Missouri QB Marvin Zanders takes 'bullets' in practice

Football teams wear a variety of pullovers in practice. The defense usually wears one color, black in Missouri’s case, and the offense dons another, typically white for the Tigers.

Injured players, who are limited participants and not cleared for contact drills, don red. Quarterbacks almost always wear green, an unmistakable signal to defenders that the coaching staff will go ballistic if the quarterback is roughed up.

But what does orange signify?

Mizzou is shorthanded at quarterback with only three scholarship passers this spring.

That made it eye-catching when sophomore Marvin Zanders took the field Tuesday at Memorial Stadium, where spring practice resumed after a spring-break hiatus, dressed in orange.

Fortunately, Zanders isn’t hurt. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

“He’s taking some contact,” first-year Tigers coach Barry Odom said.

Zanders’ athleticism, and the elusiveness it breeds, prompted Mizzou’s staff to take the shackles off the defense a bit and see how he responds to “live bullets.”

“We want a more realistic look for him,” Odom said.

Asked what the orange jersey means, Zanders said, “Let’s get a little contact going and see how you still like to run. Nothing changes. I guess the defense thought I was going to be scared or something, but nothing really changes much.”

Zanders is able to escape pressure and freelance big gains with his feet on the perimeter, similar to former Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk. Thus the usual in-practice hip slap no longer counts for a tackle against Zanders, but he’s fine with it.

His response when the coaches told him about the switch: “Cool, let’s do it. It wasn’t really a conversation. I want to show every facet of my game and, by being in orange, it lets me show my run game a little more.

“I enjoy it. I don’t mind it one bit. Just like in a real game, you’ve got to take those hits.”

Rhodes’ future remains uncertain

Odom said there is no update on junior offensive lineman Clay Rhodes’ status. Rhodes, a Blue Valley graduate, has been away from Missouri this spring for personal family reasons, Odom said two weeks ago.

The Tigers only have eight scholarship offensive linemen available at the moment.

Asked whether he expects Rhodes to be on the Mizzou roster in the fall, Odom said: “I’m not sure. I wish I knew, but I don’t. I want him to be happy, and I want him to be part of the program if we can do it. He’s got our full support.”

Injury updates

Three Missouri players — junior defensive end Charles Harris, junior offensive lineman Nate Crawford and sophomore defensive end Nate Howard — underwent spring practice-ending surgical procedures.

Harris, a junior Lincoln Prep graduate, had a preplanned right should labrum repair March 29 and is expected to be ready when fall camp opens in August. Crawford, who started eight games at left guard and right tackle last season, had a second procedure on his lower back. He also had back surgery last June. Howard had a left knee soft tissue repair.

Harris, an All-Southeastern Conference second-team selection last season, had his left shoulder repaired in February.

“We knew both of them were going to have to get done,” Odom said. “We set aside the number of reps that we wanted to get going into spring practice and then knew we needed to get the other one taken care of and cleaned up.”

The Tigers hope to have all three players back in time for summer drills.

On the bright side, sophomore defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. (right knee ACL), sophomore safety Tavon Ross (left knee ACL) and two walk-ons — freshman offensive lineman Jonah Dubinski (left knee meniscus) and sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Pierre (left knee ACL) — returned to practice from surgery. None have been cleared yet for contact.

Beckner, a freshman All-American last season, suffered a torn ACL in his right knee against BYU in November.

Wide receivers Chris Black (right ankle sprain), Johnathon Johnson (right ankle sprain) and Ray Wingo (left hamstring strain) also returned along with junior defensive tackle A.J. Logan.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Missouri QB Marvin Zanders takes 'bullets' in practice."