During the course of fall camp, we are trying to catch up with as many newcomers to the Missouri football roster as possible. After Wednesday's practice, we spoke with Georgia native and offensive lineman Luke Griffin. Griffin stuck around on the practice field for about 40 minutes after the end of practice going through drills with some other linemen.

Question: You stuck around for a while after practice getting some extra time on the field. What were you all working on?

Luke Griffin: “Yeah, as a young guy I gotta work on my pass set. I’m used to playing tackle from high school and transitioning to guard, it’s different. You don’t have the edge to help and you can’t just run them upfield, you have to take a little more vertical pass set, get a little bit more width on it, and all the action that happens right on the line, as a tackle, it happens more in the backfield. So just working on the pass set and getting my pass set down, keeping my head out of my pass set and getting used to the guard spot."

So you’re playing pretty much full time guard right now?

“I’ve been playing guard right now for the most part. I’m transitioning some to center, getting the ball in my hand, getting used to snapping some. That’s my main thing right now is just I want to be a versatile player, learn to play more than one position, so hopefully I can step up and help in any way possible.”

Had you ever played at all on the inside in high school, at guard or center?

“No I hadn’t. My eighth grade year I played center, but you know in middle school football it’s just snap the ball and just go. So I played left tackle all four years of high school, and so now I’m just trying to get that transition in to guard and I’m putting the ball in my hand, learning how to snap, learning how to call the defenses. So just really working on two positions, working on making myself a more versatile player.”

Have you been staying after practices often?

“I stay out here every day. Stay out here every day, just to get work. You know, during practice, the one’s and two’s are getting all their work in and you’re getting more of a mental rep during practice, so after practice is when I can really get my physical rep, go out there, do my thing and just structure my pass set, work on keeping my head out of it and just get extra work.”

Has their been anything in particular you’ve learned or taken away from watching the starters work during practice?

“Everything is full-speed. There’s not ever a time that anything’s not full-speed. You learn, for me personally, I learned watching pass sets from playing left tackle, watching the first-string left guard, just watching his technique on his pass set helps me just get mental reps and keeping my hands inside, working on my footwork. So watching him do it and do it correctly just helps me out after practice so I come out here by myself, I know what to do.”

Is it challenging at all to go from playing basically every play in high school to having to learn how to get reps mentally and watch and not see as much action?

“It is. It’s different for sure, coming from playing. And every high school player wants to be a superstar or whatever, but now it’s different. I know my purpose, I know what I bring to the table, it’s just, you know, as a young guy you just gotta learn. And like I said, more mental reps than physical reps, because you need the mental reps just as much as the physical reps just to watch and see what to do and how to do it. That’s my biggest thing right now is just learning how to practice, really, is a big thing for me.”

How are your knees doing?

“They’re doing great. I haven’t had a problem at all with my knees. They feel stronger now than they ever have. So far so good, they haven’t bothered me at all.”

Do you have any specific individual goals for this season?

“Not many goals. I would say my goals would be just to help the team in any way possible. Whether it be I give them a good look on defense, or just make them better. But while making them better, it’s going to make me a better player too. So just really helping the team out in any way possible and hopefully just step up into a role later on. So we’ll see how it goes.”