Missouri quarterback Brady Cook signs autographs after his team鈥檚 Black and Gold spring game on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥 Missouri football wants to keep quarterback Brady Cook grounded.
To be clear, that鈥檚 different from being on the ground, as in sacked. The Tigers very much don鈥檛 want that, so they brought in two starting offensive linemen from the transfer portal this offseason to keep the football kind of pressure off him.
But they don鈥檛 exactly want him flying too far from the ground either.
鈥淚鈥檓 constantly hammering him with: 鈥榃e don鈥檛 need a celebrity quarterback, we need a battlefield commander,鈥欌 coach Eli Drinkwitz said of Cook, who鈥檚 entering his third and final season as Mizzou鈥檚 starting signal-caller.
Cemented in that role and more tangibly appreciated by the MU fan base after he was infamously booed near the beginning of last season, Cook鈥檚 reputation 鈥 and presence 鈥 have reached new heights this offseason.
鈥淏rady鈥檚 always been a leader,鈥 Drinkwitz said. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 so much respect for him in that room because people have seen him be consistent 鈥 good, bad or indifferent 鈥 although last year I didn鈥檛 see anybody fly around in helicopters for NIL deals. We鈥檒l see if that affects him any.鈥
Having traded the blender of Missouri鈥檚 past mediocrity for this getting-in-the-chopper kind of regard is an adjustment for the former Chaminade quarterback. Something similar happened on the field, too, over the course of the 2023 season.
Cook finished last season with 3,189 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, all better results than he produced in 2022. He ran the ball less 鈥 94 attempts for 253 yards in 2023 鈥 but scored more often.
Playing for the first time in offensive coordinator Kirby Moore鈥檚 scheme 鈥 and with a healthy shoulder, which wasn鈥檛 the case in 2022 鈥 Cook unlocked an extended range for his arm.
He raised his average depth of target from 8.5 yards downfield in 2022 to 9.6 yards downfield in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus. Cook finished in the top 20 nationally in completion percentage for throws aimed 20 or more yards downfield and for the PFF grade on that category of throws.
With Cody Schrader out of the college game, Mizzou鈥檚 rushing attack is likely to look different in 2024. But barring schematic tweaks, bringing back every receiving option from last year certainly gives the Tigers some appetizing aerial methods of attack.
So tucked in the pocket or rolling outside of it, what does Missouri need Cook to be this season?
Drinkwitz has already nixed 鈥渃elebrity quarterback鈥 from the list, but he has something to replace it.
鈥淲e need him to continue to be a consistent ball distributor,鈥 Drinkwitz said. 鈥淥ne of the reasons for our success offensively was the lack of turnovers. We got to continue that.鈥
Conversely, one of the barometers for Mizzou鈥檚 struggles was also Cook鈥檚 turnovers. Interceptions against Louisiana State and Georgia sank the Tigers鈥 chances of staging comebacks in both of those defeats, making turnover aversion a preseason priority.
鈥淟imiting bad decisions鈥 was one of Cook鈥檚 self-described gains over the past few weeks of practices.
That was a brief red flag that arose at the start of preseason camp, when MU鈥檚 focus was on red-zone offense, Drinkwitz said. But as camp progressed, Cook reined in his throws, avoiding turnovers in both preseason scrimmages 鈥 including two-minute-drill situations.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 been a good theme moving forward,鈥 Drinkwitz said.
An interesting aspect of Cook鈥檚 skill set to monitor in 2024 will be how Mizzou asks him 鈥 or allows him 鈥 to deploy his legs.
鈥淥bviously, we鈥檙e going to need (him) to be a tough, physical runner,鈥 Drinkwitz said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what he鈥檚 always been, whether it was his first touchdown, versus Army in his first start or whether it was (against) Ohio State to start the fourth quarter on that big run to put us in the red zone. He鈥檚 always been a tough runner.鈥
But at times last season, Cook鈥檚 style of running threatened to jeopardize his health. A hit against Kansas State required him to exit the game briefly after he sprained his knee. Cook seemed to hurt his shoulder during contact against Memphis.
鈥淭here鈥檚 that fine balance of self-preservation 鈥 that鈥檚 been a phrase that we鈥檝e talked about,鈥 Moore said. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 some critical moments where Brady did a great job for us carrying the football, and (I) have the opinion that that鈥檒l probably continue a little bit.鈥
Perhaps most important to Missouri鈥檚 fortunes this season, though, will be how often the Tigers can get the ball out of Cook鈥檚 hands and in the possession of one of the nation鈥檚 most dangerous sets of wide receivers and tight ends.
鈥淗e has to take command of what we鈥檙e doing and why we鈥檙e doing it and the adjustments that are needed,鈥 Moore said. 鈥淗e needs to be efficient and then aggressively take what the defense gives us. We have some really good personnel on the outside at the tight end position, so if we鈥檙e trying to stretch the ball down the field and it鈥檚 there, it鈥檚 there. If it鈥檚 not, right, let鈥檚 get to our check-down and get those guys the ball in space because they can make those guys miss as well.鈥
鈥淚 think we did a pretty job of that last year, but with the guys we have in that receiver room, running back room, tight end room, just distributing the ball to them as much as I can, finding ways to let them make plays,鈥 Cook said.
