Missouri Tigers Football Countdown: 65 Days Until Tanner Owen

There’s only 65 days left until the Missouri Tigers kick off their 2016 season against West Virginia, so today we honor number 65 for the Tigers, offensive lineman Tanner Owen.

After losing four of their five starting offensive linemen from last season, including two players who were taken in the NFL Draft, the Missouri Tigers are looking at an extensive rebuild of the line going into 2016. While he doesn’t figure to break into the starting lineup this year, redshirt freshman Tanner Owen might be a player who could help with that process.

Owen, a 6-foot-5, 280-pounder, is expected to serve as the backup to junior college transfer Tyler Howell at left tackle as camp begins. The Tigers’ depth at tackle is uncertain all around, though: redshirt sophomore Paul Adams is the listed starter at right tackle but has never started a college game, and the other players with a chance to serve as backups in 2016 are converted defensive tackle Tyrell Jacobs and junior college transfer Kyle Mitchell. With this in mind, Owen might be a candidate to provide depth at both tackle positions if Howell or Adams get injured or perform less desirably than anticipated.

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Owen was ranked as a two-start recruit by Rivals, but ESPN ranked him as the 17th-best prospect in the state of Missouri. He’s described by the Mizzou coaching staff as having “tremendous athleticism, confidence and competitive spirit”, so if he utilizes those skills, he should be able to make some valuable contributions down the road.