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Arch Awards: Who was St. Louis’s Best Under-the-Radar Performer in 2016?

By Patrick Karraker

Oct 1, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Jedd Gyorko (3) acknowledges the fans after hitting a go ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Pirates 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Jedd Gyorko (3) acknowledges the fans after hitting a go ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Pirates 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports /
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Marcell Frazier Missouri Tigers
Nov 12, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) is sacked by Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Marcell Frazier (16) and defensive lineman Nate Howard (88) during the second half at Faurot Field. Missouri won 26-17. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

Marcell Frazier, DE, Missouri Tigers

Take a quick guess at which Mizzou defender led the team in sacks in 2016. Think it was likely NFL first-rounder Charles Harris? According to the program’s official stat book, it was actually redshirt junior Marcell Frazier, a former junior college transfer who only started five games during the 2016 season.

While Frazier only had 34 tackles, he definitely made his impact felt. Frazier had 9.5 tackles for loss for a team-best 79 yards lost, including a team-leading 8.5 sacks. The Tigers generally shed the “D-Line Zou” label in 2016—and who could blame them, considering that defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross’s defense limited the impact of pass rushers, then Cross had his play-calling responsibilities taken away and defensive line coach Jackie Shipp was fired before season’s end. With that said, Frazier was a bright spot and will likely be counted on to anchor the defensive line next season. At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, he’s got a real chance to be a contributor at the next level, so it will be exciting to see if he can increase his production as a senior in 2017.

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