Last season, Missouri was a veteran laden team led by multi-year starting quarterback Brady Cook and NFL draft pick wideout Luther Burden.
Alabama rolled in last season’s meeting, handing the Tigers their second loss of the season in a 34-0 shutout.
This year, the Tigers will welcome the Crimson Tide into Columbia at 5-0, with a new headline of transfer stars brought in from all over the country.
Beau Pribula
Quarterback Beau Pribula transferred in from Penn State during the offseason.
Primarily a runner during his time as a Nittany Lion, Pribula has showcased his arm talent this year, sitting at seventh in the SEC with 1,203 passing yards and nine touchdowns.
For a player as athletic behind center as Pribula, his legs have yet to play a huge factor in a game, with his season high at 72 yards on nine carries against South Carolina.
Pribula’s best performance this year came in the Border War rivalry game against Kansas, where he totaled 334 passing yards and three touchdowns at 76% completion rate.
Mizzou’s two power conference wins have come against the Jayhawks and Gamecocks, both at home. Those defenses are currently 83rd and 22nd against the pass.
The biggest test of Pribula’s career is coming Saturday against a Crimson Tide team that boasts the third best pass defense in FBS.
Ahmad Hardy
It’s not often that a future Doak Walker award finalist hails from Louisiana-Monroe, but that’s exactly what Missouri found in Ahmad Hardy.
He leads the nation in rushing, totaling at least 100 yards in every game thus far.
“He just keeps plays alive,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said of Hardy. “People think they’ve got him down and he’s still running. The yards after contact just blow your mind.”
Alabama has had difficulties stopping the run this season, sitting at 70th in the nation by allowing over 150 yards per game on the ground.
Despite these struggles, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack may have just cracked the code on how to stop the run.
In Saturday’s win against Vanderbilt, the Commodores rushed for 113 yards on five carries in the first quarter yet only conjured up 22 yards over the final three quarters on 14 attempts
It is imperative for Wommack’s defense to keep this up against Hardy, who has not faced a rush defense ranked higher than No. 80, South Carolina.
Kevin Coleman
With star wideouts Luther Burden and Theo Wease off to the NFL, Drinkwitz looked for a new star wideout for Pribula to throw to.
In came Mississippi State transfer wide receiver Kevin Coleman.
In one season in Starkville, despite splitting top-receiver reps with now Texas A&M star Mario Craver, Coleman totaled career highs in both receptions and yards with 74 for 932.
So far this year, Coleman has reeled in at least six catches in four of Missouri’s five games.
He will have a tall task Saturday against an Alabama cornerback room that includes the likes of Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown.
Jalen Catalon
Catalon started his career at Arkansas in 2019, when he faced notable quarterbacks such as — Matt Corral (Ole Miss), Kellen Mond (Texas A&M), Bo Nix (Auburn), Mac Jones (Alabama), and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow (LSU).
The 2020 All-SEC and 2024 All-American safety is now in his seventh year on his fourth team.
Catalon is second on the team with 17 tackles.
Josiah Trotter
West Virginia transfer linebacker Josiah Trotter leads the Tigers in tackles with 28 on the season. Trotter totaled 93 tackles with the Mountaineers as a true freshman.
He had eleven tackles in Missouri’s 29-21 win over South Carolina, tied for the second most in a game in his career and his most in a game this season.
When asked about Trotter on his weekly show, Drinkwitz had one simple reply: “Money well spent.”
