But then again, why would he be? Some early uncertainty and a shred of change worked out grand for his group last season.
Like many of the other assistant coaches at MU this season, Luper is faced with a battle in his position group, and he will soon have a decision to make: pick a single successor to one of the Tigers’ all-time tailbacks or let a group split the reps.
Who lines up in the backfield when Missouri opens its season against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 1 is anybody’s guess. With record-setting rusher Tyler Badie — who had to win the job this time last year after Larry Rountree III departed for the NFL — now a Baltimore Raven, a garrison of would-be workhorses have arrived on campus with an eye on the vacant job.