There was a moment of concern in Corey Flagg’s mind.

Flagg’s recruitment to Missouri football began with a connection to Blake Baker. The then-MU defensive coordinator recruited and coached Flagg while he was an assistant at Miami. The linebacker and the coach both hail from Houston, Texas.

So, after entering the transfer portal and hearing from Missouri, Flagg opted to reunite with a familiar face and committed to the Tigers on Dec. 21, 2023.

On the same day, reports emerged that Baker had signed a lucrative new contract with Missouri, and Corey’s younger brother, safety Caleb Flagg, committed to Mizzou as a preferred walk-on from Houston Christian. Soon after, the Tigers beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and finished the season as a consensus top-10 team.

And then, a surprise …

Baker left Missouri to take the open DC gig on Brian Kelly’s staff at LSU on Jan. 5.

Flagg had no hard feelings toward the coach. He knew about Baker’s family connection to the area, and appreciated everything he had done for him during their time together in Miami, he said.

But he did, he told local media Friday, have some questions and concerns about his recent portal choice.

“I mean, (there) definitely was some uncertainty,” Flagg said, “because that was the guy I was talking to in the portal process.”

That was, until Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz and linebackers coach DJ Smith, who helped with Flagg’s recruitment, stepped in with a story.

The story of Cody Schrader.

“They (Drinkwitz and Smith) just told me they were given the opportunity to compete. That's just their culture. I mean, the biggest example he gave me was Cody — Cody Schrader,” Flagg said, referencing the storied MU running back. … “He came in as a walk on, he left as one of the best SEC running backs, you know?

“So, he just gave everybody an opportunity to compete, you know, start in a spot. And that's what I love about playing here, love about Coach Drink.”

Good thing, because the competition at linebacker is among Missouri’s more active open battles of fall camp.

The Tigers lost Ty’Ron Hopper as a third-round NFL Draft pick to the Green Bay Packers in April, and long-time contributor Chad Bailey ran out of eligibility. Multiple depth pieces at linebacker left MU via the portal.

Mizzou took three transfers this offseason: Khalil Jacobs from South Alabama, following new defensive coordinator Corey Batoon from school to school; Jeremiah Beasley as a freshman from Michigan; and Flagg.

Chuck Hicks and Triston Newson, the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl starters after injuries, are back and appear primed to have leading roles on Batoon’s defense.

But Mizzou needed more.

It needed depth, yes, but moreover needed competition at the top of its lineup — someone to fight for starting reps.

The coaching staff was up front about that with Flagg. Schrader’s story was apt.

It all struck a chord.

“It was a big thing, trusting Coach Drink, Coach DJ (Smith) and the staff here,” Flagg said. “And ever since, everything that they said they were going to do, they've done. They've provided this opportunity to compete, and we've been competing.”

Perhaps the linebacker’s biggest boon is Power-conference experience. He played 43 games with 23 starts for Miami, registering 179 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

Now, the next jump is doing that against SEC offenses as Mizzou looks to mount a run toward the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff.

Fall camp will dictate if Flagg starts and how much he features by the time Mizzou takes the field to open its season Thursday, Aug. 29, against Murray State in Columbia. He was running with the second-team defense during a Friday practice.

The first sign of adversity, which came shortly after his commitment, didn’t deter him.

The ongoing battle for reps doesn’t appear to be doing that either.

In fact, it might just be why he stayed.

“I mean, when you look at just life in general, man — in every facet, even in your guys’ (the media) profession — it's always good to compete,” Flagg said. … “So, even as a player it's the same thing.

“You know, if (Hicks) or (Newson) have a good day, it's gonna make me want to come in and stack another day on that, you know, or have a better day than them. So, competition just always brings out the best in a person and an individual, not only in a game of ball, but just in life.”

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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Why linebacker Corey Flagg stuck with Missouri football through DC change