COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 11: Charles Harris #91 of the Missouri Tigers attempts to maneuver around John Theus #71 of the Georgia Bulldogs on October 11, 2014 at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
Although thought to be a massive question mark heading into the year, the Missouri defensive line group has been very impressive in the early goings of the 2015 season.
The Tigers rank a respectable No. 42 overall in rushing defense. A front led by Charles Harris, Josh Augusta, Rickey Hatley, and Marcell Frazier have been stout. Harris in particular has been disruptive, as he leads the team with 2.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles-for-loss.
A positive revelation for head coach Gary Pinkel is how good the freshmen have been along the defensive front. There's either something in the water out in Columbia with Pinkel's penchant for churning out top defensive line talent, or the coach really does know how to develop his personnel effectively.
True freshman Terry Beckner, Jr. has flashed at times. He's still a bit too reliant upon his power and athleticism, but the potential is there for him to be a complete monster. Fellow freshmen Josh Moore, Nate Howard and Walter Brady have all contributed. It truly does bode well for Missouri's future as a football program. The quartet will continue to gain experience this year, and will be that much better next year as sophomores.
The Columbia Daily Tribune broke down each defensive line combination, statistically showing which four players were the most successful.
As one can see, the freshmen are playing at an extremely high level.
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