5. Larry Rountree III, Missouri
Missouri went through some growing pains in year one of the post-Drew Lock era. This was especially true for Rountree, but that should change in year two for the offense.
Rountree thrived with Lock under center in 2018. He carried the ball 225 times for 1,216 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2019, Rountree’s production dropped significantly. He finished with just 829 yards and nine touchdowns. His yards per carry fell from 5.4 to 4.5 just a year later.
Rountree is a pure runner. He is not much of a receiver out of the backfield, but he is talented enough to make it as a professional when his time at Missouri is up. Last season, defenses geared up for Rountree. They game planned to stop him when they went up against Missouri. In the SEC, it is hard to get the better of some of the top defensive fronts in the nation.
Missouri will have to do a better job disguising Rountree and putting some talent around him. The offensive staff has some work to do, but they have a nice piece to start with. Rountree is a player that can turn into a top prospect at the position if all goes well.
