Is Brady Cook leading Mizzou's quarterback battle? Here's what Eli Drinkwitz said
ST. LOUIS — During last season’s fall camp, Brady Cook won Missouri football’s quarterback competition. This offseason, MU head coach Eli Drinkwitz has made it clear that the job is open.
However, speaking to reporters before the Tigers’ Come Home Tour stop in St. Louis on Tuesday, Drinkwitz implied that Cook might once again have the advantage in the competition.
“It’s Cook and challengers,” Drinkwitz said. “I think if we went out there today with the ones, Brady would walk out there and nobody would stop him. But he knows he’s gonna have to play at his best because he’s got some really talented players behind him, and so that’s kind of how I would phrase it.”
More: Building Brady: How Brady Cook rose from young Mizzou fan to starting quarterback
Cook started every game for the Tigers last season. However, in the second contest of the year against Kansas State, he tore the labrum in his right throwing shoulder.
The Wentzville native had surgery following the season, which forced him to miss participating in spring practice. The shoulder no longer seems to be a concern, as Drinkwitz said Cook is “full go” health-wise.
Cook finished last season with 2,739 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also developed into a threat on the ground, rushing for 585 yards and six touchdowns.
His competitors for the starting job this offseason include returning redshirt freshman Sam Horn and Miami transfer Jake Garcia. Drinkwitz described what he was looking for on Saturday.
“Number one, they’ve got to demonstrate committed leadership to our football team and really rally the team to all pursue the same things,” Drinkwitz said. “And then too at the end of the day, they’ve got to get our team in the end zone. Who’s gonna be the most effective at getting our team in the end zone? We have a list of characteristics that we look for at quarterback and then we have, kind of our 11 sayings. We don’t need a celebrity quarterback, we need a battlefield commander.”
He also praised Garcia, saying the transfer has the “it factor.” Drinkwitz said he was excited to see what Garcia can do in fall camp after coming in cold for spring practice.
“He’s gonna have an opportunity throughout the summer and going into fall camp to really go into with some confidence,” Drinkwitz said. “I think that’s gonna be the biggest thing for Brady, for Sam, for Jake, for Dylan (Laible) for Gabarri (Johnson), is how quickly those guys can play with confidence and utilize their god-given ability, but also utilize the playmakers on the field to help us get in the end zone.”
After talking with the media, Drinkwitz took to the stage at Ballpark Village to address the crowd. He acknowledged the competition and made one promise: the Tigers will have a quarterback during the 2023 season.
“We’ve got a really good competition at the quarterback position,” he said after drawing laughs. “We added a transfer to increase our depth and push Brady. Sam Horn had a really strong spring. I look forward to fall camp to find out. They always say the cream rises to the top so that’s what’s gonna happen at the quarterback position.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What Eli Drinkwitz said about Brady Cook in Missouri's QB battle
