New faces will take stage in MU scrimmage

~ Gabbert, Costello will be competing for the QB job in today's Black and Gold game.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri has had two starting quarterbacks over the past seven seasons -- Brad Smith and Chase Daniel. Now, sophomore Blaine Gabbert could be next in line.

The Tigers will hold their annual Black and Gold spring game today at Faurot Field with Gabbert and another sophomore, Jimmy Costello, calling signals. With Daniel graduating, Gabbert and Costello are competing to lead a young team that will open its season Sept. 5 against Illinois in St. Louis.

Coach Gary Pinkel said he's not worried about the inexperience. He said his team will be young, but talented.

"There's nothing wrong with young," Pinkel said. "That's fine. No one cares we're young. I don't. The last two senior classes were young two years ago. Youth's good."

At the spring game, Daniel will be on the sideline assisting the young quarterbacks who have combined for 13 collegiate passes.

"Anytime you transition into a new quarterback, it's going to be question marks and that is normal in any program in college or the NFL," Pinkel said. "We have some new faces out there and good athletes, but guys who are really excited to play."

Many of Daniel's favorite receivers are also gone, including Jeremy Maclin, expected to be a first-round draft pick, Chase Coffman and Tommy Saunders. Returning veteran receivers include juniors Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, but both are coming off injuries. Perry had shoulder surgery and Alexander has a knee injury.

Sophomores Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp, who saw action last season as true freshmen, have gotten a long look from coaches this spring, along with others, even some walk-ons.

"With Danario and Jared out, it has given other guys the chance to step up and improve, but there are things to work on," receivers coach Andy Hill said. "To be consistent and to show it every practice, we do have work to do. But these guys see themselves as being able to step in and play to the standard that Maclin, Coffman and Saunders all played to."

The changes at Missouri go beyond players. For eight seasons, the Missouri coaching staff had gone mostly untouched. The success of the past two seasons made Pinkel's top assistants hot commodities.

Dave Yost replaced offensive coordinator Dave Christensen, who was hired as coach at Wyoming. Linebackers coach Dave Steckel was promoted to defensive coordinator after Matt Eberflus left to become an assistant with the Cleveland Browns.

Christensen also coached the offensive line, a position filled by former tight ends coach Bruce Walker and former LSU tight ends coach Josh Henson. Barry Odom, former coach at Rock Bridge High School, was selected to take over Steckel's spot as linebackers coach.