In a make-or-break season for Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri, the Tigers are set up fairly well for success. They have a deep receiving corps, an experienced defense full of NFL-caliber players and a pair of young coordinators who are on the rise.

But a handful of question marks remain, and they could erase the positive points in the worst-case scenario.

The biggest question mark, of course, is the quarterback position. Junior Brady Cook started all 13 games last season and had a roller-coaster ride of a year, causing fans to call for highly-touted freshman Sam Horn. Instead, Cook played some of his best football in the final 3 games of the regular season, and he entered fall camp as the presumed starter.

The depth in 2023 is far greater than a wide-eyed freshman Horn and graduate student Jack Abraham last season. The Tigers landed talented Miami transfer Jake Garcia to compete for the starting job, and Horn has taken major steps forward.

To begin, let’s set the stage for these 3 quarterbacks:

Brady Cook

  • Junior out of St. Louis
  • 3-star recruit, No. 28 pro-style QB from Chaminade High School (’20, via 247 Sports)
  • 6-2, 205
  • 2022 stats: 65% comp., 2,724 passing yards, 14 TDs, 7 INTs, 11.0 YPC, 139 carries, 585 rushing yards, 6 TDs
  • Elected a team captain for 2023

Cook lived out his lifelong dream of being Mizzou’s starting quarterback last season, and the home-state product received the full experience. He got out to a rocky start, tearing his labrum in his throwing shoulder against Kansas State in Week 2 and suffering heartbreaking losses to Auburn, Florida and Georgia. Cook played through the injury for the rest of the season before having surgery during the spring, but he seemingly improved as the year went on despite that.

In each of the final 3 games of the regular season, Cook accounted for over 300 total yards and at least 2 touchdowns. That stretch was highlighted by a 380-yard, 2 TD performance to reclaim the Battle Line Trophy over Arkansas and clinch a bowl appearance. The consensus was that Cook had settled into the starting role and was on an upward trajectory, but an up-and-down performance in a Gasparilla Bowl loss to Wake Forest again raised concerns.

The reality is that Cook played with a torn labrum and behind a leaky offensive line throughout the season, but in the SEC, the quarterback gets the blame regardless of circumstances.

Sam Horn

  • Redshirt Freshman out of Lawrenceville, Ga.
  • 4-star recruit, No. 15 overall QB out of Collins Hill High School (’22)
  • 6-4, 219 pounds
  • 2022 stats: 0/2 passing, 1 carry for 10 yards

Luther Burden III stole the headlines in the Class of 2022, but Sam Horn was quietly a major get for Drinkwitz and Co. The Tigers marched into the heart of Georgia and reeled in a highly-sought after target in Horn, who just got done winning a 7-A state title while throwing to current Colorado Buffalo Travis Hunter.

Horn has the prototypical build for a quarterback to go with a strong arm, which largely stems from his background in baseball. Horn was on Mizzou’s baseball team but suffered an upper arm strain early in the season, and it is believed that he is now set on pursuing football as priority No. 1. He has fully recovered, and after a year of biding his time behind Cook, Horn is now looking to live up to his high school hype.

Jake Garcia

  • Sophomore out of Whittier, Calif.
  • 4-star recruit, No. 14 overall QB out of Grayson High School (’21)
  • Transferred from Miami
  • 6-3, 194 pounds
  • 2022 stats (Miami): 59.6% comp., 803 passing yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs, 7.0 YPC

Garcia is certainly the wild card in this competition. There is no denying his raw talent, as the likes of Miami, USC, Nebraska and Alabama were pursuing his signature out of high school. Garcia chose the Canes, but after 2 seasons of sparingly seeing the field behind Tyler Van Dyke, he opted to transfer. Missouri, needing another talented QB to push Cook to new levels, landed his commitment.

In watching him during practices, there is a noticeable difference in a ball leaving his hand versus the other quarterbacks. He has more zip, and his accuracy is among the best in the nation when he has time. The issues lie with his decision making and reading defenses, and although he can scramble, Garcia is not the same athlete that Cook is. Still, if Mizzou has a quarterback with an NFL future, it is likely Garcia thanks to his natural arm talent.

And the winner is …

In the end, the pros of Cook far outweigh the cons, and the risks associated with plugging in Horn or Garcia in such a pivotal season are too great for Drinkwitz to take. Week-in and week-out, Cook provides Missouri with the best chance to win thanks to his scrambling ability and experience in competing at this level.

Garcia may have the most arm talent out of the 3, and Horn may have the most overall upside, but in 2023, Brady Cook is the man for the job. However, Cook’s margin for error has drastically decreased now, as Drinkwitz will be more than ready to plug someone else in should he struggle.