COLUMBIA, Mo. - Jordan Harold made the most of his chance to become a starter.
The team needed a starting defensive end after Walter Brady was dismissed from the team before August camp, and Harold was one of a handful of candidates competing for the spot. The walk-on junior from Northwest Missouri State just kept flashing in practice, and Monday his hard work paid off when he was named a starter.
"Opportunity, and all you want is opportunity at any level of football, or sports, and he was given the opportunity," defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross said. "He definitely makes sure he capitalized on his opportunity, because he didn't start off there, but over time he's consistently shown up, done things the right way and again his off-season workout has propelled him to this opportunity."
Harold did not start camp practicing with the first team defense. He didn't even consistently see time with the second team defense.
Yet head coach Barry Odom said no one worked harder than Harold in the four weeks of fall camp, and his hard work earned him a starting spot. Perhaps even more impressive for Harold, who has yet to play a down for the Tigers, is the path he took to become a starter.
After he graduated from McCluer North in 2013, Harold originally attended Northwest Missouri State. Harold was on scholarship for the Division II Bearcats - who have won three national titles since 2009 - yet still wanted to play for a Division I program.
He took a "leap of faith" last summer when he went to Columbia to showcase his talents to Missouri's coaches in the hope he could walk-on. Former defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski liked what he saw, and Harold joined the Tigers last year, though he did not play.
Now, he is finally not just starting for a Division I program, but one that has developed a reputation for strong defensive line play.
"Everybody's good, that's what makes D-Line Zou so good, so to be the No. 1 guy right now it's a blessing," Harold said. "My whole thought process was control what I can control, and play the best I can, you know and look at myself in film, critique myself.
"Those guys, everybody's good, but you can't worry about that, just worry about myself and right now I'm blessed to be the No. 1."
Last season, Harold spent most of his time on the Tigers' scout team, which runs a mock version of the defense Missouri's first team offense will face the coming week. Even then he stood out.
"He was the one giving us the best look every single practice day in and day out," senior tight end Sean Culken said. "But we'd almost have to ask him, 'hey chill out a bit,' but to see his hard work pay off and the role he has now it's cool."
Culken added Harold is one of the strongest guys he has seen in the weight room. The hard work in the weight room helped him make more and more plays on the practice field.
Cross said Harold kept constantly making plays in practice, and before he knew it Harold was playing with the first team defense for the first time in his collegiate career; he only appeared in two games for the Bearcats.
At Northwest Missouri State, Harold said he would play in front of crowds of 11,000, at most. Playing in Mounaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium that can seat more 60,000 fans Saturday against West Virginia will be a change from what he is used too.
Still, Harold said he doesn't think the crowd - or the stage - will get to him. He admitted the pre-game jitters might affect him his first play or two, but that is it.
"I've seen it a million times in my head and that'll help keep me calm," Harold said.
III
Andy Hill said Missouri's wide receiver position Saturday will be "a bunch of dudes playing."
In other words, a good amount of the 10 or 11 receivers Missouri's receivers coach expects to make the trip will see the field.
Only junior J'Mon Moore is listed as the lone starter at one of the three spots, the other two having co-starters.
Hill said at least two or three players will work in at each position depending on how the game goes.
The rotation will be based partially off who might need a few plays off, as well as who they think might work best in certain situations.
"The tempo is going to be about the same," Hill said, "it's really you're going to see if your guy is tired, if I've ran 92 fade routes in a row, which isn't going to happen obviously, but if you've run a bunch of plays your backup should be looking at you like, 'Hey he's probably ready for me to go in there after eight plays, or whatever.'
"I think it's going to play itself out, it's not going to be 'Hey this guy has 25 plays, this guy has 25, that guy has 25,' we'll see how it goes and let 'em rip."
Senior wide receiver Chris Black, who is listed as a co-starter with redshirt freshman Johnathon Johnson, said the coaches haven't told them how they will be used yet. He's more focused on making the most out of each time he steps on the field.
"I can assure you every play that it is will be the best plays that I have, I'll take advantage of every opportunity I get," Black said.
Despite being one of the worst offenses statistically in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season, Black said the offense is confident heading into Saturday. He said it's grown every day since spring practices, and everyone is settling into a role.
A similar situation is also playing out at running back.
Incumbent junior Ish Witter and senior Alex Ross are listed as co-starters. Like Black, Witter has yet to be told how he, Black and true freshman Damarea Crockett will be used.
Witter said he has become more of a power back after adding weight in the off-season, though said he hasn't lost any elusiveness. The shifty Witter saw time as a third down running back last season, though he's not necessarily confined to that role this year.
"Whoever is in the game, it's not just 'Oh, it's third down bring them in the game,'" Witter said. "Helping them out helps them out. It's a team sport, it's not an individual so you have to help out as many people as you can so you can make the team better."