there.

I highly doubt that.

I think Lock is a stud, but he has to get stronger and heavier to hold up to the D1 game.

I think he sits for at least a year, probably two.

If he just completely blows away Mauk, though, Pinkel might consider it. He'd have to do it in spring practice, I think, because that's the only time Pinkel has supplanted returning starters (Brad Smith/Kirk Farmer).