There have been subtle and not so subtle hints of what’s next for Peyton Russell in his second go-around as Ozark’s quarterback.
Since earlier this year, visitors to the Sonic Drive-In along Jackson St. have been greeted by Russell. He has a part-time gig as a carhop, allowing him to work on his footwork while working on his feet, minus roller skates thankfully.
“The tips are pretty good, not bad,” Russell said. “It's fun because I'm moving around, I'm not just standing around all day. That's the reason I did it, so I can be moving.”
Russell is bigger and taller than he was last season. He’s went from 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds as a sophomore to 6-4 and 180 entering his junior season.
Most telling, Russell’s number was called several times on draw plays during the Tigers’ joint practice with Kickapoo last week. He even ran for a touchdown.
All this after he rushed a very modest five times for 14 yards (not including sacks) all of last season. Opposing defenses didn't exactly have to worry about employing a linebacker as a spy against Ozark.
“It will be good for the team if I can be a threat on the ground and in the air,” Russell succinctly stated. “If stuff isn't there, I want to be able to make something happen, make something out of nothing.”
In addition to his job at Sonic, Russell prepared himself to be a dual threat QB by getting himself in the weight room over the winter and spring months like never before. A good example of the gains he’s made is his max in the squat went from 225 pounds to 315.
“Overall, I made big jumps everywhere and I got more athletic and faster,” Russell said. “In every aspect, I feel a lot stronger. I feel good. I'm not the heaviest player. But for the most part, I feel I can carry my own weight with how much I lift.”
The gains he’s made have triggered a desire for Russell to pump iron that wasn’t quite there previously.
“Growing up, I did (lift weights), but not necessarily,” he said. “I just tried to concentrate on the fundamentals of football. Now I can see both aspects are important. I'm growing to like the weight room. Getting stronger makes it easier to like the weight room. I'm going to keep working and hopefully increase my numbers more.”
Russell is also happy to have experienced a growth spurt.
“With all our linemen getting bigger and having (6-7, 305-pound) Jayden (Washington) out there, being a little taller has made it easier for me to see over them,” he said.
There have also been distinct signs of Russell’s determination to thrust his name into conversations regarding SWMO’s elite quarterbacks. At a recent Ozark practice, Russell and running back Rory Banks were the last players to leave the field. Russell asked Banks to stay after practice ended so they could get in some extra reps. Russell proceeded to throw Banks repeated passes from different arm angles.
“It wasn't necessarily the best day,” Russell said. “So, I wanted to get in extra throws that I might have missed earlier. I wanted to work on those throws that maybe I was a little off on.”
Russell will obviously still be dropping back in the pocket and firing the ball downfield plenty. He displayed an accurate right arm last season while completing 155-of-233 passes for 1,393 yards, with six interceptions.
In coach Jeremy Cordell’s first season at Ozark, the Tigers resurrected their passing game by installing a gun-rocket offense. They put up passing numbers the program hadn’t seen since former coach Chris Allison had a couple teams in the mid-2000s that threw 20-30 times a game.
Ozark and Russell averaged 21.2 pass attempts a game last season. Glendale and Camdenton, which both averaged 34-plus passes a game, were among only a handful of SWMO teams to throw the ball more than the Tigers.
Russell’s 1,393 passing yards ranked 15th in SWMO. But his six touchdowns were the fewest scoring strikes for any QB in the top 20.
Looking ahead, Russell knows the O-Train will need to finish off more drives.
Looking back, Russell and his father, John, a quarterback at Joplin in the early 2000s, have dissected plays from a year ago that Peyton can improve upon.
“We've watched film together to get a better understanding of what I can do to have a better year and make more plays happen,” Peyton said. “Last year was a starting point, getting my foot in the water. From my experience, my timing is a lot better now. The deep ball is better and I'm going to keep working on it. Everything is better. I’m excited for this year.”
