During Missouri football's bye week, Missouri On SI reporter Zach Knox-Doyle gave out six midseason awards to three offensive players and three defensive players at Missouri. From most valuable players to high-impact transfers, here's Knox-Doyle's six awards, with a limit of one award per player, before Missouri enters a highly-anticipated second half of the season.
Most valuable player (offense) - Austin Simmons
Last season, the Tigers were held back by poor quarterback play, as they threw for 2,444 yards through 13 games, ranking 14th in the SEC. After the season ended, Missouri saught out a new quarterback in the transfer portal and took a risk on Austin Simmons after losing his starting job at Ole Miss following an injury. That risk, seven games in, turned into its most valuable player.
Simmons has commanded a much-improved passing offense and is ranked near the top of many SEC rankings. Through seven games, Simmons and the Tigers have recorded 1,878 passing yards, which ranks third in the SEC and Simmons ranks second in passing yards, is tied for third in touchdowns and has the lowest amount of interceptions in the group.
In games where the Tigers have struggled, Simmons still delivers. Last week against Ole Miss, he threw for 339 yards and in the loss to Mississippi State, he tallied 295 yards through the air and three touchdowns. He avoids a majority of sacks while staying composed and making tough throws in the pocket, finds a variety of Tigers on many different routes and makes minimal mistakes, leading this Missouri team in a top-25 season.
Most valuable player (defense) - Nicholas Rodriguez
Rodriguez is one of two certified leaders of the defensive unit alongside Daeden Hopkins. His 76 tackles ranks first on Missouri, with second place coming in at 57, and his constant presence on the field is impossible to miss.
The midseason AP All-American doesn't rely on his teammates to help with tackling assignments, recording a team-best 31 solo tackles and career-high eight solo tackles in each of his last two contests. Rodriguez, at linebacker, is trusted to read the defense, either protect the pass or stop the rush and occasionally pressure the quarterback. He has a hefty list of duties and does them well, leading arguably Missouri's strongest defensive positional group.
Most improved player (offense) - Donovan Olugbode
Olugbode has taken the second year jump that many fans were anticipating and hoping for. Last season, the freshman racked up 30 receptions, 401 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers, becoming a major 50-50 ball threat.
This year, Olugbode has developed into more than that, specializing in out-routes that have been a near guarantee for first downs and also becoming an endzone specialist. After hauling in two touchdowns all of last season, Olugbode has a team-leading six touchdowns in seven contests. He also surpassed last season's receptions and yards, gathering 35 catches for 534 yards this year.
Olugbode's combination of size and speed makes him a perfect deep ball threat for Missouri, already hauling in two passes of at least 47 yards. His biggest improvement is becoming a versatile wide receiver for Missouri that can specialize in nearly every department, after being more of a one-trick pony last season.
Most improved player (defense) - Daeden Hopkins
Missouri's second defensive AP All-American is sophomore edge Hopkins. Hopkins is arguably the most valuable player on defense as well, but is certainly the most improved player on the entire team. After playing in four games, recording seven tackles and 0.5 sacks last year, Hopkins has played in every game, tallied 19 tackles and a team-best seven sacks.
Hopkins is a leader on the defensive end and one of the premier edge rushers in all of the SEC, ranking third in the conference in total sacks. In a season where starting edge Darris Smith has battled an injury for the entirety of SEC play and starting edge Langden Kitchen has missed significant time, Hopkins did more than step up and has developed into a young star for the Tigers.
His sophomore jump wasn't random either, as he gained weight in the offseason, moving to 250-pounds, while still bringing elite speed and agility to opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks.
Most important transfer (offense) - Cayden Lee
The addition of Simmons was the biggest move of the offseason, but with Simmons already earning MVP, Lee is an easy choice as the next most important transfer. The former Rebel has quickly adjusted to the system and become a clear top option for Simmons. He ranks first in receptions (47) and yards (678) at Missouri and in the entire SEC.
Formerly a third-team SEC player, Lee has surpassed expectations at Missouri and is a go-to guy in many scenarios, becoming a third-down crutch, an elite end zone option and a receiver that adds many yards after catch due to elite route running ability. Lee has aided Simmons in making the passing game one of the Tigers' biggest strengths.
Most important transfer (defense) - Donta Simpson
With three returning fifth-year tackles on Missouri's roster, it was unclear what kind of impact Simpson would have on the defensive line. Now, it's evident that Simpson's role is being the best pass rusher in the tackle room and one of the top ranked pass-rushing tackles in the country.
The Miami transfer is second in team sacks with five, which is also tied for fifth in the SEC. Simpson's 81.7 PFF grade is tied for the highest on the defensive end and his 87.7 pass rush grade is far and away the best on roster. Simpson ranks 23rd among all eligible interior defenders in overall grade and his pass rush grade is fifth in the country.
The presence that Simpson brings in the pass rush allowed for Sterling Webb to switch to edge amidst many injuries and makes the positional group an emerging talent at Missouri.
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