Missouri shutout Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the first half of Week 1, 40-0. The two players at the forefront of that dominant first-half defense were sophomore safety Elijah Dotson and junior linebacker Jeremiah Beasley.
Both Tigers recorded three tackles to lead Missouri in the first half and Beasley's seven total tackles ranked first among Missouri players.
Dotson played at the STAR position on Thursday and recorded a tackle for loss and three solo tackles in the first half, leading all players. Dotson did a little bit of everything in his 18 snaps, spending eight in the free safety position, six in the box and four in the slot corner.
He also snagged an interception in the second quarter which was called back due to a roughing the passer penalty.
"What he did today was really what he did most of the spring," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said after the game. "He's a guy that played multiple positions for us and felt like he's a great tackler and a guy in space. Disappointing that interception (got) taken off the board."
Dotson boasted a team-best 93.6 PFF grade with a 92 coverage grade in the contest, the next highest grade for a defensive player with a 15-snap minimum was 77.3. The Michigan transfer headlines a group that he believes is very versatile.
"There's a lot of versatility, there's a lot of us that have played different positions throughout the offseason, so you know we're able to rotate in different ways," Dotson said postgame. "That's been really good for us and that's a really strong piece for different guys to be versatile and play many different positions. One guy goes down, somebody else is coming."
Beasley came into Thursday's game as the third option at linebacker behind Robert Woodyard Jr. and Nicholas Rodriguez. The junior made an immediate impact with the high-profile group, proving a greater importance than an average reserve.
Beasley's seven tackles were a team best and he was one of the only players on defense to thrive in both halves. In just 18 snaps, Beasley was represented all over the box score and posted a 73.5 defensive grade and 81 tackling grade. His tackling grade was the highest among 41 Missouri players and his overall grade put him at No. 7 on the Tigers' defense.
"He's a very dominant linebacker," Woodyard said after the game. "He's a very high engine guy and I really look forward for Jeremiah Beasley to continue with the path he's on right now."
Beasley is entering his second season at Missouri following a 2025 campaign in which he played in every game and recorded 19 tackles.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/missouri as How Two Tigers Made an Immediate Defensive Impact Week 1 .
