Injury Updates, Fall Camp News from Eli Drinkwitz

The Missouri Tigers head coach spoke to the media Saturday after the second week of fall camp.

Joey Van Zummeren | Aug 11, 2024

Aug 31, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz watches play against the South Dakota Coyotes during the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

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Missouri Tigers

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Week 2 of fall camp is wrapping up for the Missouri Tigers with their 2024 season opener less than three weeks away. The Tigers had a scrimmage Saturday morning that featured some young standouts.

Head coach Eli Drinkwitz spoke to the media following the scrimmage to recap the scrimmage, provide injury news and more updates. Here's some key takeaways from his press conference:

Scrimmage Standouts

This week of practices for Missouri was bookended by scrimmages on both Monday and Saturday. Hearing from players earlier in the week, wide receivers Joshua Manning and Daniel Blood along with cornerback Cam Keys stood out in Monday's scrimmage.

"Some good, some bad, some hard to tell until you really watch the tape because you're just going from situation to situation, there's no real breaks," Drinkwitz said of Saturday's scrimmage.

Manning, one of the most popular names of fall camp, stood out again Saturday. According to Drinkwitz, Manning had an "unbelievable day" with six catches for about 100 yards and two touchdowns. His first score came from an impressive pass from backup quarterback Drew Pyne in the red zone.

READ: Breakout Candidate Joshua Manning Continuing to Earn Opportunities in Fall Camp

Manning's touchdown broke the glass for the offense in the red zone after the first-team defense stopped the first-team offense on the first two red zone attempts.

The sides flipped with the ball being moved back to put the offense up against the endzone. The second-team offense gave up a safety. After that, the offense switched in favor of the offense.

The defense did not come away with any takeaways on the day despite a fumble on the ground and having a chance at two interceptions that they dropped.

Finally, three-star athlete Austyn Dendy has found his spot at running back and had around 80 yards and a touchdown in the scrimmage.

Injuries for 3 Offensive Players

Tight ends Brett Norfleet, Jordon Harris and running back Kewan Lacy are all dealing with injuries. Lacy, a four-star freshman running back, is dealing with a soft tissue injury that kept him out of Saturday's practice. Drinkwitz did not provide specifics on Harris or Norfleet's injuries but expect the two to be back to practice by the end of next week.

At tight end, freshmen Jude James and Whit Hafer have both stepped up. Both Norfleet and Harris missed practice Wednesday through Friday.

Young Players Earning Elevated Roles

For the second straight week, Drinkwitz mentioned freshman defensive back Trajen Greco as a standout. The four-star prospect was one of the final additions of Missouri's 2024 Class and has been impressing with his athleticsm so far. Drinkwitz says he expects Greco to be someone who could instantly contribute for the Tigers either on special teams or defense.

Drinkwitz has the same hopes for freshman linebacker Jeremiah Beasley, a four-star transfer from Michigan. Both Greco and Beasley are in crowded rooms but seemingly are earning themselves opportunities.

Finally, defensive back Nicholas Deloach has continued to emerge in the corner back room. According to Drinkwitz, the sophomore has been getting a significant amount of first-team reps, rotating with Toriano Pride Jr.

READ: Missouri Cornerback Nic Deloach Past Freshman Nerves, Ready to Expand Role

"Super explosive athlete, very consistent," Drinkwitz said of Deloach. "He's got great man-to-man skills. Very smart, instinctual player."

You can watch Drinkwitz' full press conference here:

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