Camp Notebook: Injury bug bites Mizzou WR room
The Missouri football team had made it through the first week of fall camp practices largely unscathed by injuries. That changed a bit over the past few days as the physicality of practice ramped up. Two young receivers have been sidelined by injuries, although head coach Eli Drinkwitz is still optimistic both will be able to take the field when Missouri opens it season against Central Michigan on Sept. 4.
Slot receiver Mookie Cooper suffered a “lower leg injury” last week, according to Drinkwitz. Cooper limped off the field early in the team’s scrimmage last Thursday and did not return to practice. Speaking to reporters after Monday's practice, Drinkwitz wasn’t sure exactly how long Cooper will need to recover from the injury, but guessed the timetable at 10 to two weeks.
“Could be anywhere from 10 days to 14 days,” Drinkwitz said. “Just depends on how he responds to treatment, how his body responds. Obviously with a speed guy like that, it’s really going to come on him with pain tolerance.”
Fellow receiver Ja'Mori Maclin wasn’t present for Monday’s practice, either. Drinkwitz said Maclin will be out three to four weeks with a broken forearm. Maclin drew praise from Drinkwitz after he recorded seven catches in last week’s scrimmage.
While Maclin would seem to be less likely than Cooper to suit up for the season opener, Drinkwitz isn’t yet ruling him out.
“Both those guys have a really good grasp of the offense, and so we anticipate being positive,” he said. “We’re hoping that game week they’ll be ready to roll.”
While both Cooper and Maclin play the slot, Drinkwitz isn’t worried about Missouri’s depth at the position. “We’ll be fine,” he said. Barrett Banister will likely play the lion's share of snaps while Cooper is sidelined. Meanwhile, Senior Micah Wilson, who recently returned to the practice field after he was “dealing with sickness,” has been working in the slot, according to Drinkwitz. Redshirt freshman JJ Hester will also line up in the slot in some personnel packages.
One other player of note who wasn’t on the practice field Monday was offensive tackle Zeke Powell. Powell is currently battling with Javon Foster for the starting left tackle spot. Drinkwitz didn’t reveal the nature of Powell’s injury, saying only that he “got nicked up a little bit on Saturday,” but the injury isn’t expected to sideline him for long. Powell, who started eight games at left tackle last season, is expected to return to action when Missouri holds its next practice on Wednesday.
Robinson continues to acclimate to safety
A year ago at this time, Shawn Robinson was practicing with the first-team offense as Missouri’s starting quarterback. Tiger fans know the story by now: Robinson started the first two games of the season behind center before being replaced by Connor Bazelak. By the end of last season, he had transitioned to the defensive side of the ball. Pressed into action for a shorthanded secondary in the Tigers’ last game of the season, Robinson recorded five tackles and an interception.
Speaking to the media after Monday’s practice, Robinson admitted the transition to full-time safety has been hard, but said he’s continuing to get more comfortable at his new position.
“I’m definitely just trying to be like a sponge, just learn from the guys who have been doing it for years and just try to learn little techniques, little intricacies that I don’t have right now added to my game,” he said.
As usual, Drinkwitz spoke glowingly about Robinson. He said Robinson is one of the last players to leave the practice field nearly every day and praised the energy and effort that he brings to the team. Because of Robinson's knowledge of the offense and its signals, Drinkwitz said he has been able to “sit on” some of the routes run by receivers during camp. Drinkwitz also noted that he’s been impressed with Robinson’s physicality.
“I’ll say this: For a former quarterback, that sucker is not afraid to hit or throw his body in there, now,” Drinkwitz said. “He is aggressive, and I love it, and he is trying to tackle and run and cover.”
“At quarterback, you kind of try to run away and avoid hits, but obviously at safety you can’t run,” Robinson said. “And coach Wilks has a saying, you can’t hide in this room. So I’m going to have to hit somebody if I want to play. I have no choice.”
Robinson said he’s mostly been playing the strong safety position in Missouri’s defensive scheme, where Martez Manuel is the incumbent starter, but he’s also been utilized as an extra defensive back in some of the team’s dime packages. While he’d love to see the field right away in his new role, he said he’s willing to wait his turn and do whatever the coaching staff asks in the meantime.
“I just want to win games,” Robinson said. “Whichever role I’m in, I don’t really care. I just want to go do it to the best of my ability.”
O'Neal's legacy lives on
Since taking over as head coach, Drinkwitz has typically tried to distance himself from the ways Missouri’s program was run in the past, even creating the nickname and social media hashtag “NewZou.” But one tradition he’s made sure to carry on is honoring Aaron O’Neal.
O’Neal, then a redshirt freshman linebacker at Missouri, died on July 12, 2005 following a team workout. Since then, his family helped push for mandatory testing for the sickle cell trait, which is believed to have contributed to his death, both at Missouri and for all NCAA programs. Missouri and O’Neal’s parents also helped establish an endowed scholarship in O’Neal’s name. Drinkwitz noted that current safety Jalani Williams received that scholarship while playing for Parkway North high school, O’Neal’s alma mater.
Drinkwitz also said he took time to educate his players about O’Neal’s story prior to camp.
“What we did was we actually presented the Aaron O’Neal story to the team and showed the team who he was and why it’s significant and what he stands for,” Drinkwitz said.
Part of honoring O’Neal has always been presenting his jersey number, 25, to a linebacker. In the past, the number has typically been given to an incoming freshman; during the past four seasons, it was worn by Jamal Brooks. This year, however, Rice transfer Blaze Alldredge has been assigned the number 25. Drinkwitz said the coaching staff tabbed Alldredge to honor O’Neal because of his work ethic and character.
“It just went to who’s a guy that can carry on the legacy and tradition of Aaron O’Neal, and who’s a guy he would be proud of wearing that number,” Drinkwitz said. “And Blaze has come in and done a really nice job within the defense, within the team, representing the right way, having the right character and makeup. Plays his butt off every single play, and it’s somebody that we’ll all be proud of representing number 25.”
Team captains announced
Missouri announced Sunday that the team has selected three team captains for the upcoming season: quarterback Connor Bazelak, offensive guard Case Cook and safety Martez Manuel. Drinkwitz noted that the three players were elected by their teammates.
Cook is the only player among the trio who served as a team captain last season, as well. He was also the only one to speak to the media Monday.
“It means a lot, especially this being the second time,” he said. “I wouldn’t be anything without these guys, so for them to select me to be their leader and their captain, it’s probably the greatest honor, in my mind, that you can receive as a member of a team, especially a football team.”
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