Missouri opened its spring practice today with enthusiasm, according to coach Gary Pinkel, who was also in high sprits because of the favorable weather and the simple fact that his team was on the field again.

“We’re excited about being out here,” Pinkel said. “We generated a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm. The thing I’m telling them all the time is that we only have 15 practices… So you’ve got to come out and get better each and every practice. You’ve got to have that attitude to get better. I was pleased with it thus far and it’s just the beginning.”

The Tigers wore shorts and shoulder pads Tuesday and will do so again on Thursday per NCAA rules. Missouri will be in full pads for Saturday morning’s practice.

While the offense looked crisp, after all it does return 98 percent of its yards from scrimmage, the defense seemed to struggle. There were a lot of new faces out there, a couple number changes, and a lot of adjusting. The defense returns just five starters from last season, and none of those are at safety. Senior Pig Brown and junior William Moore (who switch to No. 1) are the frontrunners for the starting spots simply because they are the only two players with consistent playing experience. Sophomore Del Howard, who saw time early in the season, was moved from corner to safety in the offseason.

The other position that was generating a lot of attention was linebacker. Brock Christopher is the only returner and though Van Alexander and Sean Weatherspoon are the other current starters, junior Steve Redmond, and freshmen Michael Keck and Luke Lambert could be pushing for time come two-a-days. Keck and Lambert made few plays on Tuesday and at times Keck looked out of position, but that’s to be expected in their first collegiate practice. It will also be easier to see how they compete when they’re able to play in full pads.

“I think my first practice went well,” Lambert said. “I’m not where I want to be, but I’m getting there. I’m just kinda getting the hang of everything going on. I’m just getting comfortable with my surroundings and getting back in the groove of football. I’ve been off of it since playing in high school and now I’ve got to get back in the football mood.”

Weatherspoon was injured twice during practice, once while landing on a cone during a drill to get the cone before an opponent, and again during 7-on-7 when he suffered a knee strain. Weatherspoon had to be carted back to the football facility to see the trainer. Pinkel did not know the extent of the injury.

There were six other players that were either limited in practice or didn’t practice at all. Among those was defensive lineman Lorenzo Williams, who was diagnosed with anterior compartment syndrome after experiencing severe leg pain last weekend. The syndrome occurs when the muscle becomes too big for the sheath that surrounds it. Williams said he needed a five-minute surgery to cut the through the sheath and take the pressure off the nerves.

“I woke up at 2:15 with the worst pain I ever felt in my whole life,” Williams said. “I was walking around the room, trying to stretch out, I was icing it, I was doing everything I could and it was getting worse and worse and worse.”

Williams called head trainer Rex Sharp at 7 a.m. the next morning and was immediately rushed to the hospital. Anterior compartment syndrome can often lead to drop foot, which is an inability to raise the foot at the ankle. Williams said the doctor told him he came to the hospital just in time.

Williams is expected to out at least until after spring break.

Three other players will miss all of spring football. Offensive linemen Monte Wyrick, had his right knee scoped, and Kurtis Gregory had surgery to clean up previous injuries to his knee and shoulder. Reserve linebacker Quran Barge was hit by a stray bullet while visiting his home in Camden, N.J. this winter. The bullet punctured his lung, but was not termed life-threatening.

Running backs Earl Goldsmith (ankle) and Connell Davis (hamstring) were limited, as well as defensive linemen Charles Gaines, who had an undisclosed injury. New defensive tackle Andy Maples suffered a dislocated/broken finger during the same cone drill Weatherspoon was injured. He had the finger popped back into place and taped to another finger for support. He finished practice.

Other news and notes

** Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin had several heads turning today with some surehanded catches. Pinkel said Maclin is excited about being able to play at full speed with the team. He is listed as third at H-receiver on the team’s depth chart behind Jared Perry, who moved from X-receiver,  and Danario Alexander, but I’d use the spring depth as a guide more than gospel.

** Speaking of wide receivers, Michale Oldroyd, a redshirt freshman from Eureka, made some nice diving catches in practice. Oldroyd is a walk-on, but already a favorite among some of the other receivers. During a one-on-one drill, several teammates were chanting his name.

** And one more receiver… Will Franklin told me that he looked at going into the NFL Draft this year. He sent a request to the NFL’s College Advisory Committee and was projected as a third-round pick. Franklin said the jump was tempting, but that he spoke with the coaches and former Missouri player Justin Smith and decided he wanted to stay around and try to help the team and ultimately achieve better draft status. The last first-round pick for the Tigers was Smith in 2001.

** Though the backup quarterback job might belong to Chase Patton, he better be watching over his shoulder. Patton did not throw especially well on Tuesday, missing most of his downfield throws by about three or four yards. Redshirt freshmen Dominic Grooms and J. P. Tillman looked pretty sharp, and Tillman looks like he lost at least 20 pounds.

** Pinkel was quick to praise the play of cornerback Castine Bridges after Tuesday’s practice. Bridges is currently the back-up to Darnell Terrell, but could slide over if Hardy Ricks can’t secure his spot. In listening to Pinkel and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, there could be a corner spot up for grabs.

** Let me give a some credit to Adam Crossett, who looks like he’s made strides to become a better punter in the offseason. Crossett was averaging about 50 yards on his punts today and they all had good hangtime.

** Kicker Jeff Wolfert was given a scholarship in the offseason.

** A couple position moves included Brock Christopher from strongside linebacker to middle linebacker and Weatherspoon from middle to weakside. Lambert is listed as a middle linebacker while Keck is a strongside.

** And the number changes that I mentioned above (way above)… Moore is No. 1, defensive end Tommy Chavis is No. 48, Bridges is No. 21, linebacker Marquis Booker is No. 30, safety Kevin Rutland was wearing No. 2, and corner La’Roderick Thomas is No. 7 As far as the new guys go… Keck is No. 49, Lambert is No. 33, Maples is No. 92, defensive back Tremaine Vaughns is No. 11, defensive back Justin Garrett is No. 8, and I  wasn’t sure what number Jaysen Corbett was wearing. We’re supposed to get an updated roster, which includes a slew of walk-ons, by Saturday.  

That’s it. Missouri will have its next practice on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Faurot Field if the weather stays nice. I’ll have more to update then.