Most Missouri football practices open to reporters last about 40 minutes and include individual drills much more than anything that resembles a live game.

Not Friday, though.

Shortly after the Tigers began their 15th practice of fall camp, head coach Eli Drinkwitz offered reporters in attendance the opportunity to stay through the end of the nearly two-hour-long session.

That meant a glimpse into some true, situational football.

Here’s what we learned as the Tigers drew back the curtain:

Missouri football running backs are splitting reps

When the Tigers trotted out for 11-on-11, Georgia State transfer tailback Marcus Carroll was the first man in the backfield. A couple of downs later, Appalachian State transfer Nate Noel came in.

They swapped, they switched, they swapped again. They each ran routes and caught passes in the flat, and they each took carries.

So, here’s the takeaway: Both Noel and Carroll are going to play in 2024. How often each will feature is firmly in the to-be-determined category, but both players will see the field.

Jamal Roberts was the next man up out of the running back room, working with backup QB Drew Pyne and the second-team unit in live drills.

Elsewhere on the offense, the Tigers lined up with Marcus Bryant and Armand Membou as the left and right tackles, Cayden Green and Cam’Ron Johnson as the left and right guards and Connor Tollison at center.

Unsurprisingly, Luther Burden III, Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper were the first wide receivers on the field. When the Tigers went to a spread formation in 10 personnel — four wide receivers, no tight end, one running back — Mekhi Miller was the wideout added to the action. Daniel Blood, Joshua Manning and Marquis Johnson each took reps with the 2s, meaning Mizzou seems set to run with seven anytime options at receiver.

More: Projecting Missouri football's first offensive depth chart of 2024

Interesting first-team inclusions in first-team defense

As the Tigers rolled out into simulated drives, the first-team units had a couple of somewhat surprising inclusions for the majority of the downs played.

Sophomore defensive tackle Marquis Gracial and redshirt freshman cornerback Nicholas DeLoach both spent considerable time with the 1s.

The Tribune, in depth chart projections earlier this week, included both Gracial and DeLoach as key rotational members, but not starters. Friday’s practice perhaps suggests that they may be in for even bigger roles on first-year defensive coordinator Corey Batoon's unit.

Gracial lined up alongside certain starter Kristian Williams on the interior of the defensive line, and stayed there for a majority of the first-team drills, ahead of Florida transfer Chris McClellan and New Mexico State transfer Sterling Webb, who ran mostly with the 2s.

DeLoach is becoming increasingly likely to partner Dreyden Norwood at corner from the beginning, as he took the bulk of the first-team reps ahead of Clemson transfer Toriano Pride Jr.

What shouldn’t be surprising, as has been common for Mizzou over the past couple of seasons is that the Tigers are subbing and rotating through their two-deep with hockey-like frequency. All of the players listed as starters or main rotational pieces in our projected depth chart took at least one rep with the first- or second-team on Friday.

More: Projecting Mizzou football's first defensive depth chart of 2024

The plays of the day

Manning held on to a dime of a ball on a corner route from Brady Cook, overcoming exceptionally tight coverage from Pride to hang on to the pass.

In a drill that pitted five offensive playmakers against seven defensive players — no lines, defensive or offensive — Cooper got wide open up the middle against the starters and juggled a catch for a 35-yard reception — laying out to keep it in his grasp.

But overall — and don’t read too much into one portion of one practice — the defense more often than not got the better of the Mizzou offense Friday.

The quarterbacks were no-contact members, but senior defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. would have put Cook on his back inside his own 10-yard on a first down, had it been live. In fourth-and-goal drills from approximately 8 yards, safeties Joseph Charleston and Williams beat Burden to the front-left pylon to keep the Tigers from converting.

In 11-on-11 work, Drinkwitz sang the praises of linebacker Chuck Hicks live from the field, as the seventh-year senior stuffed a play in the backfield on first down, forcing a 2nd-and-17. Backup corner Shamar McNeil had a pass breakup while covering Manning.

More: Meet Marcus Bryant, the frontrunner to play left tackle for Missouri football in 2024

Depth at DE becomes more clear

There doesn’t seem to be much doubt: Walker and Michigan State transfer Zion Young are the Tigers’ starters at defensive end. After that, MU went to Joe Moore III and Georgia Tech transfer Eddie Kelly as rotational pieces, which perhaps answers a question about who will play in the wake of a season-ending injury to Darris Smith.

Kelly switched between both the field and boundary end positions, which makes sense, as Smith was tabbed as a boundary end and there’s no clear next-man-up after him. Jakhai Lang took reps with the second team, as did, although less frequently, four-star freshman Jaylen Brown. Interstingly, five-star prospect Williams Nwaneri was not involved in that portion of practice.

No-contact jerseys, injuries, returners

Tight ends Brett Norfleet and Jordon Harris, as Drinkwitz said they would last Saturday, returned to practice after missing several days apiece earlier in camp. Both were wearing green no-contact jerseys and did not take part in any simulated game situations. That opened up reps for freshmen Jude James and Whit Hafer, who saw plenty of action.

Safety Caleb Flagg, who appears to be a member of the Tigers’ two-deep in the secondary, also was in a green no-contact jersey but took part in most drills and situational football.

Backup cornerback Ja’Mariyon Wayne was not at practice and has now missed multiple days. Nobody else appeared to be absent or limited.

More: Why linebacker Corey Flagg stuck with Missouri football commitment through DC change

Special teams updates

Starting placekicker Blake Craig went 4-for-4 to begin practice, knocking through a PAT before converting three field goals from between 30-40 yards.

He did miss at least two kicks during live drills, both from more than 40 yards, but one of those won’t count as Drinkwitz seemingly called a timeout right beforehand. On the other end of the stoppage, Craig comfortably converted the attempt as the ball cleared the crossbar with about 10 yards to spare — and that was with a light breeze in his face.

Elsewhere on special teams, Luke Bauer appears to have the lead as the team’s punter over Murray State transfer Orion Phillips.

Speedy sophomore Marquis Johnson and sophomore safety Marvin Burks Jr. appear to be the team’s first-string kick returners. Behind them, Roberts and wide receiver Joshua Manning lined up.

The Tigers are still working six punt returners, all wide receivers. Burden, Wease, Blood, Johnson and freshmen Courtney Crutchfield and James Madison II took turns fielding punts during drills.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football opened up an entire practice. Here's what we learned