Fall Camp Notes and Quotes: August 18

Mizzou was back on the outdoor practice fields on Tuesday in Columbia as fall camp’s final week continued.

The media saw the first seven periods of practice and also talked to safety Trajen Greco, offensive lineman Curtis Peagler and punter Brunno Reus.

Here’s what we saw and heard:

• The kickers made up for their poor performance to open yesterday’s practice by going a combined 7-for-7 between Blake Craig, Brunno Reus and Oliver Robbins. There was very little wind today, which no doubt helped them regain some confidence.
• In segment two of practice, screen passes were drilled heavily in live scenarios. The wide receiver/running back screen in the flat has been a staple in the offense over the past few seasons.
• Segment four was called “stationary specialty” by quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley. All five quarterbacks worked on simple 10-yard throws from a set stance to receivers who weren’t participating in punt return work.
• The punt returners remained a familiar group: Naeshaun Montgomery, Donovan Olugbode, Damarion Fowlkes, Shaun Terry, Cayden Lee and Jamal Roberts.
• Segment five was live 11-on-11 work. Austin Simmons led the first team offense while Matt Zollers led the second team. When they went 5-wide, the starting receivers were Cayden Lee, Donovan Olugbode, Naeshaun Montgomery, Jude James and Jamal Roberts. Brett Norfleet and James interchanged on multiple plays. Shaun Terry saw reps with both quarterbacks as well.
• The offensive line remained the same first group out, with Tristan Wilson at left guard alongside the usual suspects.
• On the defensive side, Marquis Gracial, Jalen Marshall and Sterling Webb made up the interior rotation. Darris Smith and Langden Kitchen continued off the edge while Jaden Jones and Kamauryn Morgan filled in on the second team. Trajen Greco and Santana Banner were the safeties, while Kensley Louidor-Faustin played the STAR role. Chris Graves Jr., Jahlil Florence and Sione Laulea made up the corner rotation.
• Filling in the second level of the defense continued to be Robert Woodyard Jr. and Nicholas Rodriguez, with Jeremiah Beasley as the third linebacker.
• The practice portion we saw had the themes of ball security, skill-position blocking and short-yardage routes. Footballs were in red coverings that made holding the ball harder as players ran through the “gauntlet.” Freshman wideout Devyon Hill-Lomax showed his physical prowess in the sled-blocking drill.
• Segment six featured quarterbacks and receivers in three different groups working on a curls concept, with blocking being the emphasis. Simmons and Zollers worked with the tight end room, along with Cayden Lee and Shaun Terry, in this drill. Lee and Terry are expected to play in the slot.

• On his connection with Santana Banner as they both take on expanded roles: “It’s really easy to just know me and him are going to end up being on the same page, and our games are very complementary of one another. So it makes it super easy to just be out there with him.”
• On gelling with all the new faces in the secondary: “Whenever we’ve got breaks, we’re always together. Like the other day, a couple of us went bowling just for fun, just as a DB group. And they make it super easy, because we’ve got a whole bunch of good guys with good character, and they’re just fun to be around.”
• On his progression from special teams to defensive playing time over the last two years: “Being able to play my freshman year on special teams was a blessing. And going into my sophomore year I got to play a little bit — which again, I’m still playing in the SEC and still playing ball, so it’s just getting me ready.”
• On the importance of physicality: “When you put on the tape of the safeties you want to have a physical presence out there…just so the opponent, they can know coming on the field on gamedays, we’re going to be physical every play no matter what happens.”
• On the difference he notices stylistically at the STAR position with the graduation of Daylan Carnell: “[Carnell], he’s a big guy: he’s [6-foot-3], 220. So obviously having a bigger guy right there. But with [Elijah Dotson and Kensley Louidor-Faustin], they’re very quick, twitchy, and they could get downhill in a hurry, so their physicality is up there. They could tackle really well, they could cover really well, and they communicate very well as well.”
• On the value of Mizzou’s versatility in the secondary: “Some teams are not going to know where we’re lined up and what we’re in just because of how we’re rotating and stuff like that. But with all of us knowing each position, it makes it better. So if someone needs a break, if someone’s tired, just go in, rotate for them real quick and we’ll all be on the same page with that.”
• On the offense: “We have a lot of playmakers. They run the ball well; quarterback, he can swing it.
• Greco mentioned Jaxson Gates, Brody Jones and Jayden McGregory as freshman in the secondary he’s noticed stepped up during fall camp.
• On Jayden and Jaxson: “Jaxson, he is a very good man cover corner; he flies around, he’s very fast, athletic. And Jayden, he’s just a football player, man. He just gets to the ball. He’s always around the ball, he’s always making plays, and his effort, he’s always running to the ball as well.”

• On what he learned in his first year as a starter: “Just being able to play the next play and just being patient. I was a late bloomer, so just having the ability to come in and having Dom[inick Giudice] and having Tristan [Wilson] and all those guys help me along the way has been really helpful.”
• On why he stuck around and waited longer for a starting role: “I just felt like I had something to prove to everyone. I know with the portal and a lot of guys leaving, I had a lot of support here, and I was just like, ‘Why would I leave that?” I really love it here, so just being able to come back and finish my last year was a great decision for me.“
• On what allowed him to take a step forward in his development: “Preparation and confidence. Having the ability to go out and play the next play, and understand that the work that you put in, it pays off.”
• On what’s stood out to him playing alongside Luke Work: “His ability to adapt and just play the next play. He’s doing a wonderful job coming in and just chilling with the guys and gelling with the guys.”
• On Dominick Giudice’s move to center: “He’s amazing, man. Just having him in that middle controlling everything and helping us, and especially the younger guys, has been really wonderful to have.”
• On Tristan Wilson, who is competing for the left guard spot: “That guy, man, you’ve gotta love him. Tristan has come a long way, and I’ve come a long way. But to see that guy go out there and play football — that’s a wonderful sight, so I’m very proud of him.”

• On continuing to work with special teams coordinator John Papuchis: “It’s awesome. Because I’ve been at Florida State with him, I feel like it was just easy coming here. We just had to get the other guys acclimated; and our guys are so easy to work with, the brotherhood and everything, that we flowed right in, we fit right in.
• On how Papuchis has impacted his development: “I had some learning curves, but he just kept me calm and kept me confident. I mean, I literally trust him with anything, with everything I have.”
• On juggling kicking and punting roles: “I’ve worked a lot on it. I feel like I don’t really have a struggle, going from kicking to holding to punting. I’ve really got it down, I feel like.”
• On his relationship with kicker Blake Craig: “Coming in, I was a little scared because I was going to compete with him — I was scared about the relationship, what that was going to be like. But man, Blake Craig is one of the easiest persons I’ve ever worked with. I mean, we’re like best friends: we eat at each other’s house, we play poker together, we play pool at the fourth floor together. This is the tightest group I’ve ever been [with] in my life.”
• On what Craig told him about his rehab process: “Him telling me the things he’s been through is actually scary. He’s been through a lot, but he’s fought every single day. He was telling me [about] all the rehab and stuff, and how yeah, it was depressing a little bit. But he came back better than he was ever back in the day.”