Missouri Tigers finally welcome DT Richardson

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Sheldon Richardson waited a long time to begin his career at Missouri. He can wait a little longer to trot onto the field with the starting lineup.

The former blue chip recruit is a second-stringer at defensive tackle for Saturday's opener against Miami of Ohio. Dominique Hamilton and Terrell Ressonno are the returning starters on a unit that ranked sixth in the nation in scoring defense at 16 points per game last season.

He doesn't seem to mind.

"Earn your stripes," Richardson said. "Dominique and Terrell have been here for a long time. They earned their stripes a long time ago. It's kind of hard to come right in and take somebody's spot, especially when they're proven Big 12 players."

Richardson missed the first eight practices waiting for the NCAA to clear him academically. Then he sprained his left ankle in a recent scrimmage. He'll likely end up in a rotation.

"Generally, the better they play, the more reps they get," Tigers coach Gary Pinkel said. "I like to play a lot of guys."

When Richardson signed with Missouri out of Gateway Tech in St. Louis in February 2009, he was considered among the top prospects in the country and a can't-miss defensive star. He was the gem of a class that included wide receiver T.J. Moe and running back Kendial Lawrence.