Watch Missouri State football coach Ryan Beard during media day
Ryan Beard addresses the media during Missouri State football’s annual media day at Plaster Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
For his entire life, Ja’Veo Toliver was told that he’d end up playing on the offensive line eventually. He did everything he could to fight it, whether when he was a star pass rusher at Parkview High School or coming up through Missouri State.
But after three years of not getting the extended playing time he was looking for along the Bears’ defensive front, he finally gave in.
“I never believed it would happen,” Toliver said. “I’m still a defensive lineman at heart.”
After spending the first few weeks on the sideline and getting limited action while learning the playbook, Toliver was pressed into extended action. He eventually claimed the starting job, serving as the team’s starting left tackle for the season’s final six games.
More: All of our 2024 Missouri State, high school football preseason coverage in one place
Toliver now enters his final season of eligibility in the mix to retain his starting position on the offensive line. It appears he or Grant Goodson will be tasked with protecting starting quarterback Jacob Clark’s blindside throughout the 2024 season. He’s among the leaders of a returning offensive line that made strides in 2023 and has a few more steps it’s capable of taking.
“We just have to go win,” Toliver said. “That’s our main goal. The group of five on the offensive line is one. We’re all family, we’re all on the same page and we love each other through the ups and downs.”
There were plenty of downs for the Missouri State offensive line in recent years but offensive line coach Max Halpin’s unit found some consistency a year ago that they hope to build on over the coming months.
Missouri State’s offensive line has gone from a group that allowed just over four sacks per game in 2023 to allowing just below 2.5 on average a year later. It marked the first year since the Petrino family took over the program in 2020 that the group allowed less than three per game.
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The Bears’ offense excelled because of it, setting a school record in passing yards while ranking fifth nationally. It didn’t matter who MSU’s quarterback was, between Clark and former backup Jordan Pachot who relieved Clark following his season-ending shoulder surgery, the offensive line kept the quarterback upright.
“One thing I told the whole offense at our first team meeting this year was that I felt like this was one of the first times we had depth at almost every position,” offensive coordinator Nick Petrinio said. “Those guys that are on top used to be those guys who were waiting behind them and they’ve gotten better. It’s just pushing them. It’s great to have an offensive line that has already been together and they know the offensive as well.”
Toliver or Goodson will anchor an offensive line projected to feature returners Mark Hutchinson, Cash Hudson, Hutson Lillibridge and Erick Cade. Head coach Ryan Beard anticipates a few others will rotate in for a seven-to-eight-man rotation to keep players fresh. Such a rotation could include whoever finishes second in the battle at left tackle, Justin Curtis and Noah Gardner if they cannot crack the starting group by the end of the month.
More: Missouri State football depth chart projections: Our first preseason prediction is in
The offensive line still has room to grow, especially in establishing a run game. Beard wants to see the group control the line of scrimmage more when the team ranked among the worst rushing attacks in the nation at 100.5 yards per game. The success in the passing game impacted some of those numbers but more of a balance could help them rise above their 4-7 record.
Improvement would be welcomed by their former Parkview standout who is one of the handful of players who remain who were recruited by the Dave Steckel coaching staff, only to see the program go from a 1-10 team to two straight postseason appearances to now being on the verge of moving to the FBS level.
“It’s been a great experience,” Toliver said. “Even through the ups and downs, I’m glad I’ve stuck with it through it all.”
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Publish date : 2024-08-13 21:03:00
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