Notebook: Wide receivers adjusting to expanded playbook

Tuesday, new Missouri offensive coordinator Derek Dooley described the process of implementing his new scheme as “slinging stuff up against the wall” and seeing what sticks. In essence, Dooley plans to introduce the offense to as much new information as possible during spring practices, then focus on the aspects with which the team is most comfortable in the summer and fall.

After the team’s practice Thursday, wide receivers coach A.J. Ofodile provided a glimpse into what that process looks like for his unit. Ofodile said the receivers’ responsibilities have expanded greatly from a year ago, when current Central Florida head coach Josh Heupel ran the offense. To illustrate his point, Ofodile said the current playbook calls for senior wideout Emanuel Hall to know 117 different routes.

Ofodile, who is in his first year as the wide receivers coach, said he does not know how many routes Hall had to master a season ago, but he said it likely wasn’t anywhere near 117.

“It was very limited before,” Ofodile said. “… What we did (last season) was effective, and we want to continue to embrace that, but (we are) just expanding what they’re exposed to in terms of the entire route tree.”

Among wide receivers, Hall’s case may be most illustrative of the differences between Heupel’s system and Dooley’s. Ofodile said that, a season ago, receivers had far fewer responsibilities, but they were asked to excel at those few areas. For Hall, who developed a reputation as a deep threat, that was stretching the field vertically. Dooley would rather each receiver be more dynamic, even if he initially struggles learning new routes.

“I think the thought process before was, we’re going to have a couple things that we do and be really, really, really good at them, and those guys were really, really, really good at those things,” Ofodile said. “There’s a bunch of different ways to get it done, but (the offense is) definitely much more expansive right now than it’s been in the past.”

As for which wide receivers have handled the adjustment best, Ofodile mentioned Hall, junior Richaud Floyd, early enrollee Harry Ballard III and walk-on redshirt freshman Barrett Bannister. He said most impressive wideout this spring, though, has been fifth-year senior Nate Brown. Ofodile praised Brown for his leadership and his work ethic.

“He’s really embraced our need for leadership in the room,” Ofodile said. “… He’s the first one in the building, he’s the last one to leave, whether it be treatment, whether it be pre-practice routine, whatever it is, he’s committed to that and done a great job with that.”

Bledsoe making case for more playing time

The depth chart that Missouri released at the outset of spring football has largely held to form during the past 10 practices. The one exception comes at safety. Sophomore Joshuah Bledsoe appeared to get the majority of reps with the starting defense Thursday in place of the nominal starter, junior Ronnell Perkins.

After practice, head coach Barry Odom said Bledsoe has earned more playing time because of his versatility.

“He’s a versatile guy that can play some at the nickel or dime spot, but also the high safety spot,” Odom said. “For a young guy, he understands really every spot. There’s not too much thrown at him that he hasn’t been able to grasp.”

Bledsoe appeared in nine games and recorded 13 tackles a season ago. Whether his appearance with the first team was just a temporary change or the starting spot is now his to lose remains to be seen — a few formation packages Thursday saw both he and Perkins on the field at the same time. However, Odom did make one thing clear: Bledsoe will see the field this season, regardless of his role.

“(Bledsoe has) put himself in position that, for us as a staff, we know that we’re a lot better when he’s on the field.”

Newcomers getting reps on special teams

For the first time in recent years, Missouri has a full-time special teams coordinator in veteran assistant Andy Hill. Hill has faced some unique challenges in his debut spring. For one, the team will only be able to kick one direction during the upcoming spring game due to the renovation of the south end zone. Plus, due to the abundance of cold weather, the Tigers have held the majority of their spring practices in the Devine Indoor Practice Facility, where punts often hit the roof and ricochet backward, making punt return practice difficult.

Nevertheless, Hill said he is using spring ball as a tryout of sorts to give a plethora of players special teams experience. Four of Missouri’s early enrollees are among those players. Hill said wide receiver Dominic Gicinto and safety Tyrone Collins have both taken some reps as punt and kickoff returners. Both returned kicks in high school. In addition, linebacker Gerald Nathan Jr. has worked with the kickoff team, and Ballard has been used as a “gunner” on the punt coverage team.

It’s unlikely that either Gicinto or Collins takes over the starting punt returner job from Richaud Floyd, who had two return touchdowns a season ago. Hill also said that the team started spring fielding three full lineups for each special teams unit, but come fall, those numbers will decline. Still, it seems likely that the team will get its first look at a few newcomers on special teams.

Injury report

There was only one new injury to report Thursday, as defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. wore a red, non-contact jersey and participated only in a few drills. Team spokesman Chad Moller said Beckner tweaked one of his ankles in a recent practice. While a leg injury would normally be cause for concern with Beckner, who has torn ligaments in both of his knees during his Missouri career, Odom said the injury was minor.

“If it was Thursday of game week I wouldn’t lose any sleep over him being able to play,” Odom said.