Missouri Football: What the Tigers Need to Fix Before Their First Game

As a result of its move to the SEC, Missouri is a team that will likely receive more attention than it's used to this season.

This is a solid team that returns a total of 11 starters, who will be hoping to prove that they belong in college football's toughest conference. However, before they jump head first into playing schools like Alabama, LSU and the rest of the gang, they must fix any issues they may be facing.

The Tigers had spring practice to answer any questions they may have, but they'll need as much time as possible to address any remaining issues. 

With fall camp right around the corner, here are 10 things that have to be on the Tigers mind as they approach the regular season.

True Freshmen

The great thing about the fall is getting a chance to see the true freshmen in action for the very first time.

Missouri landed one of the top prospects of the 2012 class in wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. He has terrific size at 6'6" and 220 pounds, runs with great speed and has solid hands, with good body control. He's a game changer on the offensive side of the ball and should see a lot of action in his first season in a Tiger uniform.

Other players that will be worth watching include center Evan Boehm, running back Morgan Steward, linebacker Donavin Newsom and quarterback Maty Mauk.

One of the perks in being an SEC team is getting ridiculous recruiting classes. Missouri is quickly benefiting from this early on.

D-Line

The Tigers lost several players along the defensive line, which means that players will have to grow up fast in order to have success in the SEC. The Tigers will get Sheldon Richardson and Brad Madison back—two players who showed promise a season ago—but depth is going to be extremely important going into their new home.

The top four teams in the SEC last season were able to pressure the quarterback and finished with at least 30 sacks on the year. The Tigers will have to discover a few more players who can get after it on the defensive line, or they'll have no chance this season.

They did a decent job last season, racking up 27 sacks in the Big 12, but they will need to improve those numbers this time around.

O-Line

Much like the defensive line, the offensive line for Missouri presents an issue.

Losing three key players from this unit during the offseason, they've experienced a few injuries as well. Linemen Anthony Gatti, Connor McGovern and Mark Hill all saw limited action throughout the spring due to injuries they had suffered. That doesn't include Elvis Fisher, who's still recovering from last season knee surgery.

If the Tigers can't put together a solid offensive line that can hold up against these loaded SEC defensive lines, it will be a very tough first year for this program.

Size and Strength

Let's just assume that the Tigers are able to put together solid lines on both sides of the ball; the size for both units will remain an issue. We're talking about an offensive line that averages under 300 pounds and a defensive line that is barely 260.

In the SEC, the games are often won in the trenches, and the lines are some of the most physical in the country. Can either of these smaller units actually hold up against an LSU- or Alabama-type style of play?

Henry Josey

Running back Henry Josey had a fantastic season last year, rushing for over 1,100 yards and averaging over eight yards a touch. That was until he suffered a horrible knee injury that forced him to have surgery and miss the final three games of the season.

Word is now that he'll end up having a second surgery within a few weeks.

So we probably already know that he'll miss most of this year, if not all of it, but if head coach Gary Pinkel will remain optimistic, I will too.

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"He's doing very, very well," Pinkel said. "I always get the question, 'Will he be able to play this season?' And my answer is he's got three years to play two. So, when he's ready to play, that's when he'll play."

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Josey is one of the key playmakers for this Tigers offense, and losing him for an extended period of time certainly isn't going to help this team.

RB Depth

Now that we know Josey will likely miss majority of the year, it's up to other running backs on this roster to step up. Running back Kendial Lawrence will be named the starter, as he rushed for 566 yards last season and five touchdowns in a backup role last season.

There's really no question that he can help lead this team in Josey's absence; it's the other players that must step up.

Redshirt sophomore Marcus Murphy will likely be the backup behind Lawrence, but he's only touched the ball 22 times throughout his career, and he missed the entire 2011 season with a shoulder injury. Other backs that look to get carries this season include Jared McGriff-Culver and Greg White, but they also lack experience.

The Tigers must discover some playmakers in the backfield.

Kicker

Senior kicker Trey Barrow was penciled in as the starter heading into the spring. Good thing it was written in pencil, because now redshirt freshman Andrew Baggett is listed as the starting kicker for the Tigers.

Barrow said via Stltoday.com:

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I kind of knew. He had beaten me in the scrimmages, and it's up to the coaches. I have to come back strong in the spring game and work harder this summer to try to get my spot back.

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Barrow was the kicker in the second half of the season for Missouri, making 77 percent of his kicks. The Tigers must get this issue resolved, because we've all seen just important how field-goal kicking is, especially in the SEC.

James Franklin

This Tigers offense will only go as far as quarterback James Franklin leads it, and right now he's recovering from shoulder surgery he had during the spring. Franklin is entering his junior year, and the dual-threat quarterback is a huge part of the Tigers success. Last season, he threw for over 2,800 yards, rushed for 981 and totaled 36 touchdowns. 

He is a playmaker and gives this team a chance to win every game with his athletic ability. But assuming he does make a full recovery by the time the fall arrives, there will still be lingering questions about his health.

Will he have the arm strength to make the throws? Will he still have any effects from the injury that effects his play?

If for whatever reason Franklin won't be ready by September, the Tigers will be in trouble.

Backup QB

As if things couldn't get worse for the Tigers and the quarterback position, backup quarterback Corbin Berkstresser was arrested after a hit-and-run accident. Berkstresser was the backup behind Franklin and was likely going to be the starter if the junior wasn't able to go by the time Week 1 arrived.

Berkstesser has been suspended by the team, which makes things even worse. Now the Tigers only have two eligible quarterbacks on the roster in junior Ashton Glaser true freshman Maty Mauk. Neither have any game experience at the college level.

It was bad enough that Franklin suffered an injury; this recent arrest puts even more pressure on the dual-threat quarterback to make a speedy recovery.

Get off to a Fast Start

Despite all of the questions this team may have heading into the fall, they remain an extremely talented team on both sides of the ball. They're a confident bunch and believe that they can make an impact in year one in their new conference.

There are going to be doubters about this team, but with the 2012 schedule, it provides the Tigers a chance to prove that they truly belong in the SEC. The first four games include games against Arizona State, Georgia and a road trip to South Carolina.

Head coach Gary Pinkel has done a solid job with this program over the years; this will be his biggest test yet. It's important that the Tigers get off to a fast start and make their presence felt.