Eli Drinkwitz believes Missouri quarterback competition could continue into season

Eli Drinkwitz isn’t ready to name Missouri’s starting quarterback just to do it at this point. The head coach said the competition could last into the season.

That’s despite returning quarterback Brady Cook being named one of the team captains this week. Usually, that’ll indicate Cook is the starting quarterback, not exactly in this case.

Drinkwitz gave the latest upon the conclusion of Week Three of fall camp.

“I think in the past we announced the starter and you know, I think right now we’re in a situation where it’s a continual battle,” Drinkwitz said. “But we want to let people continue to grow and develop and not have that pressure of ‘we had to have this decision made at this point.’

“I think in this day and age in college football, I think you can very easily see a couple of quarterbacks play in the first couple of games and let the play on the field decide it.”

Missouri quarterback battle could extend past fall camp

Cook played all 13 games last season and finished the year with 2,739 yards, 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 64.8% completion percentage.

“We get to know a little bit more about some of our other quarterbacks on Friday, we went live with them,” Drinkwitz said. “And, you know, some of the plays that Brady will make when he’s live. Same thing with Sam, there’s a couple of plays, he extends and makes throws down the field that he makes, just because he’s such a big body so we’ll move will see both of my anticipate the first game and then kind of play it from there.”

Drinkwitz referred to Sam Horn, a redshirt freshman and a stout recruit from last year’s class.

As a member of the Class of 2022, Horn was a four-star recruit out of Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 23 overall prospect in the state, the No. 14 quarterback in the class and the No. 213 overall prospect in the class.

Based on what he saw at camp, Drinkwitz expects both quarterbacks to play for Missouri early on in the season before making the ultimate decision. It remains to be seen if Miami transfer Jake Garcia will be in that mix in the regular season as well.

On the surface, Cook and Horn are the top two contenders for the Missouri starting quarterback gig.