Mizzou Fall Camp Practice Notebook: August 3

COLUMBIA — The Missouri Tigers returned to the practice field Sunday to get one last day in before their first scrimmage of fall camp Monday.

Here's our top takeaways, plus video, from the periods of the practice open to the media.

Notes

• Some players updated jersey numbers since Saturday:
  - Greco switched from No. 3 to 21, which he wore last season
  - Edge rusher Darris Smith switched from No. 3 to 19, which he wore last season
  - Long snapper Brett Le Blanc switched from No. 49 to 51

• Before those changes, three players on Missouri's defense were set to wear No. 3. Now, safety Mose Phillips III is the only defensive player with the number.

• Missouri added wide receiver Cameron Pitts as a walk-on. He's a 6-foot, 160-pound Chicago native from Christ the King Jesuit College Prep. He'll wear No. 39. Missouri's roster is now at 13 wide receivers.

Injury Updates

• Greco returned to practice after missing early in the week with a soft-tissue injury.

• Defensive tackle Sterling Webb was back on the practice field after being "dinged up" earlier in the week.

• Center Connor Tollison was also dealing with a minor injury earlier in the week, and was still not out there Sunday. But Drinkwitz says it's not a long-term concern and blamed it on Tollison "being old."

• In addition to Tollison, Tristan Wilson was not present — at least for the snapping drills the media is able to view. He had been taking the second-team reps behind Tollison.

Offense

• With both Tollison and Wilson out, guard Dominick Giudice was back taking the first-team reps at center. With his versatility, Giudice could very well be the top backup at center ahead of Wilson, even if Giudice ends up starting at right guard. On paper, Missouri should be more confident in the backup depth at guard compared to center.

• Quarterbacks participated in play-action rollouts again, and it's clear each time they do this drill that each of Beau Pribula, Sam Horn and Matt Zollers excel at throwing off platform on the run. Granted, the real challenge in doing that is being able to react to edge rushers chasing you, which isn't happening in these drills.

• True freshman wide receiver Shaun Terry II made a really nice adjustment and leap to be able to haul in a pass from Matt Zollers that went over Terry's head.

• True freshman wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes has 'earned' his jersey number, wearing No. 11 after wearing a blank jersey all week.

• Ahmad Hardy probably won't be Missouri's top receiving option at running back — Jamal Roberts, Marquise Davis and Tavorus Jones all have the elusiveness and quickness needed. But, Hardy has shown off some good hands, making an impressive catch at his side in a goal-line passing drill.

• Colorado State transfer Vince Brown II was taking the second reps with tight ends on some receiving drills, only behind Brett Norfleet. Behind Brown was Jordon Harris, then Jude James.

Defense

• With Sterling Webb back in the lineup, he continued taking the starting reps at defensive tackle alongside Chris McClellan.
  
  Here's what all of the rotations for defensive tackle drills looked like:
  McClellan, Webb
  Marquis Gracial, Sam Williams
  Jalen Marshall, Bralen Henderson
  Jason Dowell, Justin Bodford

• The fact that Williams, a redshirt sophomore, was ahead of redshirt junior Jalen Marshall is interesting. Marshall was ahead of Williams in the depth chart last season, and the coaching staff has talked about this season being a 'make or break' year for Marshall.
  
  "We really are challenging Jalen Marshall — he's got all the potential in the world to be a dominant football player, but he's got to want it more every single day. And so we're challenging him to do that," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said at the end of spring practices.

• To start practice, every defensive player rotated through the "Bolton drill," inspired by Nick Bolton's scoop and score in Super Bowl LVII.

Special Teams

• Unofficial hang-time measurement for Connor Weselman's punts: 4.50 seconds, 4.03

Video