Missouri
Who will be Missouri football’s defensive MVP in 2024 season? Here are three candidates
The defense looks a little different in Columbia from this time last year.
Missouri football enters the 2024 season with a realistic opportunity to make the expanded College Football Playoff. BetMGM has the over/under for the Tigers’ win total next season at 9.5. If Eli Drinkwitz’s team can hit double-digit regular-season wins for the second year running, they’d be firmly in the conversation for a berth to the 12-team playoff.
With a schedule that seemingly sets up favorably, MU has some questions to answer, mostly based on the unfamiliarity on one side of the ball.
More: Who will be Missouri football’s toughest opponent on 2024 schedule? Ranking all 12
Mizzou lost five starting members of its 11-2, Cotton Bowl-winning defense to the NFL Draft. Five more players, combining starters or key reserves, were either picked up as undrafted free agents or exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
Corey Batoon was hired as the MU’s next defensive coordinator, replacing Blake Baker, who left Columbia for the same role at LSU. Missouri is expected to run the same 4-2-5 base formation, providing an element of consistency, but the finer details of Batoon’s scheme haven’t been battle-tested in black and gold.
So, who will lead the defense in 2024?
Here are three candidates — two returners, one newcomer — who could be the Tigers’ Defensive MVP in the 2024 season:
Johnny Walker Jr., defensive end
The Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP has the floor.
Walker had a breakout 2023 season, staying the course behind past starters for three seasons before taking his opportunity when it was presented last fall. He finished the campaign with 43.5 total tackles, 9.5 of which were for loss and five for sacks. He forced three fumbles, led the team with nine QB hurries and was a force as MU held Ohio State to 3 points for a New Year’s Six Bowl win.
Walker shapes up to be Missouri’s premier pass rusher under Batoon. With quarterbacks like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold, Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman and Auburn’s Payton Thorne on the schedule in what look likely to be swing games, that’s going to be an essential role in MU’s CFP chase.
Mizzou lost that player in Darius Robinson, who was a first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in April. The standard now turns to Walker.
“Something that (Walker) communicated to me when I met with him one-on-one when I first got here was the fact that he looked up to (Robinson) when he was here,” new Missouri defensive ends coach Brian Early said in March. “I think D-Rob was the alpha in this room, and that person is gone and someone else has to move into that role.
“So, those standards that have been set here and upheld by players in the past like D-Rob — it’s Johnny’s turn now.”
More: Ranking opposing quarterbacks on Missouri football’s 2024 schedule
Daylan Carnell, star safety
In a secondary that looks a little different from last season, Carnell is a welcome constant.
The star safety has improved each of the past two seasons, first carving out a role alongside starter Martez Manuel in 2022, when he registered three interceptions on the season, and then earning the starting job in 2023. Carnell finished last season with 51 total tackles, eight for loss and three sacks. He forced two fumbles and was second on the MU roster with eight pass breakups.
Mizzou lost both of its starting cornerbacks to the NFL. The Tigers return Joseph Charleston with plenty of experience at safety, where he’ll partner up with promising sophomore Marvin Burks Jr., who replaces Indianapolis Colts-bound JC Carlies.
More: Recruiting snapshot: Eight Class of 2025 recruits who will visit Missouri football this month
Carnell is a steady hand in the hybrid safety/linebacker role that seems to fit his strengths so well. He hurried Ohio State’s quarterbacks a game-leading three times in the Cotton Bowl. Few MU fans will soon forget his pick-six against Tennessee that put the result beyond any doubt.
Another good season as the Tigers’ starter, and Carnell is likely to start picking up some serious draft chatter.
Toriano Pride Jr., cornerback
You could have picked any number of the nine new transfers to the Missouri defense as the newcomer who could have the most immediate impact. Defensive ends Zion Young and Darris Smith, defensive tackle Chris McClellan and linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. all figure to immediately jump into important roles.
More: How Toriano Pride has made case to start in Missouri football’s secondary
But Pride, a Clemson transfer and East St. Louis product, might be the cog Missouri needs to hit the ground running most.
One: Because the experience around him in the cornerbacks room is somewhat thin.
Returner and Cotton Bowl starter Drey Norwood has put together a spring camp that earned plenty of plaudits from the MU coaching staff. Marcus Clarke is back for his third season in Columbia but has spent all of the past two campaigns as a backup. Behind them, there’s a promising group of underclassmen but scant in-game reps.
With Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kris Abrams-Draine off to the league with Detroit and Denver, respectively, there’s a lot of production to fill. Pride played 26 times for Clemson over two seasons, registering nine pass breakups, an interception and 30 solo tackles.
Two: Missouri needs Pride to impress quickly because it comes up against some top-of-the-line receivers.
From Oklahoma returner Nic Anderson to Auburn freshman Cam Coleman to Mississippi State newcomer Kelly Akharaiyi to Alabama transfer Germie Bernard, Mizzou won’t get much of a breather once the SEC slate kicks in.
Pride is almost certainly going to pair with Norwood in the starting lineup. If he hits the ground running, that’ll answer a big — perhaps the biggest — question facing the Missouri defense.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 19, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 4-7-3
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 8-8-3
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 9-0-8-0
Midday Wild: 9
Evening: 1-8-4-8
Evening Wild: 9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 19 drawing
Early Bird: 15
Morning: 15
Matinee: 07
Prime Time: 10
Night Owl: 06
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 19 drawing
08-14-24-27-28
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
WHEATLAND, Mo. — It was all Kerry Madsen on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway as the 54-year-old native of Australia, who’s now based in Knoxville, Iowa, picked up his first Interstate Batteries High Limit Sprint racing victory.
Madsen led all 30 laps to earn the $12,000 prize. He outdistanced runner-up Sue Lynch by 2.79 seconds with Tanner Holmes finishing third.
“The car’s been super quick every time we’ve hit the track,” Madsen said, noting several competitive runs in the early portion of the High Limit schedule. “The car’s been quick every night, which gives you a lot of confidence.
“We haven’t drawn well in dashes and had some little stuff going on. We drew a good one (tonight) and the car was good and we got the job done. I’m pretty happy.”
That changed this time as Madsen beat Holmes in the dash, to claim the pole position for the feature.
Madsen said his young crew chief Ty Wolfgang has “done a great job” getting in sync with him. Communication has been a big key.
“I know it sounds weird, but just hanging out together,” Madsen said of the driver-crew chief chemistry. “Dinner and a beer and just talk about racing. You do that and it might be a Wednesday night, but something clicks. He’s been real receptive with that stuff and that’s great.”
Madsen, a former Knoxville Nationals 360 winner, paced the early going after starting from the pole, with Holmes in close pursuit. Action slowed on lap six with Chase Randall and Danny Samms III tangling in turn two for the first and only yellow of the event.
Lynch moved into second on the restart as Madsen opened a 1.5-second lead by lap nine as Holmes dropped to third. Madsen’s margin swelled to nearly two seconds by lap 11 – but Lynch tracked down the leader and cut the deficit to a half-second at the halfway mark on lap 15.
As the race continued until green-flag conditions, Madsen settled into a one-second advantage as Lynch and Holmes tried to keep pace. Madsen poured it on in the late stages, cruising to the checkers by nearly three seconds over Lynch.
“Hopefully we can keep rolling like this all year. Obviously, you can’t win every night, but being quick and running well is going to be awesome,” Madsen said.
Lynch, 28 from Cowansville, Pa., said the team found some steering issues and gave him a fast car. It just was not fast enough to stay with Madsen on Saturday night.
“We were battling steering issue in the dash and it was pretty obvious,” Lynch said. “We just didn’t have time to change it and we just tried to make it the best we could. Really the car was super good. The guys busted their butt all night. It’s a testament to the team. We’re working hard and hopefully one spot better real soon.”
Holmes, a 22-year-old from Jacksonville, Oregon, came home third with Daison Pursley fourth, Hank Davis fifth and Rico Abreu charging from 11th to sixth.
“Our best night of the year,” Holmes said. “We’ve got to race a little bit during a break with High Limit these last few weeks. Some of those nights when we got our teeth kicked in taught us a lot.”
Fast overall qualifier was Sye Lynch at 13.342 seconds out of Group A. Aaron Reutzel led Group B with a lap of 13.469 seconds. Both were well off the track record for 410 Sprints held by Rico Abreu at 12.829 seconds on June 29, 2024.
The finish:
Feature: 1. 55-Kerry Madsen[1]; 2. 42-Sye Lynch[3]; 3. 13-Tanner Holmes[2]; 4. 9-Daison Pursley[4]; 5. 17GP-Hank Davis[5]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu[11]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]; 8. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 9. 19-Brent Marks[9]; 10. 26-Justin Peck[10]; 11. 88-Tanner Thorson[15]; 12. 21-Brian Brown[14]; 13. 28-Jace Park[23]; 14. 87-Aaron Reutzel[7]; 15. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[20]; 16. 45X-Rees Moran[21]; 17. 5-Brenham Crouch[19]; 18. 44-Chris Martin[8]; 19. 19H-Kaleb Johnson[22]; 20. 87X-Logan Seavey[17]; 21. 36-Jason Martin[16]; 22. 9R-Chase Randall[18]; 23. 24D-Danny Sams III[13]; 24. 2-Miles Paulus[24]
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 18, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 18 drawing
24-25-39-46-61, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 5
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 5-8-2
Midday Wild: 3
Evening: 3-8-5
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 0-1-6-1
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 4-7-6-9
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 18 drawing
Early Bird: 08
Morning: 01
Matinee: 05
Prime Time: 04
Night Owl: 05
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 18 drawing
07-10-21-27-33
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 18 drawing
02-38-45-53-63, Powerball: 21
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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