The Missouri football team's trip to a second straight Southeastern Conference championship game last season was fueled in no small part by the defensive end duo of Shane Ray and Markus Golden.
Less than a month after Ray and Golden were drafted into the NFL, one of their likely replacements has been kicked off the team.
Sophomore Marcus Loud was dismissed from the Missouri football program for a "violation of team policies," school officials confirmed Wednesday.
Loud, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound product of Houston, played in all 14 games last season and recorded 14 tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass breakup, half a sack and a quarterback hurry. He was largely expected to fill the hole left by Ray at right defensive end.
Ray and Golden combined for 24.5 sacks and 42.5 tackles for loss last season.
With Loud gone, redshirt freshmen Walter Brady, Rocel McWilliams and Spencer Williams will have a chance to vie for the starting spot. Missouri also brought in junior-college transfer Marcell Frazier at defensive end as well as three-star recruit Nate Howard of Ladue.