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Camp Notes from Dave Matter:

Mizzou Camp Friday Report

COLUMBIA, Mo. • Friday’s Mizzou practice schedule had the Tigers in full pads for the first time in camp, but another schedule became the topic of discussion for Gary Pinkel after practice

Pinkel was one of five SEC head coaches opposed to the idea of teams from the five power conferences scheduling only other power conference teams, in a survey conducted by ESPN. (Arkansas’ Bret Bielema, Georgia’s Mark Richt, South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason also opposed the idea.)

On Friday, Pinkel elaborated on his opposition, citing two reasons: One, playing in the SEC is “tough enough.” Two, teams from outside the power five conferences rely on revenue that comes from nonconference games against the power five.

Pinkel also mentioned the concerns some coaches have expressed — mostly Bielema and Alabama’s Nick Saban — about up-tempo offenses making the game more dangerous. Pinkel adamantly disagrees with those concerns, but insinuated that playing exclusively against fellow power five teams would pose a genuine health risk.

“It’s tough enough as it is,” he said. “It’s competitive enough. I also think it works in terms for all those institutions, like when I was at Toledo. We played Penn State or Purdue or whoever we played. I would suggest it’ll probably stay the way it is and hopefully that’ll happen.”

Can the non-power five leagues survive without non conference games against the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, etc.?

“They will, but it hurts a little bit,” he said. “There are more TV packages now than there’s ever been. It’s a lot different situation in the Mid-American Conference. They have four bowls now. When I was there they had one.”

(Two cents: Missouri's having enough trouble filling out future schedules, limiting the field to only teams from four conferences would figure to compound the scheduling headaches. Then again, if you polled fans, my guess is a Power 5 scheduling policy would be preferred over games against the Toledos and Murray States and South Dakota States. No offense, Toledo.)

Pinkel is in favor of power five autonomy, which the NCAA board of directors granted on Thursday. He has consistently supported the “full cost of attendance” measure that power five schools hope to implement with Thursday’s ruling.

“That’s the most important thing,” he said. “What can we do for the student athlete? We’ll see what happens what direction we go with that. You have those leagues, you have people who financially can do more. That’s important for what they can financially create for the universities. I think it’s a plus. I think it’s a good move. I think you’ve got to watch yourself too and make sure you do the right things.”

But why would other leagues, like the MAC, where he played and coached at Kent State and Toledo, respectively, agree to the new power structure?

“I think they almost had to,” Pinkel said. “There’s a certain point they have to. I think we continue to play at different schools that aren’t necessarily in those five conferences. Financially that’s good for them also. I think the trend was such that it got to the point where one way or another something was going to happen. it’s my understanding if the vote didn’t go that way I don’t know if a new league would have been developed, but I think everyone understood the direction it had to go. I think it’s the right thing for college football. We’ll see where it goes.”

* As for his own team, a couple new players on the injury report: Strong safety Cortland Browning has a sprained shoulder. He’s the top backup to starter Braylon Webb, who’s nursing a sore shoulder. Their status for Tuesday’s scrimmage, along with right tackle Connor McGovern (strained pectoral) is uncertain.

Also, tailback Morgan Steward left midway through practice with what Pinkel described as “a tweaked hip.”

“Just a little bump as far as I know,” Pinkel said. “And you know what, I’ve got 90 guys with little bumps.”

* Freshman cornerback Raymond Wingo was not at practice. Pinkel said he’s tending to a family matter.

* Five days into camp and senior tailback Marcus Murphy has proved he can play slot receiver. Pinkel said as much. His position will depend on health at the tailback position, Pinkel said.

“We’ve got a big decision in how we handle Marcus,” Pinkel said. “We know now he can play receiver without question. We also know he can be a great running back. It’s a good situation to be in.”

* In the wake of Levi Copelin’s NCAA season-long suspension, the staff told walk-on senior Gavin Otte that he’s the team’s fourth receiver in 10 personnel (four-wide receiver packages), Otte said. (He’ll line up in the slot, along with Jimmie Hunt, with Bud Sasser and Darius White on the outside.) But now Murphy’s in the mix at the same position.

“That’s not too much of a surprise,” Otte said. “He’s a hell of a playmaker when the ball’s in his hands. He can get open, too.”

Freshman Lawrence Lee could also figure into that role, too. Either way, Otte sounded confident that he’ll be part of the rotation at the start of the season — provided he produces in the preseason scrimmages.

“Up to this point, (scrimmages) have been my own little game day,” said Otte, who transferred to Mizzou in 2012 from Division II Central Missouri. “I haven’t had too much game experience yet, so I try to get in the zone like I would a game. A game’s going to be a lot better. But scrimmages are the best opportunity to really prove yourself.”

* Hunt is noticeably lighter on his feet these days. That’s because he’s carrying a lot less weight. After undergoing ankle surgery before the 2013 season, Hunt swelled up to 230 pounds. By the start of the season he got down to 220 but never felt like the explosive playmaker that averaged 18.7 yards every time he touched the ball in 2012. (Last year, he averaged 11.5 yards per touch.)

Now, he’s down to 205, his same playing weight fro 2012.

“That plays a big role,” he said. “It just helps getting out of your break, you’re able to get where the quarterback wants you to be. You can set the defensive back up, hit him with a double move and come out really hard on your break, knowing you have that confidence. You have that center of gravity. Your core is tight. You can dig it out and beat him across the middle or beat him on a go route or corner route or whatever it is.”

* One extra note from Friday's story about redshirt freshman defensive end Charles Harris.

Steve Schottel, the veteran coach who told Mizzou's staff about Harris, as well as former MU star Aldon Smith, said he advised Smith against entering the 2011 NFL draft after his redshirt sophomore year.

"I was disappointed," Schottel said. "I thought he was too immature and needed to stay (at MU) a little bit more. He was upset with me for saying that, but that’s what I believed."

Smith proved he was physically ready for the NFL, but a string of off-field incidents and arrests prove Schottel might have been right about Smith.

As for Harris, whom Schottel coached against in high school, he doesn't perceive any maturity issues.

"The thing you have with a guy like that is he’s thirsty," Schottel said. "He’s got a great desire to be successful academically. …. He represents a great opportunity to send a message to kids in the urban core, to say, ‘Hey, look what I did. You can do it, too.’"

"He’s all class," Schottel added. "Everything about him. His dad was worried about how he was going to afford to send him to college. He’s a truck driver out on the road all week and maybe gets into see him play, maybe not. But this is the kind of kid you want a give a scholarship and take a shot with."

* Temperatures dipped into the 70s this morning as the Tigers practiced in a light mist on Faurot Field. Whoever ordered the cooler temps, it wasn’t Pinkel.

“You don’t want it that way,” he said. “Our first three games are 11 in the morning and 2:30 in the afternoon. We have to deal with that (heat). Hopefully we get some warm weather here and can prepare the right way.”

Missouri is back in full pads for Saturday’s practice.

The Tigers practice again Sunday then host Fan Day on Faurot Field at 3:45 p.m.