Connell Davis’ Missouri career was going nowhere at tailback. So it’s going to defense.

Once likened to Oklahoma All-American Adrian Peterson by former teammate Xzavie Jackson - words that might qualify for the hyperbole hall of fame - Davis practiced yesterday as an outside linebacker.

With Davis stuck at the bottom of a logjam at tailback, Missouri’s coaches initiated the change, Davis said. They made the pitch before the team left last week for spring break.

"They gave me some time to think about it," he said.

Davis spent the week weighing the switch. Eventually, he agreed with the coaches: His best shot for playing time is at linebacker.

"It’d be hard to switch over from the offensive side of the ball, but as far as the pros" of playing linebacker, "I like the contact," he said, "and I have a greater chance of getting out on the field."

Yesterday, Davis began Missouri’s fifth spring practice as the No. 3 weakside linebacker, backing up starter Sean Weatherspoon and top reserve Steve Redmond.

"He’s a heck of an athlete, a tough kid," Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel said. "And a lot of players were thinking, ‘Well, Coach, he’s playing on the wrong side of the ball,’ just because his personality is such. But we feel that he’s an athlete that can help this football team."

Approaching his third season at Missouri, Davis said it’s difficult to believe he wasn’t making progress on offense. The problem was, he reasoned, the other tailbacks were getting better at the same rate. Entrenched as the 2007 starter, senior Tony Temple rushed for more yards last year (1,063) than any Big 12 Conference player who returns this season. The depth chart also includes veteran contributors Marcus Woods, Jimmy Jackson and Earl Goldsmith.

The tailback group gets even bigger this summer when three high school prospects are expected to join the team, including Raymore-Peculiar standout Derrick Washington.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds - though he said yesterday he only weighs 210 - Davis has size that has always tantalized Missouri fans, especially considering the aforementioned backs are at least 6 inches shorter. But size never translated into production, or even opportunity. Davis redshirted in 2005 and earned just six carries as a reserve last season. An impressive few weeks of practice in December nearly earned Davis some carries in the Sun Bowl until Temple ran wild against Oregon State and averaged nearly 10 yards per carry.

Davis has had problems holding on to the ball in practice the last two seasons, though he refused to say that factored into his playing time.

"If anything, it would be the past injuries," he said, referring to knee and shoulder surgeries he underwent after the 2005 season. "But that’s all healed."

Davis said he played some free safety at Gregory-Portland High School in Texas but has no experience playing linebacker. He never considered a switch to defense until the coaches’ suggestion.

"I just thought I’d compete to the best of my abilities and try to win that top spot at running back," he said. " … When I first came here, they told me I’d strictly be playing running back. That’s all my focus was on."

Until now.

"My job is to get our best players playing, our best athletes on the football field," Pinkel said. "And he’s one of our best athletes. … I think he can be a great linebacker."

● STULL RETURNS: Reports of John Stull’s departure proved to be premature. The former Rock Bridge Bruin missed the first two weeks of spring practice, was declared to have left the team for personal reasons but was back practicing with the Tigers yesterday. Stull, a redshirt freshman defensive end, was not made available for comment, but Pinkel said he has been reinstated and his scholarship status will go unchanged.

Pinkel said he had Stull sign a contract, agreeing to certain conditions for him to remain in the program.

● HEALTH REPORT: Recovering from various injuries, defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams (compartment syndrome), linebacker Brock Christopher (sprained ankle), offensive guard Monte Wyrick (knee surgery) and linebacker Quran Barge (gunshot wound) participated in some drills yesterday. Offensive tackle Kurtis Gregory (knee and shoulder surgery) remains in a red jersey and has not participated in any drills this spring.

The tailback corps got smaller yesterday. During an inside running drill, Goldsmith suffered a shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines with his shoulder heavily wrapped. Pinkel didn’t know the extent of the injury.

● QUICK LEARNERS: A few months removed from high school, freshman linebackers Michael Keck and Luke Lambert have already graduated to the second-team defense. Keck is behind starter Van Alexander on the strong side, while Lambert is behind Christopher in the middle. However, when Christopher is held out of drills because of his ankle injury, Weatherspoon has moved over to the middle, while Redmond joins the first unit on the weak side.

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