COLUMBIA, MO. • An important item on Barry Odom’s to-do list this spring is Missouri’s defensive substitution packages, namely the nickel and dime groupings the Tigers plan to use in place of their 4-3 base defense this year. Mizzou rarely strayed from its three-linebacker look last season, but Odom wants a more versatile defense this fall, a unit that matches up against the spread formations they’ll see from week to week.
The key element to building a trusty nickel package is identifying a nickelback, sometimes called a slot cornerback. In Mizzou’s case, Odom has favored a stout tackler against the run who mixes the coverage skills of a defensive back.