‘Get-to' mentality spreads across Mizzou's offensive line

“So, I can't remember where I heard it from, but it just stuck with me one day. I was just like, 'Man, we get to do this,' ” Peagler said. “I know a lot of the times, we may get caught up in being like, 'Oh man, why do we have to do this? Why do we have to do that?' But actually, these are the best days of your life. So, just really enjoy being with my brothers, man, and just saying, 'Hey, man, we get to every single day.' ”

Peagler’s teammates on the offensive line have picked up his slogan and run with it. Center Dominick Giudice, another fifth-year player and a second-year starter alongside Peagler, has seen it evolve.

“The energy that he comes in with every day, he's the type of guy you want to be around,” Giudice said. “He's kind of followed and started the mantra of saying, 'Get to,' for everything instead of, ‘Gave to.' So, I mean, everyone on the team has kind of caught on to that. Get to do this. Get to do the extra work. Get to do the extra lift. Whatever it is, and his mentality, the way he's been approaching things, has been really good this offseason.”

Since Peagler and his linemates are consistently put in grueling physical situations, having a positive mindset aids in the work. 

“It is hard to play offensive line and it's a very developmental position,” Peagler said. “So, just having that, ‘We get to,’ mentality every single day, I think everyone has used that to improve themselves.”

Better blocking comes with experience

On Tuesday following the completion of a fall camp practice, Peagler talked about how he was a late bloomer. The physical and skillset changes he’s undergone go hand-in-hand with his ability to remain positive.

The line's new mindset certainly caught the eye of offensive line coach Brandon Jones, who has seen Peagler and others develop over multiple seasons. Jones has taken a liking to the idea.

“I think just having an attitude of gratitude, right, and just understanding (that) fall camp's going to be hard. The season's hard,” Jones said. “Play (through) some adversity, but we've got a lot of players that played here in the past that aren't playing football at all, so I think that's kind of where it comes from. But just understanding, 'Don't take this for granted.' ”

Starting left tackle Cayden Green, who has emerged as one of the better offensive linemen in the country over the last season, has picked up Peagler’s mantra. Peagler has emerged as a leader on the offense despite being high in the depth chart for only two seasons.

“It definitely helps you put things into perspective. It could always be worse,” Green said. “We're out here. We're blessed. So when workouts get hard and all that, and you hear Curt down there saying, ‘Get to’, (it) just reminds you you're blessed to be here and you get the opportunity to be here.”

Both Peagler and Giudice are set to start for a second consecutive year on the offensive front for the Tigers after showing steady improvement over the offseason.

The work they’ve put in has not only helped them cement themselves as starters, but has caught the attention of others around them. 

“Those two guys,-they never wavered,” Green said. “No matter if it was good or bad, they always showed up with the same mentality. So, I'm excited for them. They worked their tails off this offseason. Curtis, he's changed his body. He looks different. And I'm excited to see Dom. He's a natural-born leader, so I think center fits him. So I'm excited to see what they can do this season.”

Getting to start a full season at their respective positions, though Giudice made a position change, was a driving force in their improvements and skyrocketing confidence. Now, getting better at minor details and staying consistent are the next steps in their development.

“I think their confidence is kind of at an all-time high because they were able to play,” Jones said. “They all both started 13 games last year, so I think for them it's just going to be continuing to work on their technique and fundamentals.”

Tigers don't lack leadership along front

Experience will play a factor in the potential success of MU’s offensive line. The Tigers have plenty of it, starting with Peagler and Giudice.

The multiple years Green and Tristan Wilson have been around head coach Eli Drinkwitz and Jones help with the message the coaching staff is trying to convey.

“Having guys like Cayden, me, Curtis. We're all in our last years, Tristan. So having that maturity in the room and that leadership to have the younger guys to follow and kind of be that example for them, but also hold each other to a higher standard has definitely shown this offseason,” Giudice said.

A final year of eligibility does bring along some nostalgia. For Peagler, who has been with Mizzou for five seasons, transferring to another program was ever in the cards. He felt comfortable with his coaches and teammates and never sought out a change of scenery.

“It is a good thing to have those guys because I love them to death and to be able to come back for another year and be able to play with them is very exciting,” Peagler said.

Giudice is in a different boat. He’s been in Columbia going on two seasons, but has quickly adjusted to the system while becoming a leader on the offense. The transition to the center position has helped some of those leadership traits come out.

“I know that it's my last year, but you don't really think about it until it's over,” Giudice said. “So there's definitely some of that, but just trying to soak it all in as much as I can and really treasure the experience.”