Our Tigers hit a milestone Monday: edge rusher Malik Bryant, the Miami transfer who’d been limited to a no-contact green jersey all camp, finally mixed it up in live drills as Mizzou logged practice No. 7 and opened Week 2 of fall camp. Eli Drinkwitz even singled him out for a defensive play — exactly the kind of sign you want with the September 3 opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff barely three weeks away.
The Rundown
- Senior edge Malik Bryant (Miami transfer) took his first contact reps of camp Monday after shedding the green no-contact jersey, drawing praise from Drinkwitz.
- Kickers Blake Craig and Oliver Robbins were a combined 6-for-6 during the viewing window — an encouraging sign for a rebuilt special teams unit.
- Ole Miss transfer Cayden Lee worked with a small group of receivers on slot-style drills, hinting at how he’ll fill the Kevin Coleman role.
- Mizzou opens the season Wednesday, September 3 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Why Bryant’s Return Matters
Bryant is one of the more intriguing lottery tickets on this roster. He logged just 31 snaps across four games at Miami last fall, buried on a stacked depth chart and banged up. But go back to 2024 and you find a player who piled up 17 tackles, five for loss, and 1.5 sacks over 12 games. If Monday was the start of a fully healthy stretch, Bryant gives the Tigers exactly what an SEC edge room needs: depth that can actually rush the passer. He doesn’t need to start — he needs to be part of a rotation that keeps everyone fresh in November.
Kickers Perfect, Slot Picture Taking Shape
The special teams battle stayed quiet in the best way. Blake Craig and Oliver Robbins each attempted three kicks from progressively deeper spots and neither missed. After an offseason of turnover in that unit, six-for-six is what steady looks like.
At receiver, the most interesting wrinkle was a separate drill group that included Cayden Lee and Shaun Terry II. Lee played primarily in the slot at Ole Miss, and that inside role has been the engine of Mizzou’s passing game from Luther Burden III through Kevin Coleman. If Lee locks it down, the offense keeps its identity.
Worth remembering as camp rolls on: the injury picture up front and in the backfield hasn’t fully cleared. Drinkwitz has said running back Ahmad Hardy’s return could take five to eight weeks, and right tackle Josh Atkins is realistically a midseason target. Every healthy body that comes off the green-jersey list matters.
The Takeaway
Week 2 of camp opened with more good news than bad. A potential edge contributor got his pads back on, the kicking battle is producing makes instead of drama, and the slot receiver plan is coming into focus. With the opener less than a month out, that’s the kind of Monday we’ll take every time.
Sources: ABC 17 News | Missouri Tigers On SI | On3/Mizzou Today
