The Missouri football team wasted no time utilizing the brand-new Stephens Indoor Facility as scattered showers in Columbia moved practice indoors on Monday. The state-of-the-art facility, valued at $33 million and covering an area of 86,400 square feet, is conveniently located a short distance southwest of Memorial Stadium.
Unlike the Devine Pavilion, the team’s previous indoor facility since the 1990s, Stephens features a full 100-yard field, providing ample space for the Tigers to conduct a full-team practice. Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz was actively involved, providing instructions through each drill, while music played in the background through the facility’s sound system. The media had the opportunity to observe the initial seven periods of the practice, which consisted mainly of individual and position group drills. Notably, a turnover exercise was named after former Mizzou linebacker and Super Bowl standout for the Kansas City Chiefs, Nick Bolton.
As part of the activities on the Columbia campus, the UM System Board of Curators is scheduled to tour the new indoor facility on Tuesday. Following the tour, the Curators will administer the oath to newly appointed board member Bob Blitz, a St. Louis attorney who was involved in suing the NFL in the Rams’ relocation lawsuit.
Regarding the team’s practice, redshirt freshman safety Isaac Thompson was seen watching drills from the sideline with his right leg in a brace. Thompson will miss preseason camp, as he continues to recover from injuries sustained in his senior year at St. Louis University High, where he tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee.
The quarterbacks were engaged in individual passing drills, throwing to receivers without defenders involved. Freshman Gabarri Johnson participated in his first official college practice, and while he is listed as the shortest quarterback on the roster at 5-foot-10, he displayed mobility in the pocket. Freshmen who took part in spring practices have been assigned jersey numbers, while those who joined this summer will earn their numbers over the coming weeks.
Darius Robinson, who was named to the All-SEC third team, practiced at defensive end during the open practice periods, indicating he will play both tackle and end this season, depending on the situation and the opponent.
The Tigers have an array of defensive newcomers who seem ready to make an impact, including safety Tre’Vez Johnson, safety Marvin Burks Jr., defensive end Joe Moore, and linebacker Triston Newson.
Notable size variations among the players include the lightest player, freshman cornerback Shamar McNeil, listed at 169 pounds and 6-foot-3, and the heaviest player, freshman offensive lineman Logan Reichert, listed at 369 pounds and 6-foot-6.
Furthermore, the roster comprises 23 players from the St. Louis metro area, with Francis Howell, Cardinal Ritter, Washington, and the now-closed Trinity Catholic High School being the schools with multiple players on the roster.
Starting linebacker Chad Bailey was the only player noticeably absent from the open portion of Monday’s practice. While a team spokesman confirmed that Bailey was present at the football facility, he was held out of the early periods for undisclosed reasons. Nonetheless, he is not expected to miss preseason camp.
The Tigers are gearing up for the season, making the most of their state-of-the-art facility and focusing on player development and preparation.
