Missouri will take on Alabama this week with 69 scholarship players after coach Eli Drinkwitz updated reporters on the Tigers’ latest numbers related to COVID-19 testing.

Mizzou has seven players out for COVID-19 related reasons this week. Team had zero positives in Sunday’s round of testing. The Tigers also had several injured players, including Out for the season : TE Brendan Scales (medical redshirt for foot injury, out for the season); OL Thalen Robinson (opt out for 2020); OL Hyrin White (shoulder, out for the season). DE Sci Martin (knee) is out this week against Alabama.

Drinkwitz last week said Missouri had 12 players out because of COVID-19 reasons, which included positive tests, and contact tracing. But that number was at 14 about two weeks ago.

Drinkwitz acknowledged there was an inconclusive test that initially led the team to believe 12 players would be out. They retested, and it came back negative, which is why seven players are out now instead of 12.

H/T Peter Baugh, Dave Matter.