By Tony Thomas
Coming off an 11-2 record and a defeat of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2023 Cotton Bowl, the Missouri Tigers will be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC East in 2024. With QB Brady Cook and WR Luther Burden III returning, these three transfers will also make an impact this fall.
OT Cayden Green
Previous School: Oklahoma Sooners
6’4″, 315 lbs.
A native of Lee’s Summit, MO., Cayden Green will need to provide much needed protection for Cook, considering Cook’s backup Sam Horn is out for the 2024 season with an elbow injury that requires Tommy John surgery. Green was a 2023 Freshman All-American for the Sooners and played in 11 games last season, and started five of the last six.
According to Pro Football Focus, in those 11 games, Green allowed zero sacks, just one hit on the quarterback, and only 14 QB pressures (in 293 pass blocking assignments). Green graded out at 70% or better in five of the games he played in, and three of his final five starts.
Playing just 84 snaps prior to the Red River Rivalry game with Texas, Green was inserted into the game vs Texas and he made the Longhorns mammoth nose guard T’Vondre Sweat (eventual 2023 Outland Trophy winner) much less of a factor, resulting in a 34-30 Sooners victory.
RB Marcus Carroll
Previous School: Georgia State Panthers
5’10”, 210 lbs.
A 1st Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2023, Marcus Carroll ran over and around would-be tacklers on his way to 1,350 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 112 yards on the ground per game. With those numbers, Carroll ranked #6 in the FBS. Carroll produced seven games with over 100 yards rushing, including 208 yards in a loss to Georgia Southern.
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BREAKING: Former Georgia State RB Marcus Carroll has officially committed to the Missouri Tigers!🐯
Carrol was a Doak Walker Award Semifinalist and was the 4th best RB in the Transfer Portal according to 24/7. This past season at Georgia State Carrol recorded 1,350 yards on 274… pic.twitter.com/KpoJhbzi4R
— Week 0 Productions (@TheWeek0Podcast) December 11, 2023
Twice last season, Carroll scored three rushing touchdowns in a game, and scored at least one rushing touchdown in each of his first six games. For his collegiate career, Carroll has 2,136 rushing yards to his credit, and will certainly help reduce the pain of losing All-SEC RB Cody Schrader to the NFL Draft.
LB Corey Flagg, Jr.
Previous School: Miami Hurricanes
6’0”, 230 lbs.
Corey Flagg, Jr. comes to Missouri with 179 tackles and 24 tackles for loss so far in his collegiate career. Last season, Flagg racked up 48 tackles (4th on the team), seven tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. In a 29-26 win over Virginia, Flagg made 10 tackles. Against Clemson, Flagg made five tackles and two tackles for loss in a 28-20 Hurricanes victory.
Miami's Corey Flagg Jr. reads the play perfectly and brings down Clemson's Cade Klubnik.
The Hurricanes trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter, but came back with a 28-20 double-overtime win over the Tigers. pic.twitter.com/IRbutus8Jo
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 22, 2023
In fact, Flagg made at least one tackle in every game last season. Landing Flagg from the transfer portal will certainly help fill the void left behind by the departure of LB Ty’Ron Hopper, who declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.
