COLUMBIA, Mo. — Metaphorically speaking, the Missouri football team’s highest-rated freshman is a caterpillar.
You could make that a big-C Caterpillar, like the construction equipment company, because he is a big deal. Williams Nwaneri, the five-star edge rusher some recruiting services tabbed as one of the nation’s best defensive prospects, arrived on campus at 6 feet 6, 257 pounds.
But his coaches see him more like the insects that, after some time and plenty of digestion, turn into butterflies. Let defensive coordinator Corey Batoon explain:
“The cool thing about fall camp is you get a chance to detach yourself from the noise and, as best you can, live in a cocoon for as long as you can,” he said.