Let’s be clear here, there is no quarterback competition at Missouri’s fall camp.

Redshirt junior Maty Mauk will start for the two-time defending SEC East Division champion Tigers against Southeast Missouri State (Sept. 5 at Faurot Field).

Mauk is one of just a few returning quarterbacks in the entire conference. Is he a star? No, but you can’t teach experience and he is a threat with his feet as well.

Last year, Mauk completed 221 of 414 passes for 2,648 yards, 25 touchdowns and 13 sacks. He finished sixth in the SEC in total offense and seventh in passing yards per game (189.1). all that while nursing a shoulder issue that nagged him all season.

I won’t mention his horrific game against Georgia where Mauk was 9-for-21 for 97 yards with four picks in a 34-0 loss. Mauk also struggled against South Carolina and Florida, but, hey, I’m a glass half-full kind of guy. And Mauk is 14-4 as a starter in his career; he was 3-1 in place of an injured James Franklin in 2013.

Injuries are a big part of college football, and although backup Eddie Printz looks to be the guy who would replace Mauk should something happen, plans change. True freshman Drew Lock is talented enough that he’d at least merit consideration in that scenario, especially if he keeps playing well in camp.

Considered the top prospect in the state of Missouri in his class, Lock was a four-star recruit by all of the major services. He chose the Tigers over Michigan State, Louisville, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and a few others. The 6-foot-4, 204-pounder has a big arm and is a prototypical pocket passer.

Lock played in his first collegiate scrimmage this past weekend and shined, leading some delusional Mizzou fans to wonder whether maybe he could steal Mauk’s job. Lock completed 14-for-19 for 139 yards and two touchdowns, a 13-yarder to Marquise Doherty and an 11-yarder to Jason Reese. Mauk, by comparison, was 10-for-22 for 120 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s obviously very talented,” Tigers offensive coordinator John Henson said of Lock after the practice, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s poised back there. He’s got a real good understanding of the game. He’s been a student of the game for a while. He picks things up easily.”

Mizzou fans blew up the internet following that performance, but Lock did his damage against Missouri’s deep bench on defense. Marvin Zanders, the No. 3 quarterback on Saturday, also looked great against the third- and fourth-team units.

“Drew’s done some great things, but he’s got a long way to go,” quarterbacks coach Andy Hill told the Post-Dispatch on Monday. “He’s a very good football player. But he has a long ways to go to be competitive, especially against the No. 1 or 2 defense. Against the 3 or 4 defense is a little different from playing the 1 and 2 defense.”

Missouri has another scrimmage on Thursday and it remains to be seen whether Lock will get any snaps against the starters. It’s still quite possible, if not likely, that Missouri redshirts Lock. Mauk isn’t much of a pro prospect and should be back next year. Even Lock’s parents say a redshirt year might be the best thing for their son. There’s no reason to burn Lock’s redshirt if Mauk stays on the field.

Printz, Mauk’s backup, completed 11 of 20 for 141 yards working mostly with the No. 2 offense against the starting defense in Saturday’s scrimmage. He’s faced questions about whether he may transfer, but to this point he’s shown nothing to indicate that’s an option.