Columbia Missourian • 04/24/2025

It ends where it all began: The quiet beginnings of Luther Burden III

In wake of criticisms on Luther Burden III's character ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, I decided to search for a humanity-based angle to tell Burden's story. I found that Burden has an enriched history with the late Demetrious "DJ" Johnson, which I told through this feature.

Columbia Missourian • 04/22/2025

One player. One chip bag. A new era of NIL at Mizzou.

As the 2025 NFL Draft drew near, I wrote a piece on how former Mizzou wide receiver Luther Burden III changed the trajectory of Mizzou's NIL landscape with his initial Red Hot Riplets deal with Old Vienna.

Columbia Missourian • 02/07/2025

Bubble wrap for your head: Are Guardian Caps a safety revolution or a Band-Aid fix?

As part of a six-month long investigative series, I worked with a team of four journalists to produce several stories on head traumas in youth football and the potential long-term complications of CTE. In this story, I wrote about Guardian Caps, interviewing several experts and Guardian Sports CEO Erin Hanson about the effectiveness of the product.

Columbia Missourian • 11/15/2024

Redemption play: How a second chance changed Zion Young’s life forever

Coming off of a game-winning scoop and score in Missouri's contest against Oklahoma, I wrote about how flunking out of freshman year of high school almost cost DE Zion Young his first love: football.

Columbia Missourian • 04/24/2025

Chiefs select former Ohio State OT Simmons as the No. 32 overall pick in NFL Draft

While I was covering the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, I wrote about the Kansas City Chiefs' first-round pick, OT Josh Simmons. This night taught me how to prepare for chaotic scenarios, as I wrote three different versions of stories depending on who was drafted that first night.

Columbia Missourian • 10/05/2024

Derailed in College Station: No. 9 Mizzou overpowered in deflating loss to No. 25 Texas A&M

This article marked my first game story in an away environment, a new challenge for me. Missouri's blowout loss presented a unique test — how to capture the narrative in a way that went beyond the final score. I chose to focus on the theme of missed opportunities in an attempt to broaden the perspective of the team's struggles, rather than narrowing in on a single issue.

Columbia Missourian • 09/20/2024

From laundry to limelight: Noel brings humility to Missouri's program

With a story angle falling through just before my paper's print deadline, I pivoted to writing a feature on transfer running back Nate Noel. At the time, no media outlets had covered Noel in-depth, making this profile both timely and distinctive as he ended up having a breakout performance the following game. Completing this feature in just one day remains one of the proudest accomplishments of my career.

Columbia Missourian • 10/26/2024

Crimson and ... over?

Following Missouri's 34-0 loss to Alabama, I geared my game-day story to cover how Missouri's backup quarterback and the rest of the offense's performance likely killed the team's already slim chance at making the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Columbia Missourian • 10/21/2024

Heart of a Champion | 2024 Tiger Kickoff Show

As part of the Columbia Missourian's collaboration with KOMU 8, I contribute to a semiweekly show alongside my coworkers and our host. We preview Missouri football opponents each Thursday before a game and recap the Tigers' performance on the Mondays after. This episode features our recap of the Missouri vs. Auburn game.

Columbia Missourian • 10/18/2024

A fairy-tale season: How NIL and the transfer portal created more parity, Cinderella stories within college football

I found it interesting that parity in college football had become so evident in the 2024 season, with teams like Vanderbilt emerging as formidable contenders in the Southeastern Conference. I decided to write a story on the various factors that contribute to the normalization of Cinderella teams and connected them to Missouri's 2024 playoff chances.

Columbia Missourian • 08/29/2024

How Brady Cook quieted outside noise, defied expectations to become Mizzou's confident QB1

In the first feature of the 2024 Missouri football season, I profiled senior quarterback Brady Cook. Throughout his time at Missouri, Cook faced significant adversity, particularly during the 2023 season when he had to reclaim his starting position. This piece highlights the challenges he overcame on his journey to his final season of eligibility.

Columbia Missourian • 11/09/2024

A fumble-filled game: How No. 24 Mizzou's defense led it to a rivalry victory

Missouri's comeback victory vs. Oklahoma was largely thanks to the Tigers' defense. Fumbles were the name of the game in this matchup, and I wrote about them in this post-game sidebar.

Columbia Missourian • 11/23/2024

Tigers win big in StarkVegas: No. 23 Mizzou runs away from Mississippi State in 19-point victory

Missouri secured its first victory over Mississippi State since joining the Southeastern Conference, handing the Bulldogs a 39-20 loss and securing just its second road win of the season. It didn’t seem like a sure-fire victory for the Tigers at the start, which is reflected in my gamer.

Columbia Missourian • 10/11/2024

In the red (zone): No. 21 Mizzou's offense, defense in search of rebound performance vs. UMass

In this article, I pushed myself to dive into in-depth statistical analysis, focusing on how Missouri performed in the red zone on both offense and defense. The biggest challenge with this story was translating complex numbers into a narrative, which I tried to do by explaining the deeper connections behind the stats and making them accessible to readers.

Columbia Missourian • 11/29/2024

How conference realignment could challenge Mizzou's annual Battle Line Rivalry vs. Arkansas

For Rivalry Week, I previewed Missouri's annual Battle Line Rivalry game against Arkansas by asking whether the Razorbacks are still the best opponent for the Tigers.

Columbia Missourian • 09/13/2024

‘It’s just a different feel’: Mizzou’s WR room showcasing why it’s one of the nation’s best

At the time of this article, Missouri was heavily focused on its run game, making the performance of its wide receiver unit a key point of interest. Leveraging the rising trend in search interest, I analyzed the evolution of Missouri’s wide receiver corps since its 2021 matchup against Boston College, leading up to this season's highly anticipated game.

Columbia Missourian • 12/29/2024

Mizzou turns up volume ahead of Music City Bowl in joint news conference with Iowa

Ahead of Mizzou's appearance in the Music City Bowl, I wrote a notebook of what fans needed to know the day before the game in Nashville.

Columbia Missourian • 11/21/2024

'This is St. Louis City football': Familiar faces to meet on the gridiron in Mizzou vs. Mississippi State matchup

To preview Missouri's matchup against Mississippi State, I wrote about St. Louis product Kevin Coleman Jr., the star wideout for the Bulldogs and a familiar face to some Missouri players.

Columbia Missourian • 10/12/2024

Tigers' youth, depth on full display in road trip to Massachusetts

While covering Missouri's matchup against UMass in Amherst, I had the sidebar story following its blowout win. With several defensive starters sidelined due to injury, I focused on the new players stepping into the spotlight. This article highlights the younger talent on Missouri's defense and the impact those players had in a game where the result was never in doubt.

Columbia Missourian • 09/07/2024

Mizzou dominates Buffalo, earns second consecutive shutout to start season

This game recap was first published immediately after Missouri's decisive 38-0 win over Buffalo. Following the post-game press conference, I updated the story with player quotes and additional context to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the game.

Columbia Missourian • 10/03/2024

No. 9 Mizzou, No. 25 Texas A&M look to put similarities aside when they match up in College Station

This preview dives into the highly anticipated Missouri vs. Texas A&M matchup. I analyzed and compared different positional rooms on both teams. When I was researching the Aggies, what stood out to me was the similarity between the two teams, which ended up being my lede to set the tone for the breakdown that followed.

Columbia Missourian • 11/08/2024

The Pyne predicament: Can Mizzou's backup quarterback answer the call if needed?

Throughout the bye week and week leading up to the Missouri vs. Oklahoma game, nobody knew who Missouri's starting quarterback was going to be. I wrote about second-string quarterback Drew Pyne, who filled in for starter Brady Cook in Missouri's matchup vs. Alabama, in the event that he would start vs. Oklahoma.

Columbia Missourian • 09/05/2024

No. 9 Mizzou aims to avoid Week 2 letdown vs. Ogbonna, Buffalo

In this game preview, I analyzed the upcoming matchup between Missouri and Buffalo, focusing on Buffalo quarterback C.J. Ogbonna's return to Faurot Field and the challenge he posed for Missouri’s defense. I also explored Buffalo’s revamped coaching staff, led by head coach Pete Lembo, and highlighted key players to watch on both teams.

Columbia Missourian • 09/21/2024

Craig, after shaky day, saves Mizzou with field goal in second OT

This piece provides a comprehensive roundup of key storylines from Missouri's close win against Vanderbilt. While my colleagues focused on in-depth analyses of the team's offensive and defensive performances, I explored a broader range of topics, offering additional insight into various aspects of the game.