Darris Smith, an exciting addition to the Missouri football roster at defensive end this offseason, has suffered a season-ending knee injury, the team announced in a news release Wednesday.

Smith, who joined the Tigers from Georgia this offseason, collided with a teammate during 1-on-1 drills during the team’s Tuesday practice on Faurot Field. He immediately dropped to the ground, where he stayed for a couple of minutes. He had to be helped to his feet and was assisted out of Memorial Stadium by athletic trainers, clearly struggling to put any weight on the injured leg.

It’s a disappointing blow for MU, which is looking to replace an NFL first-rounder at the position in now-Arizona Cardinal Darius Robinson. Smith, listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds and was a highly rated in-state recruit for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs out of high school, looked likely to play a feature role on first-year defensive coordinator Corey Batoon’s defense.

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​​“We are devastated by the injury to Darris,” Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a news release. “He was having an outstanding camp and was poised to have a great year. We will support Darris in his recovery and look forward to him returning stronger than before.”

Now, with a little more than two weeks remaining until the Tigers open their 2024 season against Murray State on Thursday, Aug. 29 in Columbia, MU has reps to fill.

Here is how Mizzou might adjust on the edge before the season begins:

More reps for Joe Moore III at Missouri football’s ‘Joker’ role

Smith looked likely to be the next man up after Cotton Bowl defensive MVP and newly minted team captain Johnny Walker Jr. at the team’s "Joker" defensive end role. During spring camp, new defensive ends coach Brian Early also tipped Joe Moore III for a shot at that position.

The idea for the "Joker" defensive end spot is to serve as the team’s premium pass rusher operating from the boundary. The player also, depending on the situation, could be asked to drop back into coverage.

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Moore, a St. Louis native and Cardinal Ritter alum, had a sharp uptick in performances toward the end of Mizzou’s 2023 season, tallying six tackles during a rout of Arkansas and recovering a late fumble against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

Walker will still likely take the bulk of the reps at the position. As the Tigers reshuffle, Moore is the frontrunner to take on the rotational reps.

Zion Young, currently Missouri’s starting field defensive end, said during camp that he has not been taking reps in the Joker role, and that more than likely won’t change.

Step up, Williams Nwaneri

The party line out of Mizzou for its top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024 has been to give him time and let him naturally develop. No rush, no undue expectations.

But the bedding-in period for five-star edge rusher Williams Nwaneri, the top-rated defensive lineman and 247Sports’ No. 8-ranked player nationally in his class, could be due for a little acceleration.

Nwaneri, who committed to the Tigers out of Lee’s Summit North High near Kansas City exactly one year ago, has mostly been working with the team’s third-string unit in camp. He is listed at a lean and college-ready 6-6, 257 pounds on MU’s roster.

“He’s plenty talented enough,” Drinkwitz said at the start of preseason camp. “The key for us is to not put too many expectations on him, just let him learn the standards of how we operate on a day-to-day basis and when it’s his opportunity he’ll take advantage of it.”

That opportunity may have already arrived, as necessity could soon have Nwaneri taking reps to get him ready for game days. It's unclear which defensive end spot the Tigers see Nwaneri as a fit for. Either way, there will be chances for him to get on the field soon.

Further down the depth chart

One of the more interesting developments at defensive end during camp has been from redshirt freshman Jakhai Lang, who frequently has been working with 2s during drills.

Lang was a three-star recruit out of Troy, Missouri, and didn’t play as a rookie, but seems to have taken some steps forward this offseason and preseason. Despite that, and before Smith’s season-ending injury, the path to reps still seemed like an uphill climb.

“I think he's been very consistent,” Drinkwitz said Saturday, Aug. 10. “You know, we'll see — that's a really deep room, but he consistently makes the plays that he needs to make (and is) where he's supposed to be in the defensive scheme. But that room's a challenge. That room’s gonna be a real challenge to get on the football field.”

Whether that now changes Lang’s chances or not will become more evident before fall camp ends.

The same goes for Georgia Tech transfer Eddie Kelly, who has had a fairly quiet fall camp and hasn’t appeared to really have threatened the main rotation. Ditto for four-star freshman Jaylen Brown.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: How Missouri football may adjust on defense after Darris Smith injury