Camp notebook: August 8

The Missouri football team has completed one week of its 2019 fall camp. Thursday’s practice wasn’t as newsy as Monday or Wednesday now that Kelly Bryant’s injury scare is behind us, so we’re making this the defensive line notebook, with an additional nugget thrown in at the end.

Junior Akial Byers emerged as a reliable contributor on the defensive line last season, totaling 19 tackles in the team’s last eight games of the season. He might have been playing out of position. Now that Missouri has improved its depth a bit at defensive end and lost tackles Terry Beckner Jr. and Walter Palmore to graduation, Byers is back on the interior of the defensive line.

Defensive line coach Brick Haley said tackle better suits Byers’ natural skillset, especially since he added some weight during the offseason.

“We got more ends, and he’s a little bit heavier,” Haley said when asked why Byers has been spending more time at tackle. “We used him in a utility role because he could balance in and out because of his weight, and now he’s bulked up to 300 and he’s going to play a little bit more inside.”

Byers said there hasn’t been much of a learning curve adjusting to defensive tackle. He played the position as a freshman in 2017 and at times slid to the interior of the line last year. However, he said he would like to shed a few pounds so he can continue to play both tackle and end in the future.

“It’s just a chance to get my weight to the right weight where I just wouldn’t have to drop so much weight just to play one position,” Byers said. “So getting my weight at the right weight that I want would be nice.”

The interior of Missouri’s defensive line was the strength of its defense a season ago, and after the Tigers lost not only Beckner and Palmore but also Rashad Brandon, there were questions about whether the group would take a step back in production. Haley is not concerned. Due both to Byers spending more time on the interior and the emergence of a few new contributors, Haley is confident this year’s crop of defensive tackles will be at least as deep as a season ago.

“I feel very comfortable with the rotation,” he said. “I think right now we’ve got to get the right mix of the rotation, but I feel really good about the guys that we have on this team. I feel good about the guys up front and then we’ll get to where we get the chemistry together with the number of guys that need to be rolling in and I think we’ll be fine.”

A big factor in Haley’s confidence has been the emergence of junior Jordan Elliott. Elliott has transformed his diet, giving up red meat and chicken, adding explosion and stamina to his game (more on Elliott Saturday morning). He has also taken over Beckner’s role as the vocal leader of the group.

“He’s kind of stepped in that role and just embraced it and moving forward with it,” Haley said of Elliott. “I think the guys respect him, he’s done a heck of a job of getting everybody where they need to be when they need to be, so I’m really pleased with his leadership at this point.”

Another player who has made a strong push for the regular rotation and who could provide depth behind Elliott and Byers is redshirt junior Markell Utsey. Utsey played in just three games last season, allowing him to redshirt, but if camp is any indication, he appears primed to play with the first and second team this year. Elliott praised Utsey’s consistency.

“I love playing next to him,” Elliott said. “He brings good energy and he’s always consistent. That’s something I love being around, because you can’t have a good d-line without everyone being on board.”

A popular topic during fall camp has been Missouri’s pass rush, or lack thereof, last season. One of the players the coaching staff hopes is able to provide more pressure this season, sophomore Trajan Jeffcoat, has been sidelined since the opening practice of camp with an elbow injury. However, Jeffcoat’s injury has provided an opportunity for another sophomore who seems to be taking advantage.

Jatorian Hansford has worked with the starting unit throughout camp. Like Jeffcoat, Hansford saw action in more than four games a year ago but appeared to struggle to grasp the defensive scheme in his first year on campus. In the past week, Haley said Hansford has exhibited growth “every day.”

“He’ll make mistakes, sure,” Haley said. “But he’s making them full speed, and he’s understanding the scheme now, and he’s working hard to make himself a better player. So really pleased with him.”

Quarterback Kelly Bryant came to Missouri with a reputation as a solid passer but a better runner. But since he arrived on campus, head coach Barry Odom has repeatedly praised his passing skills, and especially his ability to throw the ball downfield. On two instances Thursday, Bryant showed why.

On one play during the team’s 11-on-11 portion of practice, Bryant hit sophomore receiver Dominic Gicinto in stride with a beautiful pass down the right sideline which Gicinto took to the end zone. Later, Bryant connected with fellow graduate transfer Jonathan Nance on a similar play down the other sideline. After each score, Bryant danced across the field in celebration, assuaging any lingering concerns about the hamstring injury that sidelined him during Monday’s practice.