Camp notes: Mizzou dismisses Trevon Walters after last week’s arrest

A running back wearing No. 20 ran through drills Monday as Missouri’s fall camp rolled into its third week. It was not, however, sophomore Trevon Walters.

First-year coach Barry Odom dismissed Walters from the team after he was arrested Friday on one count of stealing, a felony, and two counts of fraudulent use of a credit or debit device, both misdemeanors.

“I met with Trevon this morning,” Odom said Monday after practice, “and due to team rules, team policies, he’s been dismissed from the program.”

Columbia police allege that Walters stole a debit card from a residence July 17 and made unauthorized purchases with the stolen card. He was identified through surveillance video at one of the retailers where he made a purchase.

Walters, who missed last season recovering from a knee injury and never played in a game for the Tigers, was released on a $5,500 bond Friday and suspended indefinitely at that time.

“I wish him the best,” Odom said. “I want him to rebound from this and hope that he will.”

Walters is the third Mizzou player dismissed from the football team this month.

Odom dismissed two players, sophomore defensive end Walter Brady for an unspecified violation of team rules and senior defensive tackle Harold Brantley for failing to meet academic expectations, on Aug. 3 on the eve of his first camp as the Tigers’ head coach.

Walters’ departure leaves Missouri with six scholarship running backs.

Senior Alex Ross — a graduate-student transfer from Oklahoma, who teammates said impressed with some powerful runs during the scrimmage — is thought to be in the starting mix along with freshman Damarea Crockett and incumbent starter Ish Witter, a junior.

Another transfer, sophomore Nate Strong from East St. Louis (Ill.) High and Hinds (Miss.) Community College, also was working ahead of Walters.

Lee’s Summit West running back Ryan Williams, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, is the Tigers’ other scholarship running back.

Kicker McCann rests

Missouri freshman kicker Tucker McCann didn’t participate in Saturday’s scrimmage, but there’s no need for alarm.

“He needed a rest on Saturday,” Odom explained. “He’d kicked a lot that week and was a little sore. Those guys, a lot of times, are like quarterbacks or pitchers. You want to judge pitch count and throwing count.”

Junior Turner Adams, a walk-on from Springfield-Kickapoo, and junior Nick Bartolotta, a walk-on transfer from Kansas, handled kicking duties during Saturday’s scrimmage.

McCann — a 6-foot, 185-poind scholarship player from O’Fallon, Ill. — remains in the mix.

“He’s really a talented kid,” Odom said.

It’s conceivable McCann and Adams could split field-goal kicking and kickoff duties, Odom said, but no decision has been made.

“Our kicking game, that’s got to be our edge,” Odom said.

Injury report

There were three new additions to Missouri’s list of walking wounded Monday as senior tight end Sean Culkin (left MCL sprain), sophomore linebacker Terez Hall (pulled tooth) and freshman offensive lineman Darvis Holmes (left shoulder sprain) sat out practice.

Culkin led the Tigers’ tight ends with 16 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown last season.

Sophomore wide receiver Emanuel Hall (hamstring) and redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams (hamstring) also remained sidelined.

Sophomore linebacker Brandon Lee (shoulder), senior wide receiver Chris Black (hamstring) and redshirt freshman cornerback T.J. Warren (hamstring) were limited.

Two redshirt freshmen, wide receiver Justin Smith (knee) and offensive lineman A.J. Harris (right wrist), were full participants at practice.

This story was originally published August 15, 2016 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Camp notes: Mizzou dismisses Trevon Walters after last week’s arrest."