Missouri’s Versatile Newcomers at Linebacker Make Room More Flexible

Corey Flagg and Khalil Jacobs were on two opposite sides of the Missouri Tigers defensive coordinator switch.

Flagg, a transfer from Miami, was recruited by former defensive coordinator Blake Baker. Then the defensive coordinator at Miami, Baker helped recruit Flagg as an incoming freshman to the Hurricanes.

When Flagg entered the transfer portal, Baker came calling from Missouri. Flagg committed to the Tigers on December 21, 2023. 15 days later, Baker transferred his coordinating duties from one Tigers to another, accepting the job at LSU.

“What drew me was Baker,” Flagg said in a press conference during fall camp. “He ended up leaving, so it was a big thing on trusting (head) coach (Eli) Drink(witz), (linebackers) coach DJ (Smith), the staff here. Everything they’ve said they were going to do, they’ve done. They provided us opportunities to compete, and we’ve been competing.”

Flagg stuck with Missouri with the promised opportunity to compete. To earn his opportunities. He’s competing with the likes of South Alabama transfer Khalil Jacobs.

Missouri hired Corey Batoon from South Alabama to fill in Baker’s spot on January 26, 2023. Four months into the job in late May, he successfully lured his former linebacker away from Alabama and Ole Miss. The connection to Batoon played a role for Jacobs, rated as a three-star transfer, but was not the deciding factor.

“Obviously it played a part in it,” Jacobs said of Batoon in an interview. “But ultimately the reason I decided to transfer was to better myself and have a better opportunity for my career going forward. Obviously the dream goal is the league and I’m trying to do everything I can to get there.”

A deep room with heavy competition can be one of the best way for a player like Jacobs to improve his game. It was a selling point for Flagg after Baker left.

“They (the coaching staff) just told me they would give me an opportunity to compete,” Flagg said. “That’s just their culture. The biggest example they gave me was Cody (Schrader). … So (Drinkwitz) has just given everybody an opportunity to compete at at the starting spot. That’s what I love about playing here, what I love about coach Drink.”

The Missouri linebacker room is full of ultra athletic players. Through offseason practices, Jacobs is confident the group will be difficult to face this season.

“These guys here, we compete every day,” Jacobs said. “We got a thing that we do, we do our times for our speed and these guys flying, so I think we’re gonna be exceptionally well here. We’re gonna fly to the ball. We’re gonna get there and make plays. When we get there, we’re gonna make sure we got someone coming behind.”

With the skillsets of both Jacobs and Flagg, however, the competition in the linebacker room won’t necessarily be a one-on-one race to be a starter. The two transfers have the versatility to line up at multiple different spots over the field. In their college careers thus far, both can use their speed to hunt down quarterbacks, drop back in coverage or hunt through a scuffle to bring down a runner.

Jacobs is a light 218 lbs at 6’2″. In 2023 at South Alabama, Jacobs recorded 53 total tackles, three sacks and one interception. He might not have the frame to be the most powerful tackler but he is an agile defender that brings some of the same traits that former linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper brought to the table. Smith described him as a raw, talented, linebacker that can get downhill to strike people.

This offseason, Jacobs looked to become a better run defender to become a more well-rounded player.

“I think that’s what I lacked a lot last year,” Jacobs said, “was being able to get good run fits and so I’ve been really working on this offseason to be able to know where to fit and be able to have someone behind me when I get there.”

Flagg played all over the field in his four seasons at Miami, serving as a starter in 2021 and 2022. He is slightly heavier than Jacobs at 230 lbs and 6’0″ but still has the speed to patrol the middle of the field. He brings flexibility and injury insurance to the Missouri defense to play at multiple linebacker positions.

“It’s good that we all can play different positions,” Jacobs said. “We’re not going to be stuck at one. We can all move around and have different pieces. Injuries are gonna happen. Obviously we’re not, looking for them but they might happen and it’s good that we have players that can move around.”

With Miami, Flagg recorded 174 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. In his final year of eligibility, Flagg is not only looking to be a part of what he hopes to be a special team but also improve his individual game.

“I’ve been able to grow really well,” Flagg said. “Coach DJ has really helped me. … I’m really good at engaging blocks, but once I engage, it’s like, getting off of it. That’s something he’s seen in my game that I can take to another level.”

Both Jacobs and Flagg are still looking to find their roles as both players and leaders. It might take some time for the two to gel but the culture Missouri has built has stood out to the two.

“STP (something to prove) is not just something we say, it’s something we live out,” Jacobs said. “When I got here. everybody talking about ‘one more’ of everything. … All the workouts, we got one more, one more of this, one more of that.”

Flagg recognizes the special chance to jump on the ride and help finish the job for a team that has had to earn each step it’s made over the past few years.

“All these guys have been through so much adversity,” Flagg said. “(Quarterback) Brady (Cook) built this program up from where he was when he first got here. Coming in and finishing what those guys started was really key. I could feel that energy that they had. I just want to help finish it off.”

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