Camp Notebook: August 16
Floyd’s injury opens up punt returner competition
Wednesday, the same day that he was named a second-team preseason All-American for his punt returning ability, Missouri receiver Richaud Floyd injured his right leg during practice. The team announced Thursday that Floyd broke a non-weight-bearing bone in the leg, and he’s expected to be out for four to six weeks.
Asked who will likely take over punt returning duties with Floyd sidelined for the first few games of the season, head coach Barry Odom was candid: the coaching staff doesn’t yet know.
“That will go to the top of the priority list here in the next few days, making sure we get number one identified and number two,” Odom said.
The Tiger appear to have several options to replace Floyd. Six players practiced fielding punts during the beginning of Thursday’s practice: defensive backs Cam Hilton and Tyrone Collins and receivers Johnathon Johnson, Jalen Knox, Dominic Gicinto and Khmari Thompson. Four of those players — Collins, Knox, Gicinto and Thompson — are true freshmen. Special teams coordinator Andy Hill said Wednesday that he isn’t opposed to using newcomers in the return game, but he’d ideally like to avoid doing so in Week One.
Johnson has the most experience of the group, as he fielded punts for much of the 2016 season as well as the first few games a year ago. He has missed some practice time during camp with an illness, but Odom said he’s received reps returning punts during all of the practices in which he’s participated. Johnson said enjoys returning punts, but he’s had to work to regain comfort doing so during camp.
“I feel good about it,” Johnson said. “I just gotta get back in my rhythm of it, go back there and get comfortable.”
In addition to returning both punts and kickoffs during practices, Johnson has been working with the first-team offense as the starting slot receiver. Odom said earlier in camp that the coaching staff would evaluate whether it’s worth using a starter on offense as a returner based on the number of hits that player generally takes in a game. Johnson doesn’t believe returning punts takes anything away from his offensive ability.
“I can do both easily,” Johnson said. “I did it in high school. … I just have to get back out there and get practice at it.”
Odom singled out Gicinto and Knox as newcomers who have flashed impressive punt returning ability during the first two weeks of camp. Overall, Odom echoed the sentiment Hill expressed Wednesday: the most important quality the staff is looking for in a punt returner is ball security.
“I want a guy to catch the ball, secure it, and let’s try to get a first down,” Odom said. “We don’t need the home run every time.”
Wilson pushing to retain backup spot
A month ago, sophomore quarterback Micah Wilson appeared to have lost his grip on the backup quarterback role he held last season. Missouri’s first depth chart of the preseason listed junior Jack Lowary and junior college transfer Lindsey Scott Jr. as co-backups behind Drew Lock. But Odom said Wednesday that Wilson has worked his way back into the competition and is currently splitting reps with Scott at the No. 2 spot.
Wilson downplayed the competition between the four quarterbacks listed behind Lock on the depth chart, saying he only worries about himself. But he did say the fact that he’s the team’s only quarterback not named Lock with Division I game experience gives him an edge on the other backups, even if that experience came in a different offensive scheme and during lopsided games.
“I kind of got a taste for the speed of the game, more than like practice,” Wilson said. “… We’re playing against our defense every day (in practice), getting a little taste against Florida and Tennessee and all those schools, it’s been good for me.”
Wilson said that because Missouri’s new offensive scheme under Derek Dooley is more versatile than last season’s fast-paced, spread system, the backup quarterback competition will be decided based on production rather than fit. That could be good news for him, as he’s better suited to scramble and carry the ball than Lock. Wilson believes the team already has plays in its arsenal that will suit his skillset, should he make an appearance this season.
“(Dooley) is a great play-caller, and whoever is in there, he’s going to call plays that are going to benefit the quarterback that’s in there,” Wilson said. “So if Drew’s in there, he might call less running stuff and more dropback stuff, whereas if I’m in there, he can kind of add some more dynamic things to the offense.”
Freshmen receivers seek to expand skillsets
Two of Missouri’s five true freshman additions at wide receiver, Kam Scott and Khmari Thompson, spoke to the media for the first time on Thursday. Scott and Thompson have similar skillsets — both typically line up out wide rather than in the slot, and both are renowned for their speed and vertical playmaking ability.
Fittingly, both Scott and Thompson expressed a similar sentiment to reporters — they’re both trying to expand their abilities beyond running deep.
“Since people know about my speed, I’ve been trying to correct my route-running and being more physical and using my hands, “Thompson said. “So I’m trying to show them that I’m not just speed, I’m more fundamental in other areas.”
In addition to route-running, Scott said he’s focusing on bulking up in the weight room.
“I got a whole lot to work on, like strength-wise and getting better running routes and still pushing to keep my speed,” Scott said.
Both players said the coaching staff has told them they’ll likely be counted on to contribute this season. Thompson said going through the learning process alongside four other true freshmen has helped his development.
“We all help each other,” Thompson said. “We got the playbook, we all went over it, helped us get the signals down. It’s been a very helpful process.”
Injury report
In addition to Floyd, Missouri had two other players absent from Thursday’s practice. Tight end Logan Christopherson missed his second practice in a row after suffering a concussion earlier in the week. Likewise, freshman cornerback Jarvis Ware missed his second consecutive practice, as a result of illness.
Meanwhile, Gicinto left practice early due to a sprained ankle. Odom said the sprain was mild, but the training staff is treating it cautiously so that Gicinto can participate in Saturday’s scrimmage.
“If we didn’t have Saturday’s scrimmage set up the way that we do, he would have come out and practiced today,” Odom said. “Sitting him the rest of today, tomorrow he’ll be limited, and he’ll be ready to go Saturday.”