Missouri players move on from Heupel, Elarbee departures

When Glen Elarbee wasn’t in Missouri’s meeting for the offensive linemen on Friday at 2:15 p.m., his players didn’t think it was a big deal, even though their coach was 15 minutes past his usual arrival time.

Even when Tigers head coach Barry Odom came in to tell the players that Elarbee was following former offensive coordinator Josh Heupel to Central Florida, their response was laughter.

“We really didn’t know what to say to coach Odom,” junior offensive tackle Paul Adams said. “You’re just like, all right so that’s how it was? You have to brush it off to the side a bit. That’s the business of college football. It’s still tough to me right now. I thought I had a pretty good relationship with him.”

Missouri’s players spoke about the departures of both Heupel and Elarbee on Sunday, and both position groups said the moves surprised them. Players were genuinely happy for Heupel but sad to see him go, while their comments on Elarbee were very candid.

Adams said Elarbee called him after Friday’s practice to talk but he didn’t really learn much from the conversation.

“I had a couple of questions for him; (Elarbee) kind of beat around the bush,” Adams said. “I don’t think too much of a conversation between us is really going to happen.”

Since Elarbee’s departure, offensive analyst Jon Cooper has been filling in as the offensive line coach.

Cooper, whose father played at Missouri, starred at Oklahoma and spent some time in the NFL before joining Odom’s staff.

Adams said Cooper is great with the players, he’s a member of the offensive line’s group text, and would make a great offensive line coach to replace Elarbee.

“If I were to have a pick, it’d obviously be him,” he said. “I’m obviously extremely biased about that, but I think he’d be an awesome coach. He’s young, but he’s gone through everything. He’s gone through the NFL. He’s played in college football at the highest level you can — the national championship game. I think it would be awesome.”

In Missouri’s quarterback room, Heupel’s departure on Wednesday came as just as big of a surprise to the team.

Junior quarterback Drew Lock said the Knights’ hire caught him off guard, but he knew Heupel had always wanted to be a head coach at some point.

Lock said Heupel isn’t really a factor in his decision whether or not to declare for the NFL Draft, which is what his father, Andy, previously told the Star.

“I’m on the same course to making a decision,” he said.

Lock, a Lee’s Summit native, added that Heupel promised to help advise him through his decision, which he has since taking the Central Florida job.

Should Lock stay for his senior year, he’ll play for his third offensive coordinator in four years, something he said isn’t a factor in whether or not he returns. He added that it doesn’t matter if the new offensive coordinator runs a air-raid spread system like Heupel or something different.

“I can go both ways with that really,” Lock said. “It speaks a lot to have a quarterback that comes in and learns three different systems as far as being able to relay that to the next level.”

Odom joked on Friday that Lock served as quarterbacks coach in Heupel’s absence and that it’s been a committee of coaches filling in for him since he left for Orlando.

Lock said tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley has been spending more time with the quarterbacks since Heupel left. Neither Heupel nor Elarbee will coach in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27.

“We got a lot of guys helping out, but it’s really been fine,” backup quarterback Micah Wilson said. “We’ve got some mature guys in there. We’re able to coach up each other.”

Odom grateful to Sterk

Meeting with reporters for the first time since Missouri announced it was extending his contract two years, Odom expressed gratitude toward athletic director Jim Sterk.

Football coaches argue that being under contract for four or five more years helps them in recruiting, and Odom is now under contract until February 2023 — so the first four seasons that the class of 2018 players he’s recruiting now will be at school.

“I’m happy for our team and our staff on an opportunity to build on what we’ve got going, to move in the direction that we’re moving. I think that with the support and all the things that Jim is doing within our athletic department, Mizzou is moving in the right way and in the right direction. He’s doing a great job. I’m appreciative to have an opportunity to play a small part in that.”

Lock, who signed with MU when Gary Pinkel was the head coach, said he texted Odom after he found out.

“I know at the beginning of the season there was all the BS going on about him: Was he going to be able to win?” Lock said. “He said the things he did and backed it up.”

Coach plans on Crockett playing

Odom seems increasingly certain that sophomore running back Damarea Crockett will play for MU during the Texas Bowl. Crockett has been out since suffering a shoulder injury during MU’s loss to Georgia on Oct. 14, which means he has not played during Mizzou’s six-game winning streak.

“I plan on him having a big game and an active role down in Texas,” Odom said.

In six games this season, Crockett has rushed 80 times for 481 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 1,082 yards as a true freshman in 2016. He has been limited during the two bowl practices open to media.

Senior running back Ish Witter has also been limited, but Odom said Witter is only dealing with soreness. Witter has rushed 171 times this season for 992 yards, and he’s also Mizzou’s best pass blocker at running back.

“Ish, more than anything, is just banged up from having a hell of a year and being a great competitor,” Odom said. “His body’s sore. He’s an old man.”

Defensive back Cam Hilton and offensive tackle Tyler Howell missed practice with sprained ankles that they suffered during Friday’s practice. Odom said he expects both players to be back by the Tigers’ next practice, which will be next weekend. The team will not have practices during finals week.

This story was originally published December 10, 2017 at 8:08 PM with the headline "Missouri players move on from Heupel, Elarbee departures."