Missouri Tigers: OT Tyler Howell Will Not Join Team for 2015 Season
According to a Monday morning tweet from PowerMizzou.com’s Gabe DeArmond, the Missouri Tigers have suffered a setback in the construction of their 2015 football roster:
While it’s not an absolutely devastating blow, the failure to get Howell on campus will impact the Tigers this season. There was hope that the 6-foot-9, 305-pounder could come in and immediately compete for Mizzou’s starting left tackle job, which was vacated by the graduation of Mitch Morse this offseason. Without Howell in the fold, it appears extremely likely that the left tackle spot will be filled by Connor McGovern, a natural guard who has performed much better on the interior and has actually come out and stated that he would prefer to play guard.
More from Missouri Tigers
- Missouri Tigers’ Damarea Crockett named to Maxwell Award watch list
- Missouri Tigers’ Marcell Frazier named to Bednarik Award watch list
- Key takeaways from Missouri Tigers’ first preseason depth chart
- Missouri Tigers’ Tanner Houck selected in first round of 2017 MLB Draft
- Texas transfer Jordan Elliott reportedly commits to Missouri Tigers
McGovern could also be pushed by Malik Cuellar, a junior college recruit, though Cuellar was with the team for the duration of spring practice and obviously didn’t establish himself to the point where he’s listed as the top left tackle going into fall camp. As the Tigers get prepared for the regular season, McGovern is joined on the projected starting line by left guard Taylor Chappell, who appears to be a better fit on the inside after struggling mightily in pass protection at right tackle last season, returning fourth-year starter Evan Boehm at center, right guard Mitch Hall, who has had starting opportunities in the past but hasn’t been able to hold onto them, and right tackle Nate Crawford, a converted defensive lineman who will look to seize his first opportunity for regular playing time. Crawford is expected to be pushed by fellow sophomore Clay Rhodes.
Howell was a recruit out of Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. He was listed as a three-star recruit by rivals.com and also drew offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, and Penn State. DeArmond stated that Howell’s eligibility concerns appeared to be related to his academic status. He had just two seasons of eligibility remaining, so with eligibility concerns still clouding his future and the general difficulty of getting an offensive lineman acclimated to an offense, it appears unlikely that Howell will ever end up playing Division I football.