Like… checks every box possible.

In the modern portal era of recruiting, shopping for players to add needs to come down to a handful of factors:

• Production
• Eligibility
• Fit

For me anyway, that’s the order that I would place it. And I think that’s how the Drinkwitz staff does it, too.

And Mose Phillips III? Has experience, has production, has multiple years of eligibility, and plays a style that fits Missouri’s safety corps. That’s a win!

Where He Fits: Phillips plays a lot like a safety that Mizzou fans are intimately familiar with: Daylan Carnell. I’m not sure if Phillips was brought in as a rotational piece to pair with Carnell or as a potential replacement, but regardless of intent, it’s great to have another guy like that on the team. Phillips has much more production in disrupting guys within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage rather than 10 yards past it, but he did have 2 passes defensed and an interception last year to pair with his 3.5 TFLs. He’s fast and aggressive which is a great pairing for Mizzou’s 4-2-5 defense.

When He’ll Play: If Carnell sticks around, I see Phillips as a heavily used rotational piece, a la Sidney Williams. If Carnell leaves for the Draft, then I anticipate Phillips getting first dibs as a replacement starter.

What It All Means: Beans Banner was the first of potentially three safety additions Mizzou needed, and Phillips is the second. Whether the Tigers need to add a third safety or not, Phillips is another smart addition for this staff, adding a guy with proven production and multiple years of eligibility left.