Monday Spring Football Notebook

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP EVERY DAY WITH YOUR PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION!

Missouri returned to the practice field for the second workout of spring ball. Here are the notes from day two for the Tigers.

Running back Tyler Badie provided fans some nervous moments in December when some of his posts on social media seemed to indicate he could be looking to transfer after the coaching change. But the junior from Memphis says that wasn't the case.

"No, not really," he said on Monday. "I wasn’t looking around. I was trying to just stay focused and get ready for next season."

Badie posted a highlight video indicating he was returning to Mizzou for his junior season, ending the speculation. All the tweets have been scrubbed from his account and now he's all in on learning Eli Drinkwitz's offense and teaming up with Larry Rountree III in the Mizzou backfield for a third consecutive season.

"The thunder and lightning are back," Badie said. "Just bringing it back and showing what we can do."

Speaking of players Mizzou fans weren't sure they'd see again, defensive end Tre Williams once fit that bill. In December of 2018, the Rock Bridge product was indefinitely suspended from the team after being arrested and charged with felony assault. He was reinstated in July of 2019, a few days before the Tigers opened fall camp. Williams played in 11 games, starting eight, and made 24 tackles last season.

"I played injured a lot last year so I really couldn’t display some things. I played kind of hindered," he said. "I made plays, I did what I was supposed to do, but not to the best of my ability. Now that I’m healthy, it’s a really big step and spring ball is starting back up and I’m excited."

Maybe a little more so after the possibility of having football taken away was a reality for a few months.

"Because I’m from here, that’s kind of a big pride taken away," Williams said. "It was real emotional, a real relief when I came back. The team welcomed me back just as when I was here. Just the love from the city is crazy."

Williams' reinstatement came when he plead to a reduced charge of peace disturbance, following a process that cast a lot of doubt on the incident that led to his suspension in the first place.

"I wouldn’t be playing ball again if some things weren’t revealed," he said. "I’m glad that everything got straightened out."

Now he hopes to make his final season at Mizzou his best.

Akial Byers has played inside and outside during his three years in Columbia. With Jordan Elliott gone to the NFL, he's been lining up mostly at defensive tackle through the first couple of days of practice. But Byers fully plans on traveling some his senior season.

"It’s my last season so they’re looking to put me all over the field," Byers said. "Wherever they need me I’m willing to step in wherever."

While some players might not like moving around, Byers views it as a positive.

"I like that a lot," he said. "I’m the next man up at one position and then I’m in at tackle. If they need me at end, I go in at end for a couple plays. I like being able to do that."

Drinkwitz said on Saturday he would not put out a depth chart or name any starters after spring ball. Byers could be in the running to be a starting tackle or an end on a Tiger defense that is short on proven playmakers up front.

Reporters were informed prior to practice on Monday that Missouri's quarterbacks would be off limits for interviews all spring. When asked about the position after the first practice, Drinkwitz said there is no starter and no preconceived notions.

With the signal callers off limits, we're left to see what teammates have to say about them. Redshirt freshman receiver C.J. Boone spent a fair amount of time on the practice field last fall with Shawn Robinson, who spent most of the year running the scout team while he sat out due to NCAA transfer rules.

"Shawn’s an amazing player," Boone said. "He’s fast too. I’ll just have to let you sit there and watch him play, but you should be excited about it."