Five Freshmen with the Greatest Chance to Make an Impact for Missouri Tigers in 2016

Even today in college football, it’s tough for a player to get on the field as a true freshman. Which new Missouri Tigers recruits have a chance to do it in 2016?

Traditionally, it’s been considered impractical, perhaps even inappropriate, to use true freshmen at the Division I level of collegiate football. That’s particularly been true in the SEC, where physical dominance is the name of the game during conference play. While things have changed quite a bit in recent years, with high-profile recruits such as Leonard Fournette, Robert Nkemdiche, and Mizzou’s own Dorial Green-Beckham making impacts as first-year players, it’s still relatively uncommon for freshmen to come in and see immediate action, rather than taking a redshirt year to learn the system, get acclimated to college life, and continue developing in the weight room.

Such is the case at Mizzou. Even during a 2015 season where the Tigers received a great recruiting class and had quite a few freshman capable of contributing right off the bat, they still used just eight true freshmen–quarterback Drew Lock, wide receiver Emanuel Hall, wide receiver/safety Cam Hilton, defensive linemen Terry Beckner, Jr., Josh Moore and Nate Howard, linebacker Terez Hall, punter Corey Fatony–during games. As new head coach Barry Odom tries to throw together a roster for 2016 after unexpectedly losing quite a few players and getting a late start on his recruiting class, though, it’s possible that some of the Tigers’ true freshmen could have a heightened chance to contribute this year. The fact that they’ll be proving themselves to an almost entirely new coaching staff that has little exposure to the program’s established players doesn’t hurt, either.

Here are five Mizzou freshmen who have the best shot at contributing during their first year on campus:

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