Mizzou camp notes: Sunday won’t be a day of rest under Barry Odom

First-year coach Barry Odom said Tuesday that Missouri will practice on Sunday nights during the season, a slight departure from previous seasons.

Under former coach Gary Pinkel, the Tigers would lift weights and run for conditioning on Sundays, but that will no longer be the case.

“We’ll get on the field this year,” Odom said. “It won’t be a long practice. It will be about an hour and 10 minutes. We’ll make corrections from the night before and get that game passed us, get it out of our system — good, bad or ugly — and get onto the next opponent.”

Not everything will change.

“Our Mondays, for kids, we’ll focus on getting the week started right academically,” Odom said.

Mizzou also gave the team Mondays off under Pinkel.

Odom said Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be longer, harder practices followed by “more of a lighter physical day, more mental” on Thursdays.

“This is a little closer to what I did where I was previously,” said Odom, who spent 2012-14 as the defensive coordinator at Memphis. “I like to get out Sunday night and get that game out of you, whether it’s a great win or a tough loss. We’re going to move in that direction.”

Scrimmage stars

Missouri played its second scrimmage of fall camp Saturday under the lights and Odom was generally pleased with what he saw.

“Offensively, Ish Witter did some really good things,” he said. “Our tight ends are a talented group. I thought the offensive line protected well and, wide receiver-wise, J’Mon (Moore) had a couple catches, which was nice to see.”

Naturally, Odom, who served as Mizzou’s defensive coordinator last season before being promoted to head coach in December, saved his highest praise for a defensive player.

“Defensively, I think Charles Harris is going at a different level than he did last year,” Odom said. “He’s had an unbelievable camp.”

Harris is a junior defensive end from Lincoln Prep who finished second in the SEC last season with 18  1/2 tackles for a loss.

Odom also played the three defensive ends — Marcell Frazier, Spencer Williams and Jordan Harold — who are competing for the starting job opposite Harris.

Additionally, Odom singled out linebackers Michael Scherer, Cale Garrett and Terez Hall for their play and said the team’s two-deep safeties “are playing really well.”

Juniors Anthony Sherrils and Thomas Wilson are working as the starters at strong and free safety, respectively, will Ronnell Perkins and Cam Hilton serving as backups.

“There’s a lot of guys that have proved themselves and are ready to help us win football games,” Odom said. “It’s been good for us.”

Alton nearly at Mizzou

Kirkwood (Mo.) High graduate Jerod Alton should join Missouri this week.

He’s yet to enroll as he finished a summer class, which he needed to pass in order to be eligible.

“He got the class finished up, and everything is on track,” Odom said. “He’s in the process of getting everything final-stamped (and) processed on campus. ... It’s one of those — any minute, he will be here.”

Injury report

Junior running back Ish Witter and sophomore cornerback Finis Stribling IV were added to Tuesday’s injury report at Mizzou fall camp.

Witter, who was last season’s leading rusher with 518 yards, is out with a bruised right knee, which he suffered Saturday during a scrimmage.

“He finished the scrimmage,” Odom said. “He just banged his knee on the ground. If we were in week one, he would’ve been practicing today. He’s done enough at this point; we know what Ish brings to the table.”

Stribling is going through the team’s concussion protocol.

Junior strong safety Anthony Sherrils also missed practice, attending to a family matter.

Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Tanner Owen (illness), freshman linebacker Trey Baldwin (concussion), junior wide receiver Nate Brown (ankle surgery) and freshman offensive lineman Darvis Holmes (shoulder surgery) also remain sidelined.

However, senior wide receiver Chris Black (hamstring), redshirt freshman cornerback T.J. Warren (hamstring), senior linebacker Donavin Newsom (concussion), freshman running back Damarea Crockett (shoulder sprain) and senior tight end Sean Culkin (left MCL sprain) returned to practice.

Sophomore wide receiver Emanuel Hall (hamstring) and redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams (hamstring) returned in a limited capacity.

Tod Palmer: 816-234-4389, @todpalmer

This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 9:01 PM with the headline "Mizzou camp notes: Sunday won’t be a day of rest under Barry Odom."