Mizzou is among the teams with a questionable quarterback situation heading into the 2022 season, with Brady Cook recently named the starter over Tyler Macon, Sam Horn and well-traveled veteran Jack Abraham.

Cook, like some other quarterbacks across the SEC, has a small sample size to draw conclusions from and is still largely an unknown. The redshirt sophomore from St. Louis saw action in 5 games last year — 4 regular-season contests and the Armed Forces Bowl.

In the regular season, Cook completed 19 of 24 passes for 107 yards with 1 touchdown, also carrying the ball 13 times for 39 yards. He got the majority of his exposure in the bowl game, when he completed 27 of 34 passes (79.3 percent) for 238 yards with 1 touchdown to go with 53 yards and 1 score on the ground.

As a true freshman in 2020, Cook made 3 appearances, completing 6 of 7 passes for 72 yards. He recorded the 1st touchdown of his career on a 25-yard pass in Mizzou’s 41-0 victory over Vanderbilt that season.

While Cook is still very much a developmental prospect, there is plenty of optimism that he will come into his own as a legitimate SEC quarterback — something that is far easier said than done in arguably college football’s most difficult conference.

Cook seems to be ahead of schedule in the mental aspect, which is among the most important for a quarterback and something that is hard to teach — many times they either have it, or they don’t. There’s plenty that can be taught to a signal-caller, but how quickly he picks it up, retains it and processes it are aspects that come naturally or are developed over time.

Cook recently told reporters that he felt he had continued to grow in these areas throughout the offseason.

“I would say (my) defensive ID and the mental side of the game,” Cook said. “It slowed down a little bit for me. My first couple games out there last year felt fast, and against Georgia, it felt really fast. It’s just starting to kind of slow down for me.”

In addition, Cook projects as a true dual threat, as long as he stays on a positive trajectory as a passer. He has already shown his ability to use his legs to get to the end zone, and he has taken some shots without forcing things and while rarely putting the ball in harm’s way.

Cook is set up with a young but talented receiving corps, headlined by 5-star freshman wide receiver Luther Burden III. If he can get synced up with them out of the gate, Mizzou could be on the rise offensively sooner rather than later.

The Tigers and Louisiana Tech are set to kick off at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday at Faurot Field as Cook looks to make the most of his opportunity to open the season as QB1. And it’s clear he has already done his homework, fully ready for whatever the Bulldogs might try to throw his way.

“I think it’s going to be important for me to understand what they’re doing pressure-wise and with their zone defense behind it,” Cook said. “As long as I’m confident in what they’re doing and get a feel for what they’re doing pre-snap, I think everything will work out for us.”