Starting safety listed as ‘questionable’ on Missouri football’s availability report
Welcome to the era of mandatory SEC availability reports.
The SEC released Missouri football’s first league-mandated availability report of the season Wednesday evening, and the Tigers have just one player listed as carrying a designation less than “available” heading into their matchup with Vanderbilt on Saturday on Faurot Field.
Starting safety Joseph Charleston will be questionable for the match, which seemed likely after he did not participate in the portion of Missouri’s Tuesday practice that is open to the media. Later Tuesday during his weekly 'Tiger Talk' radio show, Drinkwitz said that Charleston was dinged up late in the game against Boston College.
If Charleston cannot play, the next player in line for a start is Tre’Vez Johnson, who grabbed the first interception of his career during the game against the Eagles.
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Tight end Brett Norfleet and running back Nate Noel both were in no-contact jerseys Tuesday but avoided an appearance on the availability report.
Missouri will release follow-up availability reports Thursday and Friday night, as well as one final report Saturday before the game.
Who is on the availability report for Vanderbilt ahead of Missouri football game?
Defensive end Khordae Sydnor, a Purdue transfer, is listed as questionable for the Commodores. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said in his midweek press conference that he is “working back in this week” and that he was somewhat hopeful that he would be available to face Missouri.
Defensive tackle Zaylin Wood is listed as out and will miss the game. Lea said midweek that he “probably won’t be available.”
Starting safety CJ Taylor is out for the first half after being called for targeting in the fourth quarter of Vanderbilt’s game against Georgia State.
The Commodores will be without cornerback Mark Davis, defensive end Boubacar Diakite and offensive lineman Grayson Morgan, as they are listed as out. Vanderbilt has four more players listed as questionable: tight ends Eli Stowers, Cole Spence and Brycen Coleman and safety Maurice Hampton.
What is the availability report?
Before the first full Saturday slate of games of the 2024 season, the SEC officially announced that mandatory availability reports were to be released by teams Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays prior to games.
They are not injury reports, which some teams — Mizzou often included — provided in years prior, but instead lists that include any players ruled unavailable or possibly unavailable for upcoming games. The reports are only mandated before in-conference matchups.
The possible designations teams must use to report potential or confirmed absences, in decreasing order of likelihood, are available, probable, questionable, doubtful and out. Inaccurate or late reports in football are subject to fines ranging from $25,000-$100,000, per a conference announcement.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Joseph Charleston listed as 'questionable' for Missouri football vs. Vanderbilt
