Mizzou Football: Find Next (insert legend here)

As college sports fans, we always look to our past to project onto our present and future.

Maybe it's because, unlike professional fans, we have so little time with the players that we feel like we can extend their time with us with nostalgia. If every quarterback is the next Chase Daniel, if every defensive end is the next Markus Golden, their time with us will never end. And it works the other way, too: As college fans, we're obsessed with recruiting, with potential, with the talented lumps of clay ready to be lovingly molded into All-Americans by our brilliant coaching staff.

With that in mind, let's take a look at Missouri's football roster and play (current player) is next (Mizzou legend). Some of these comparisons may seem absurd at first glance. Some are comparisons of statistical profiles, some are based on a player's physical attributes and scouting profile, and some are based on their journeys to this point in their career.

These are not necessarily statistical comparisons. (If it were, I would have just made a hellraiser of a running back duo.) It's more of a fun exercise, designed to recall some good memories, and align those with current players who are ready to build their own legacy at Faurot Field.

Marcus Carroll is the next Cody Schrader.

This one is obvious, especially if you watched the spring game. Marcus Carroll just looks like Cody Schrader there. Small in stature, but with a strong torso and a little pumping motion with his short arms as his strong legs race across the field. Carroll, like Cody, is a decisive downhill runner, working mostly in the outside zones to the edge. He is also an excellent finisher and gets stronger in the fourth quarter of his games at Georgia State, as Cody seemingly iced every Mizzou win with a fourth-quarter touchdown. Finally, Carroll's story isn't as extreme as Cody's, but it's still in the same genre: undersized, overlooked talent who tried his hardest to get a shot in the SEC.

Nate Noel is the next Henry Josey.

This is what I mean by not every comparison being a 1-to-1 statistical projection. Henry Josey ran for 1,168 yards as a sophomore in 2011 before a catastrophic knee injury cost him a season. Exactly a decade later, Nate Noel rushed for 1,128 yards as a sophomore before a series of nagging injuries cost him none of Josey's much of the next two seasons. Josey ended his time in Columbia with an emotional season; his rush on the big play was a crucial factor in the 2013 team's success. If Noel can stay healthy, he's in line for a similar victory lap as this team's explosive rusher.

Chris McClellan is the next TyRon Hopper.

Like TyRon Hopper before him, Chris McClellan is a former Florida Gator ready to fill a starting role on defense and make an immediate big impact. Hopper worked his way into the field in Gainesville before moving to Mizzou for his breakout, and the script here has McClellan lining up to do the same. TyRon Hopper's time in Florida? 546 total snaps, 60.9 PFF grade in his second season. Chris McClellan's time in Florida? 564 snaps, 63.9 PFF grade in his second season.

Luther Burden is the next Jeremy Maclin.

In Jeremy Maclin's second year on campus, the blue-chipper from St. Louis caught 80 passes for 1,055 yards and nine touchdowns. In Luther Burden's second year at Missouri, the blue-chipper from St. Louis caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. Maclin followed it up with a Biletnikoff finalist season and entry into the NFL draft as an underclassmen, where he went in the first round. Both feats seem likely for Burden entering the 2024 season.

The comparisons are fairly close, but not perfect. Burden played as a true freshman; Maclin redshirted while rehabbing a torn ACL. Maclin contributed more on rush plays and as a dynamic returner; Burden has a delicious line of chips. Jeremy Maclin may be the best modern football player in Missouri, he or Justin Smith and Luther have a chance to challenge for the title.

Armand Membou is the next Justin Britt.

Armand Membou has followed a similar path as Justin Britt. Both originally worked on the field as youngsters at one position Britt as guard, Membou as extra inline blocker before transitioning to a starting tackle role as sophomores. Britt has some excellent lines anchored in Missouri, and the plan is for Membou to do the same. Britt moved to the interior positions in the NFL, where he played for a decade, and most evaluators believe the same move is in Membous' future on Sunday. Furthermore, both rose to prominence as key figures in a major scandal: Britt for getting to work with Aaron Donald while with the Seahawks, and Membou for taking over virtually all of Arkansas' defense during the Thanksgiving weekend game on CBS.

Darris Smith is the next Shane Ray.

This one is actually an attribute comparison and not a travel comparison. Both are lanky, speed-based edge rushers; Smith is listed at £65,240; Ray at 63,245. Ray was drafted in 2012, but emerged as a sophomore in the 2013 season: 27 tackles, 9 TFL, 4.5 sacks. Of course, he played third fiddle on the edge that season, with veterans Kony Ealy and Markus Golden leading the rotation. That statistic would be perfectly acceptable from Smith this season, with Johnny Walker Jr. would take most of the attention, with more experienced veterans Zion Young and Joe Moore also checking in on the depth chart.

Brett Norfleet is the next Martin Rucker.

I know the comparison you want to make for Norfleet is Chase Coffman, because it's just too easy to compare the redheaded passing tight ends of a suburb of Missouri's largest cities, one on each side of the state. Things got even more tempting after Norfleet's Coffman-esque hurdle came over a Florida defender. But as easy as it is to make the comparison, it's also a bit lazy: Norfleet's 18 catches for 197 yards as a freshman don't come close to Coffman's 47 for 503. Norfleet was a nice player as a freshman; Coffman was a revelation. Norfleet's rookie line almost exactly mirrors Tee Ruckers, and he could be in line to succeed Ruckers' sophomore stats: 47 catches for 567.