Here's who could replace Missouri football's loss in the Music City Bowl

Mizzou’s bowl game could be a small bridge to 2025.

Missouri football faces Iowa on Monday in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee. The Tigers (9-3) are one win away from posting back-to-back double-digit winning streaks for the third time in program history, which would also be the first time without Gary Pinkel as head coach.

Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s team will enter the game with its starting lineup largely intact, as only three players have opted out and no starting players on the 2024 roster have entered the transfer portal.

More:Missouri Football vs. Iowa: Scouting report, score prediction for Music City Bowl matchup

More:How does new quarterback Beau Pribula fit into Missouri football? Behind the QB’s track record

Iowa (8-4) is in similar shape, with star running back Kaleb Johnson and cornerback Jermari Harris the only opt-outs. The Hawkeyes will be without quarterback Cade McNamara, who was their starter at the start of the season but was benched in October. McNamara has now entered the portal.

Here are the players we think could fill in for Missouri’s exits and injured players in the Music City Bowl:

Mitchell Walters, right tackle

Missouri will be without two starting offensive linemen against Iowa as center Connor Tollison will miss the game due to injury and right tackle Armand Membou has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after his junior season.

Mizzou already has Drake Heismeyer at center since Tollison missed the final three games of the regular season with a knee injury. But Walters, who was almost everywhere on the line during his time at Mizzou, now appears to be confirmed as the next man up behind Membou and taking the starting spot on the team’s updated depth chart.

Walters will play his final game as a Tiger as he is expected to be ineligible to play at the end of this season. The St. Louis native has appeared in all 12 of MU’s games this season, starting at right guard in Week 2 against Buffalo.

James Madison II, wide receiver

Mizzou also lost two starting wide receivers as Luther Burden III prepares to be a likely first-round pick in the NFL Draft and Mookie Cooper is sidelined due to injury.

Particularly at the slot receiver position, Mizzou has both key players behind as Mekhi Miller – Burden’s backup – transfers. According to the depth chart, Marquis Johnson is expected to take over a starting role, while freshman James Madison II is the new backup.

Johnson’s strengths are pretty well known by now. He can stretch the field with his speed and has shown plenty of big-play ability in his two years at CoMo.

But Madision is still something of an unknown college student. He was a four-star recruit and the No. 67 wide receiver in his class, according to recruiting service 247Sports’ composite rankings. He played in two games — against Murray State and UMass — meaning he redshirted his rookie year.

He may not be a starter, but Missouri fans should get to see the rookie in a non-reserve capacity for the first time.

Joshua Manning has already largely filled in for Cooper and Theo Wease Jr. will play the final game of his college career on Monday in Nashville. These two will likely retain their starting positions.

Jeremiah Beasley, linebacker

How Mizzou plans to divide its linebacker reps remains unclear. Starting middle linebacker Chuck Hicks has opted out, apparently for personal reasons. Key fullback Khalil Jacobs was sidelined midseason this year.

Triston Newson and Corey Flagg Jr. will likely take the bulk of the reps. Freshman Nicholas Rodriguez has already made some outside appearances behind Newson. This group should make up the majority of the rotation.

But when does Flagg need a snapshot? The most likely next player is Jeremiah Beasley, who played a big role on special teams all season but had limited opportunities on defense.

That should change in the bowl game. Beasley earned a redshirt at Columbia this year after transferring to the Tigers as a true freshman from Michigan. He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and should get at least some playing time in Nashville.

Jordon Harris, tight end

Brett Norfleet underwent surgery shortly after the end of the regular season and will miss the Music City Bowl. That should allow Jordon Harris to step into a starting role for the bowl game.

Harris hasn’t exactly been lacking in reps this year. He played in 11 games this season, starting five, and caught four passes for 34 yards. With his height of 1.80 meters and a weight of 255 pounds, he is particularly suitable as a blocker.

But he hasn’t really nailed the starting duties and the task of taking the bulk of the tight end reps to this point in his career. That should change on Monday, as he will at least split time with senior Tyler Stephens.

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