Missouri will be without one of its biggest pieces when the season opens Thursday, Sept. 3.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Saturday that starting left tackle Cayden Green will miss the Tigers’ opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Faurot Field in Columbia. Green, a team captain entering his third season with the program, came into the year with plenty of preseason recognition, landing on the All-SEC list from both the media and coaches and earning preseason All-American nods from multiple outlets.
Drinkwitz wasn’t willing to say much beyond that.
“I'm not going to give a medical report on it,” the coach said. “We're going to do what's best for him.”
That leaves his status for Missouri’s Week 2 game at Kansas on Friday, Sept. 11, very much up in the air. The Tigers head to Lawrence for the Border War, and it’s not yet clear whether Green will be available.
There had already been some intrigue around his camp availability. Green missed at least two days of practice in the middle of fall camp, though Drinkwitz said at the time that he was simply a holdout. Even so, the star tackle was seen by the Tribune at every open practice from Aug. 17 through the end of camp.
Missouri’s Saturday depth chart pointed to sophomore Jack Lange as the next man up at left tackle. Lange, the No. 1 prospect in Missouri in the Class of 2025, is listed as Green’s backup and spent camp taking multiple first-team reps while Green was out.
The Tigers could also turn to Whit Hafer on the left side if needed. The Joplin native has worked at several spots along Missouri’s offensive line during camp, and he’s currently listed as the second right tackle behind Mississippi State transfer Luke Work.
Green’s absence matters because of how much he’s already logged in Columbia. The former Oklahoma player has played 1,561 snaps for Missouri over the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.
He also missed two games last season with an injury, sitting out wins over South Carolina and UMass. With Green out, Missouri opens the year with a reshuffled front and some early uncertainty at one of its most important spots.
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