Not much will get Missouri State football coach Ryan Beard more excited than talking about the growth in his younger players as he looks to the future of his program.
It’s hard to blame him.
In the transfer portal era of college athletics, Beard continues to preach that Missouri State is a “grassroots program” and the development of younger players is beginning to bear fruit for something sustainable.
Most of Missouri State’s standouts four weeks into the 2024 season have been with the program for at least three years or have been Bears since their freshmen years.
It differs from when Bobby Petrino became Missouri State’s football coach in 2020 and the Bears quickly rebuilt through the transfer portal. MSU has turned into a place where players can develop.
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“It’s a testament to one thing that I believe in and the staff believes in,” Beard said. “It’s a testament to the staff we have here and those guys being able to believe in the vision we’re showing and the way to get it done.”
Here are examples of those who have developed and will have chances to contribute to Missouri State football for the next several years:
Clark is on pace to break Missouri State’s single-season passing record and is ranked fourth in the FCS in yards per game. He’s in his third year with the program after transferring from Minnesota and his second year as a starter. He began his MSU career as a backup behind Jason Shelley and will end it next year as a starter at the FBS level.
Jayden Becks, RB
Becks played as a true freshman and has seen his role grow as a sophomore. He’s been a big-play threat every time he’s touched the ball with great speed, making him the “lightning” to Jacardia Wright’s “thunder.”
Jmariaye Robinson, WR
The Bears brought in a handful of transfer wide receivers to compete for starting roles, but the program’s returners have played well enough to keep most off the field. Robinson is the team’s second-leading receiver with 19 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns through four weeks.
Lance Mason, TE
Mason started as a true freshman in 2022 and has seen his numbers increase in the passing game. He’s already set a career-high in yards and touchdowns in a season. He has nine catches through four weeks after he finished previous seasons with 12 and 10 in 11 games.
Cristian Loaiza, OL
Loaiza started on the Bears’ offensive line as a redshirt freshman a year ago and is someone Beard considers a building block for the group heading into its Conference USA and FBS future. He’s 6-foot-5, 310 pounds and should continue to lock down one of the starting tackle spots for years to come.
Todric McGee, DB
Beard said there was a point in McGee’s freshman year when the coach thought he’d never see the field. Now, McGee’s the leader of the Bears’ defense and has developed into an all-conference-caliber safety in his junior year.
Dallas Winner-Johnson, LB
As a redshirt freshman, Winner-Johnson is the Bears’ third-leading tackler and has been among the team’s defensive standouts through the first four starts of his career. He has very high potential and is still nowhere close to reaching it, something that should excite Bears fans.
Caden Wiest, DL
Wiest dealt with injuries as a true freshman when he would have been an immediate contributor on the Bears’ defensive line or linebacker. After redshirting, Wiest is showing why he was considered a great prospect out of Reeds Spring after sacking the quarterback twice and forcing a pair of critical fumbles while doing so in MSU’s recent win over UT Martin.
Michael Teason, LB
Teason is another redshirt freshman linebacker who should instill excitement in the group for future years. He’s a rotational linebacker but puts up good numbers with 15 tackles and 3.5 for a loss. He’s talented enough to be a starter already and he will be after Tahj Chambers graduates.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State football developing plyaers for Conference USA future
