For all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding the entrance and introduction of the Missouri Tigers at yesterday's SEC Media Days event in Birmingham, Alabama, the main questions that matter about the team are about the product on the football field. To that end, head coach Gary Pinkel fielded a lot of questions about his players yesterday during his press conference, including about starting quarterback James Franklin. The good news for Mizzou fans is that Pinkel believes he will fine and ready for SEC play.
"Well, James Franklin is doing well," he said when asked about his injuries. "We expect, without question, for him to be a hundred percent. The trainer told us that two weeks ago. It will be interesting to see in August as he's throwing more consistently over and over again, repetition-wise to see his accuracy, which I think really improved a whole lot last year as the season went on.
"Full starter for a year coming back," he continued. "What you want to do is eliminate some of the mistakes in each game to become more of a complete quarterback. I think potential in our last three quarterbacks are playing in the NFL right now, I think he's in line. He's that kind of a potential player."
The Tigers certainly hope so. The team will need a proven leader under center in their first year in the SEC when first impressions are so important and both Mizzou and Texas A&M hope to make an early statement as to their level of credibility as a football program to several new recruits looking at the imports.
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