Walk-on defensive end Jordan Harold is stealing reps with the Missouri first string

Here are today's Mizzou Links.

By Bill Connelly@SBN_BillC Aug 22, 2016, 5:00am CDT

12 days to WVU

#MIZCamp Day 17 @Paul_Adams77 shows off his interview skills as he gets to know OL Tyler Howell #MIZ #ShowMe pic.twitter.com/pxr27c0OgY
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) August 20, 2016

MUtigers.com: #MIZCamp Day 17

The Trib: MU's Moore, confident as ever, aims to be Lock's go-to target

Post-Dispatch: Brown gains trust of Mizzou's cornerbacks

PowerMizzou: What We Learned: Week 2 offense

We've spoken with just about all the major players on the offensive line, and the top five seems as set as it can be without being official -- Paul Adams, Alec Abeln, Samson Bailey, Kevin Pendleton and Tyler Howell, from right to left. Who are the top back-ups that could still steal a job? RT Tre'Vour Simms, RG Kyle Mitchell and swing-man (LT or G) Michael Stannard appear to make up that top-8. However, I would be fairly surprised if the starting five for West Virginia aren't the ones just listed.

PowerMizzou: What We Learned: Week 2 defense

Scout.com: Mizzou's Terry Beckner Jr. Ready to Break Out

Gridiron Now: Missouri season preview: There is solid talent for new coach Barry Odom

Good news indeed

The Trib (Blake Toppmeyer): MU notes: Brown undergoes ankle surgery, might be back sooner than projected

The prognosis on Nate Brown's ankle might be a bit better than initially expected. Brown underwent ankle surgery this week after suffering a high ankle sprain in Monday's practice, and Coach Barry Odom said after Friday's practice that the surgery "went very well."

"They feel like after the procedure was over, maybe the timeline could be sped up a little bit," Odom said ."That’s good news."

Shorter Port-O-John lines!

MUtigers.com: @MizzouAthletics Announces Football Gameday Enhancements

Well this is a pretty cool story...

Inspirational, anyway. I was kind of hoping Frazier would run away with the competition, but I like that there's room for a guy who's playing his butt off.

The Trib: Walk-on Harold giving MU's D-line a boost

Post-Dispatch: Short on size, long on faith: Harold chases dream at Mizzou

Harold played just two games at NWMSU in 2014 but has positioned himself to get playing time on what’s widely considered one of the SEC’s best defensive lines. How did this happen? For one, Mizzou’s depth took an unexpected hit when returning starter Walter Brady was kicked off the team for breaking team rules. That left an open competition for the job opposite preseason All-SEC junior Charles Harris. Marcell Frazier, a junior college transfer who started three games last year, opened preseason camp as the top contender, but he’s since swapped snaps with sophomore Spencer Williams and, yes, Harold, who’s up to 260 pounds.

Missouri coach Barry Odom won’t discriminate against a shorter defender. In 1999, Odom finished his career as MU’s fourth-leading tackler but barely scratched 6 feet.

If the main point of this story is that Harold and Williams are doing well, this is great. If it's Frazier underachieving, obviously, that's ... less great.