Following a day off from practice Tuesday, Mizzou Football was back on the Kadlec Practice Fields Wednesday for the fifth practice of fall camp. The Tigers, under cool and cloudy skies, donned full pads for the first time and what followed was the most spirited practice of fall camp. During the day off, Coach Odom challenged his team to bring great effort and great competition to the first padded practice and the team did not disappoint. Both the offense and defense shined at moments, and 11-on-11 was as competitive as it has been all camp with both units making sparkling plays.
In roster news, both QB Kelly Bryant and TE Albert Okwuegbunam were back on the field and at close to 100 percent despite missing reps late Monday due to minor injuries. They repped with the No. 1 offense during the entirety of practice, and even connected on a beautiful pitch-and-catch over the middle of the field during the two-minute drill to close practice. Also, DT Jordan Elliott was back on the field after missing the latter stages of Monday's practice.
Today's Rookie Report is a great exchange between defensive backs as junior Adam Sparks introduces us to Chris Shearin. Sparks was Shearin's host during his official visit and the two have struck a great friendship, as evidenced in the video.
Today, we also keep it locked in on the defensive backs as the first position preview of fall camp is ready for viewing. Spearheaded by what is quite possibly the best CB duo at Mizzou in several years in DeMarkus Acy and Christian Holmes, Mizzou is loaded on the back end with dynamic playmakers. At safety, a pair of budding young stars – Tyree Gillespie and Joshuah Bledsoe - are expected to make an impact as well. The Tigers also have incredible depth in the secondary, including seniors Ronnell Perkins and Khalil Oliver, who are expected to challenge for the starting boundary position. Back and healthy in 2019 is CB Adam Sparks as he highlights a talented stable of cornerbacks behind Acy and Holmes. Look for Jarvis Ware to make an impact in the secondary as well as the second-year player has seen his game progress mightily from year one to year two. Watch the video below to learn about Mizzou's DBs.
Mizzou will enter the 2019 season coming off consecutive winning campaigns, and the Tigers will begin the year at Wyoming (Aug. 31), before a five-game home stand begins Sept. 7 against West Virginia. Tickets are on sale for the 2019 schedule, which will feature seven home contests in all. Visit MUTigers.com for details, or contact the Mizzou Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS locally) with questions.