Mizzou camp notebook: August 2

The Missouri football team kicked off fall camp with its first of 17 preseason practices Friday morning. While the practice offered the first opportunity to get a glimpse at 15 newcomers to the program and another chance to watch graduate transfer quarterback Kelly Bryant, the headliner turned out to be a veteran defensive lineman.

Junior defensive end Tre Williams took the field with his teammates for the first time since December, when he was charged with felony domestic assault and suspended as a result. Last month, Williams pleaded to a reduced charge of disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor, and the team reinstated him on Wednesday.

After gathering information and allowing Williams’ case to play out in the legal system, head coach Barry Odom said he felt comfortable allowing Williams to rejoin the team. In the past, Odom has articulated a zero-tolerance policy for players found guilty of domestic abuse, but he said he “feels very strongly” that Williams deserved reinstatement.

“I’ve learned you get all the information, all the facts, and then you make an informed decision,” Odom said. “Through the process of the last eight months, or however long it’s been, went through the proceedings in court and I feel very strongly about this case and how we’ve handled every one that we’ve had since I became the head coach.”

Williams, who started six games for Missouri at defensive end last season, should provide a boost to a position of need for the Tigers. Missouri’s defensive ends combined to record just 6.5 sacks in 13 games last year. Williams had 3.5 of those.

Williams, who was not made available for comment, was not able to work out with the team in any capacity during his suspension. However, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters said, based on what he saw Friday, it appears Williams was able to maintain his strength and conditioning.

“He looks like he’s in shape,” Walters said. “He’s as lean as I’ve seen him, and he was able to keep his weight on.”

Walters and Odom both opted to reserve judgment on how soon Williams could contribute on the field until they are able to see more of him in practice. Walters said there will be some natural rust to shake off, but the defense should benefit from his return.

“Obviously I gotta watch the tape and see how he did today, but it’s definitely good to get him back,” Walters said. “He’s a talented kid and he did the right things while he was away from here, and he’s part of our family. Happy that he’s back.”

At the outset of camp, some college football coaches go through the charade of waiting to announce the starters at each position under the guise of making each player earn his spot. Not Odom — at least at the quarterback position. In a move that should surprise no one, he said Friday that Bryant is Missouri’s starter.

The depth chart behind Bryant, however, is a bit more murky, especially given a development that the team learned this week. TCU transfer Shawn Robinson had his appeal for immediate eligibility denied by the NCAA, meaning he will have to sit out this entire season. Odom said the team “didn’t really get a reason” for why the waiver was not approved.

“We’ll live with it and we’ll continue to train our guys that are at that position, try to get them ready to go play, and Shawn will use it and make sure that he’s a better player when he comes back,” Odom said.

Robinson applied for the waiver in May. Had it been granted, he likely would have served as the top backup to Bryant this season. He also would have been allowed to appear in up to four games and retain his two seasons of remaining eligibility. Now that he will be forced to sit out this season, he will not have a redshirt year remaining.

"It's disappointing to not be eligible,” Robinson said, “but I was fully aware that that could be a possibility so just going to use this year to prepare, get better, get healthy. It's gonna be a good year."

The Missouri players didn’t don pads yet Friday, but the practice still included an 11-on-11 portion in which the offense ran plays against the defense. Playing on the opposite side of the ball as a season ago, senior Richaud Floyd made perhaps the most impressive play of the session.

Floyd, who spent his first three years at Missouri as a wide receiver, switched to cornerback during spring practices. On one play, the defense dialed up a cornerback blitz, and he rushed unimpeded toward quarterback Taylor Powell. Powell tried to throw a pass over Floyd, but Floyd stopped his momentum, leapt in the air, caught the pass, kept his feet and took off toward the opposite end zone. His defensive teammates erupted.

Walters pointed to the play as an example of how Floyd’s offensive experience make him a more savvy defender.

“He understands the route tree,” Walters said. “He had a play today that was real nice, showcased his ball skills and understanding of concepts on offense.”

Between returning starters DeMarkus Acy and Christian Holmes, junior Adam Sparks and sophomore Jarvis Ware, the competition for playing time at cornerback will be stiff, but Walters said the coaching staff hopes to find playing time for Floyd.

“We’re definitely going to try to find a role for him this year, and he just continues to get better every day,” Walters said. “He’s only been playing the position for a semester, really, and he’s come a long way pretty fast.”

Missouri began fall camp in relatively good health. Of the 110 players on the team’s camp roster, only three sat out of Friday’s practice. The team had announced previously that cornerback Ishmael Burdine and wide receiver Khmari Thompson would miss all of camp. Burdine, a true freshman, underwent surgery for a torn labrum last month and Thompson, a redshirt freshman, is nursing a right knee injury. True freshman Jamie Pettway also didn’t participate in practice due to a surgical procedure on his knee last month, but he is expected to recover by the start of the season.

One player did leave Friday's practice with an injury, but it is not thought to be severe. Sophomore defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat was spotted being carted off the field with his left arm in a sling, but a team spokesperson said Jeffcoat simply sprained his elbow. He is considered day-to-day.

On a more positive note, true freshman safety Jalani Williams appeared to participate fully in practice. Williams enrolled at Missouri in January but missed nearly all of the team’s spring practices due to a Lisfranc injury that required surgery. Walters said Williams is not quite completely recovered, but the staff is eager to get a glimpse of what he can do as he battles for playing time.

“You can tell he’s not 100 percent yet, but he’s improving every day and I’m excited to see how much he improves throughout the course of camp,” Walters said.

Thursday, the Missouri players finally ditched their locker room in the Missouri Athletics Training Center and moved across Providence Road to the new South end zone complex. While the much-anticipated facility is not entirely complete, several players voiced excitement with the new locker room, weight room and training area.

Perhaps the most ringing endorsement came from Bryant, who spent his first three college years at Clemson, which boasts one of the country's most tricked-out football facilities, complete with amenities like a miniature golf course and a nap area.

“That joint was crazy,” Bryant said of the South end zone. “That’s by far the best I’ve seen. It’s really neat because they’re not even done with it fully, so just seeing what they have done and what’s functional right now, it’s just like, wow.”

Senior safety Ronnell Perkins and sophomore wideout Jalen Knox both pointed out that the team spent last season using a conglomeration of trailers for its gameday locker room. The new complex, Knox said, is “so much better.”

"It was just eye opening,” said Knox. “When we walked in, I didn't expect it to be that big. I'd seen like pictures and videos of it, but actually being inside of it, that thing's like, nice. You come from the MATC and living in the trailers last season, it's just so much better."